Question

The Buddhist doctrines were written in _______.
a. Sanskrit
b. Pali
c. Tibetan
d. Not written in any language but orally transmitted.

Answer 1

Hint: Gautam Budhha wanted his teachings to be available to the common people, even the uneducated. This philosophy was not restricted by privilege, as a result, all his teachings were recorded in the local language which the common people used.

Complete answer: (i) The Buddhist doctrines were written in Pali.
(ii) The Tripitaka were the documents in which Buddha’s teachings were recorded, it’s the primary written source of Buddhism.
(iii) There are three Pitakas.
Sutta Pitaka - it contains over 10 thousand suttas related to Buddha and his close companions. It also talks about the first Buddhist council which was held shortly after Buddha’s death, dated by the majority of recent scholars around 400 BC, under the patronage of King Ajatasatru with the Monk Mahakasyapa presiding, at Rajgir.
Vinay Pitaka- The subject matter of Vinay Pitaka is the monastic rules for monks and nuns. It can also be called the Book of Discipline. It has three parts - Suttavibhanga, Khandhaka and Parivara.
Abhidhamma Pitaka- Abhidhammapitaka deals with the philosophy and doctrine of Buddhism appearing in the suttas.
Thus, the correct option is (b).

Note: Tipitaka or Tipitaka is the traditional term for Buddhist scriptures. It literally means three baskets, as there are 3 pitakas - Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma.