The suttas contain five groups of collections called the Nikayas.  These are (1) Digha Nikaya, called so on account of the length of the suttas contained in it; (2) Majjhima Nikaya (middling Nikaya), called so on account of the middling extent of the suttas contained in it; (3) Sa@myutta Nikaya (Nikayas relating to special meetings), called sa@myutta on account of their being delivered owing to the meetings (sa@myoga) of special persons which were the occasions for them; (4) A@nguttara Nikaya, so called because in each succeeding book of this work the topics of discussion increase by one [Footnote ref 1]; (5) Khuddaka Nikaya containing Khuddaka pa@tha, Dhammapada, Udana, Itivuttaka, Sutta Nipata, Vimana-vatthu, Petavatthu, Theragatha, Therigatha, Jataka, Niddesa, Pa@tisambhidamagga, Apadana, Buddhava@msa, Caryapi@taka.

The Abhidhammas are Pa@t@thana, Dhammasa@nga@ni, Dhatukatha, Puggalapannatti, Vibha@nga, Yamaka and Kathavatthu.  There exists also a large commentary literature on diverse parts of the above works known as atthakatha.  The work known as Milinda Panha (questions of King Milinda), of uncertain date, is of considerable philosophical value.

The doctrines and views incorporated in the above literature is generally now known as Sthaviravada or Theravada.  On the origin of the name Theravada (the doctrine of the elders) Dipava@msa says that since the Theras (elders) met (at the first council) and collected the doctrines it was known as the Thera Vada [Footnote ref 2].  It does not appear that Buddhism as it appears in this Pali literature developed much since the time of Buddhagho@sa (4OO A.D.), the writer of Visuddhimagga (a compendium of theravada doctrines) and the commentator of Dighanikaya, Dhammasa@nga@ni, etc.

Hindu philosophy in later times seems to have been influenced by the later offshoots of the different schools of Buddhism, but it does not appear that Pali Buddhism had any share in it.  I

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[Footnote 1:  See Buddhagho@sa’s Atthasalini, p. 25.]

[Footnote 2:  Oldenberg’s Dipava@msa, p. 31.]

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have not been able to discover any old Hindu writer who could be considered as being acquainted with Pali.

The Doctrine of Causal Connection of early Buddhism [Footnote ref 1].

The word Dhamma in the Buddhist scriptures is used generally in four senses:  (1) Scriptural texts, (2) quality (gu@na), (3) cause (hetu) and (4) unsubstantial and soulless (nissatta nijjiva [Footnote ref 2]).  Of these it is the last meaning which is particularly important, from the point of view of Buddhist philosophy.  The early Buddhist philosophy did not accept any fixed entity as determining all reality; the only things with it were the unsubstantial