A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s1.70

v2.c19.s1.70

It is true that the earliest literary evidence of the existence of the "three baskets" as a triad of piṭakas (piṭakattayaṃ) and of Nikāyas is only to be found in the Milindapañha,¹ a work whose authentic portion probably belongs to the beginning of the first century A.D. But the whole of the remaining Buddhist literature other than the Pāli Canon, proves that the texts contained in the latter hark back to an early period, not so very far removed from the time of Buddha himself, and in any case may be regarded as the most trustworthy evidences of the original doctrine of Buddha and the Buddhism of the first two centuries after Buddha's death.