Any advice for reading the Vinaya?

Since a couple of years I read a lot of suttas and I derive much joy from them (to sum up I’d say that the more I read non-sutta writings the more I am confused; the more I read suttas, the less I am confused!.. ok, this is maybe a bit of an exaggeration… but not much).

However, I noticed I never had a look at the Vinaya Pitaka. I guessed I always assumed it was only a list of rules for the monastics… I’d like to start reading the Vinaya to help my practice and understanding of the Dhamma:

  • Do you have some advice about what section to read first?
  • What is generally considered EBTs within this pitaka?
  • Are there some parts particularly helpful for the understanding of the Dhamma and helping the practice?

I am looking forward to delve into these texts :heart_eyes:

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The Vinaya is one of my favorite sections of the Tipitaka, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I would recommend starting with the Vibhanga, as it gives a fascinating explication of the stories behind each individual rule. It also demonstrates the ways in which the rules were established themselves, namely when an offense (i.e. that the Buddha deemed was an offense) occurred in the community. The structure is also really awesome.

SC doesn’t have the Bhikkhu Vibhanga online, but you can find a translation by Bhante Suddhaso here. However, the Bhikkhuni Vibhanga (parts of it) are on SC, which you can find here. :smiley:

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It does and can be found here:
https://suttacentral.net/pi-tv-bu-vb

:anjal:

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I swear that wasn’t there before! :sweat_smile:

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One can also download the entire Vinaya Pitaka in I.B. Horner’s translation here:
https://suttacentral.net/downloads

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Thank you very much for the advice. I’ll proceed with the reading.
:anjal:

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