Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c25.12

c25.12

**Subjects Taught.** Thus from the evidence just cited, it is clear that the curriculum of the monks included what are termed Suttanta, Dhamma, and Vinaya, together with Suttas and Sutta-Vibhaṅga. The meanings of these terms as used in the earlier texts are different from their accepted and later meanings. Thus there is a passage in the *Pātimokkha* (p. 50) which refers to the Dhammas as being included in the Suttas, the former comprising the scheme of offences given in the *Pātimokkha*, and the latter standing for the separate clauses of that Formulary [cf. also *Chullav.*, iv, 14, 22, 23; iv, 14, 19; ix, 5, 1; *Mahāv.*, i, 36, 14; i, 37, 14]. The use of the word *Sutta* is not yet confined to the texts of what is afterwards known as the Sutta-Piṭaka. "In the oldest tradition the discourses or conversations now called *Suttas* seem not to have been called by that name, but are referred to as *Suttantas*" [*SBE.*, Vol. 13, pp. xxviii–xxx]. We read of some devout men or women well versed in reciting some well-known Suttantas [*Mahāv.*, iii, 5, 9, 12]. We also read of brethren "reciting the Dhamma, those versed in the Suttantas intoning some Suttantas together, the custodians of the Vinaya discussing the Vinaya, and the preachers of the Dhamma discoursing about the Dhamma" [ib., iv, 15, 4; *Cullav.*, iv, 4, 4; vi, 6, 2]. Lastly, as regards the term Sutta-vibhaṅga, it is used to indicate "some part of the Vinaya literature apparently distinct from the Suttas of the *Pātimokkha*. 'The Suttas have been handed down to him, but not the Suttavibhaṅga'" [*SBE.*, op. cit.].