Three - The Three Baskets (Tipitaka)

​The core teachings of the Buddha are referred to as "The Three Baskets":

• The Sutta Pitaka (discourses)
• The Vinaya Pitaka (rules of discipline for monks)
• The Abhidhamma (higher or analytical teachings).

While Siddhartha Gautama, the Shakyan Prince who was destined to become the Buddha, lived in the 6th Century BCE, his teachings did not appear in written form until five centuries later. Until then, the teachings had been passed down orally, being preserved through memorization and recitation by the Sangha. This early written record is considered in the Theravada tradition to be canonical.

Since that time, Buddhism spread across Asia and several other traditions emerged (Mahayana, Zen, etc) each with their own canonical texts. In addition to the proliferation of core texts from other traditions, there is also a substantial literature of commentarial material written by scholars and monastics that has built up over the centuries.