Question

The earlier Buddhist literature was known as' Tripitika'. Why?​

Answer 1

The earlier Buddhist literature was known as tripitaka.

The Tripitaka is considered to be a record of the words of the Buddha. The Pali canon was written down in the first century CE . ... The Dhammapada means 'the path or verses of truth' and is the best known of all the Buddhist scriptures in the West

Explanation:

The Tripiṭaka was composed between about 550 BC and about the start of the common era, likely written down for the first time in the 1st century BC.[3] The Dipavamsa states that during the reign of Valagamba of Anuradhapura (29–17 BC) the monks who had previously remembered the Tripiṭaka and its commentary orally now wrote them down in books, because of the threat posed by famine and war. The Mahavamsa also refers briefly to the writing down of the canon and the commentaries at this time.[4] Each Buddhist sub-tradition had its own Tripiṭaka for its monasteries, written by its sangha, each set consisting of 32 books, in three parts or baskets of teachings: Vinaya Piṭaka (“Basket of Discipline”), Sūtra Piṭaka (“Basket of Discourse”), and Abhidharma Piṭaka (“Basket of Special [or Further] Doctrine”).[1][3][5] The structure, the code of conduct and moral virtues in the Vinaya basket particularly, have similarities to some of the surviving Dharmasutra texts of Hinduism.[6] Much of the surviving Tripiṭaka literature is in Pali, with some in Sanskrit as well as other local Asian languages.[5]

Answer 2

Answer:

The teachings of Buddhism, the words of the Buddha and the basis for the teachings of the monks, can be found in the sacred texts which are known collectively as the Tripitaka. ... They contain teachings of the Buddha on how to reach enlightenment as well as teachings to help guide Buddhists in their everyday life.