<p>tripitaka written in aluwihara...i don't know are there still have or not the original copy of the first THRIPITAKA....but I believe existing copies of thripitaka not change anything wrote in original one...however there are possibility it have some changes due to language issues in that time (change some for easy understanding or better interpretation ) purpose.
but I believe original copy have or not now, all original text meaning exist.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-09-08T02:06:30.993Z
2023-09-08T02:06:30.993Z
Jimy
<p>I am not an active participant of this forum anymore, but in seeing this OP, I just could not be without expanding on the question that I just asked. The writing of the Tripitaka, Theravāda Pāli Canon, was performed at the cave temple “Alu Lena”  and not at the cave temple called Aluvihare in Matale area in Sri Lanka. Tripitaka was committed to writing by 500 monks in the first century BC. The Cave temple in Aluvihare cannot even hold 50 monks, leave aside 500. It is just not spacious enough. But whereas in “Alulena”, this cave is spacious enough to accommodate 500 monks and it is well illuminated by the sunlight. </p>

<p>Before the introduction of paper, palm leaf was the main raw material used for writing and painting for several centuries, and palm trees are abundant in and around “Alulena”. Anyway to your question proper…  The sacred Buddha Dhamma preached by Gautama Buddha 2600 years ago is secured and well preserved only in the Tripitaka Canons which were written in the present-day Sri Lanka. Today this original Tripitaka written in Sri Lanka is found in the British Museum. The present Neville Collection in the UK has 2000 manuscripts. The first of these were taken by George Turner and the second lot by Hugh Nevill of the British Civil Service.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Af55N.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">![Now we have a copy of the original scriptures with us.
]<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Af55N.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-19T01:01:57.157Z
2019-06-19T03:58:02.627Z
2019-06-19T03:58:02.627Z
Saptha Visuddhi
<blockquote>
<p>Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is highly unlikely. The copies of Tipitaka has been found in NINE independent  countries in almost similar form.</p>
<p>If anyone is interested, the mentor at <a href="https://aathaapi.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">aathaapi.org</a> Tipitaka website is capable of pointing out such evidences.</p>
<p>Additionally, the information comes from radical or expelled groups might have revenge politics or conspiracy theories.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-04T03:53:49.353Z
The question is ambiguous. There are certainly modern copies of the originals. The quote in the OP was whether the original copy which was made 1000s of years ago still exists.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-04T01:22:13.040Z
2022-10-04T01:27:44.030Z
2022-10-04T01:27:44.030Z
Blake
<p>Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?</p>
<p>It appears that the Tipitaka used in Sri Lanka an import from Thailand or Myanmar.</p>
<p>I ask because in this essay, <a href="https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/the-original-alu-vihara-manuscript-does-not-exist/13026" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The original Alu Vihara manuscript does not exist</a>, Ven. Sujato writes,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The original text copied 2,000 years has long vanished in the mists of history. Manuscripts in Sri Lanka generally do not last longer than a few hundred years, and presumably it would have been re-copied multiple times. The Alu Vihara, it seems, remained a center for preserving manuscripts. Sadly, though, the old library was destroyed, along with any manuscripts, during the Matale rebellion of 1848 4. So we shall never know exactly what was in it at that time.</p>
<p>We do know, however, that the Sri Lankan Sangha requested that manuscripts be imported from Myanmar and Thailand during the colonial period ...</p>
<p>... Despite all this, it is a common belief among Sri Lankans that the Alu Vihara original Tipitaka still exists.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>... and later, presumably referring to a deleted post,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Just in case anyone is wondering, the above post is exactly the kind of conspiracy theory I am trying to dispel.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>So -- are &quot;copies of the original&quot; lost? What is the &quot;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aevidence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">evidence</a>&quot; on that subject?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T09:57:03.337Z
It looks as if this question would also be on-topic on History.SE or Skeptics.SE (and that Ven Sujato finds that many people will say it does exist, but without evidence). Given this site's policy about [Questions asking for an answer to a controversy](https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/114/254), perhaps we should rephrase this question, to follow the question-format used on Skeptics.SE, i.e. "Person X says Y -- what evidence is there that Y is or isn't true?"
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T10:06:56.403Z
I rephrased it slightly -- I hope it's still the question which you wanted to ask?
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T10:09:45.627Z
Thanks Chris.-)
SarathW
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-19T00:31:42.017Z
Where did the writing of Tripitaka really happen? is it in Aluwihare or in "Alu Lena"?
Saptha Visuddhi
<theravada>
Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?
# Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-13)

Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?

It appears that the Tipitaka used in Sri Lanka an import from Thailand or Myanmar.

I ask because in this essay, [The original Alu Vihara manuscript does not exist](https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/the-original-alu-vihara-manuscript-does-not-exist/13026), Ven. Sujato writes,

> The original text copied 2,000 years has long vanished in the mists of history. Manuscripts in Sri Lanka generally do not last longer than a few hundred years, and presumably it would have been re-copied multiple times. The Alu Vihara, it seems, remained a center for preserving manuscripts. Sadly, though, the old library was destroyed, along with any manuscripts, during the Matale rebellion of 1848 4. So we shall never know exactly what was in it at that time.
>
> We do know, however, that the Sri Lankan Sangha requested that manuscripts be imported from Myanmar and Thailand during the colonial period ...
>
> ... Despite all this, it is a common belief among Sri Lankans that the Alu Vihara original Tipitaka still exists.

... and later, presumably referring to a deleted post,

> Just in case anyone is wondering, the above post is exactly the kind of conspiracy theory I am trying to dispel.

---

So -- are "copies of the original" lost? What is the "[evidence](https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aevidence)" on that subject?

**Tags:** theravada

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It looks as if this question would also be on-topic on History.SE or Skeptics.SE (and that Ven Sujato finds that many people will say it does exist, but without evidence). Given this site's policy about [Questions asking for an answer to a controversy](https://buddhism.meta.stackexchange.com/q/114/254), perhaps we should rephrase this question, to follow the question-format used on Skeptics.SE, i.e. "Person X says Y -- what evidence is there that Y is or isn't true?"  
> **username_1**: I rephrased it slightly -- I hope it's still the question which you wanted to ask?  
> **username_0**: Thanks Chris.-)  
> **username_2**: Where did the writing of Tripitaka really happen? is it in Aluwihare or in "Alu Lena"?  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-09-08. Score: 1

tripitaka written in aluwihara...i don't know are there still have or not the original copy of the first THRIPITAKA....but I believe existing copies of thripitaka not change anything wrote in original one...however there are possibility it have some changes due to language issues in that time (change some for easy understanding or better interpretation ) purpose.
but I believe original copy have or not now, all original text meaning exist.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-19. Score: 0

I am not an active participant of this forum anymore, but in seeing this OP, I just could not be without expanding on the question that I just asked. The writing of the Tripitaka, Theravāda Pāli Canon, was performed at the cave temple “Alu Lena” and not at the cave temple called Aluvihare in Matale area in Sri Lanka. Tripitaka was committed to writing by 500 monks in the first century BC. The Cave temple in Aluvihare cannot even hold 50 monks, leave aside 500. It is just not spacious enough. But whereas in “Alulena”, this cave is spacious enough to accommodate 500 monks and it is well illuminated by the sunlight.

Before the introduction of paper, palm leaf was the main raw material used for writing and painting for several centuries, and palm trees are abundant in and around “Alulena”. Anyway to your question proper… The sacred Buddha Dhamma preached by Gautama Buddha 2600 years ago is secured and well preserved only in the Tripitaka Canons which were written in the present-day Sri Lanka. Today this original Tripitaka written in Sri Lanka is found in the British Museum. The present Neville Collection in the UK has 2000 manuscripts. The first of these were taken by George Turner and the second lot by Hugh Nevill of the British Civil Service.

[![Now we have a copy of the original scriptures with us.
][1](https://i.sstatic.net/Af55N.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Af55N.jpg)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-10-04. Score: 0

> Have the copies of original Tipitaka written in Aluvihara Sri Lanka now been lost?

It is highly unlikely. The copies of Tipitaka has been found in NINE independent countries in almost similar form.

If anyone is interested, the mentor at [aathaapi.org](https://aathaapi.org) Tipitaka website is capable of pointing out such evidences.

Additionally, the information comes from radical or expelled groups might have revenge politics or conspiracy theories.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The question is ambiguous. There are certainly modern copies of the originals. The quote in the OP was whether the original copy which was made 1000s of years ago still exists.  

---

