Discipline: The Canonical Buddhism of the Vinayapiṭaka

The book opens by presenting discipline as the ethos of Buddhist monastic life and as a concrete application of the Buddha’s Dhamma. The early chapters discuss the religious background of Buddhist discipline, including its relationship to Brahmanical, Jaina, and śramaṇa traditions, before turning to the historical formation and textual structure of the Vinayapiṭaka. The main chapters analyze the Suttavibhaṅga, the structure of disciplinary actions, and the logic of monastic offences, showing how Buddhist discipline regulates conduct while also shaping spiritual identity. The later chapters examine ritual expressions of discipline, especially uposatha, pātimokkha recitation, pavāraṇā, and kaṭhina, before concluding that the Vinayapiṭaka is central to understanding early Buddhist communal life, monastic authority, and the Buddhist path toward liberation.