三藏十二部

三藏即經、律、論，十二部即佛說經分為十二類，亦稱十二分教，即長行、重頌、孤起、譬喻、因緣、無問自說、本生、本事、未曾有、方廣、論議、授記。

Sutra  經

Sutra, A warp, that which runs lengthwise; to pass through or by, past; to manage, regulate; laws, canons, classics. Skt. su^tras; threads, threaded together, classical works. Also called 契經 and 經本. The su^tras in the Tripit!aka are the sermons attributed to the Buddha; the other two divisions are 律 the Vinaya, and 論 the s/a^stras, or Abhidharma; cf. 三藏. Every su^tra begins with the words 如是我聞 'Thus did I hear', indicating that it contains the words of s/a^kyamuni.

梵語修多羅Su^tra之譯意，一般譯為契經，經本，即上契十方諸佛所說之理，下契一切聽經眾生的根機，又是線義，即貫串佛所說的法和道理，以免散失，為三藏之一，對於律及論而言，即佛所說之教法也。佛陀所宣說教法，經阿難等結集之，初以口傳，後以文字記載於貝葉，舉凡文句、書籍，均稱為經典。

Vinaya  律

Vinaya, from vi-ni, to 1ead, train: discipline: v. 毘奈耶; other names are Pra^timoks!a, s/i^la, and upalaks!a. The discipline, or monastic rules; one of the three divisions of the Canon.Rule, law, precept, condition, norm. In Buddhism, the rules of discipline for the clergy vinaya.　

梵語優婆羅叉Uparaks!a，毘尼Vinaya。譯為律，為三藏之一。律猶言法，制止作惡，禁制之法。

含有調伏、滅、離行、善治等義。乃製伏滅除諸多過惡之意。此乃佛陀所製定，而為比丘、比丘尼所須遵守的有關生活規範之禁戒。即於修道生活中，針對實際、具體上之需要而定之規範，此謂隨犯隨製（隨緣製戒）。佛弟子之出家眾如犯惡行，佛陀則必教誡：今後同樣之行為不可再犯，如再犯，則處罰。後乃成為僧伽之規定，故律必附有處罰之規定。律乃為應出家眾而製定者，是被動者，故與戒應有所區別，然後世常將其混同使用。

Abhidharma  論

To discourse upon, discuss, reason over; tr. for s/a^stra, abhidharma, and upades/a, i.e. discourses, discussions, or treatises on dogma, philosophy, discipline, etc.

(1) Explanatory treatise(s) written by Indian Buddhist philosophers (/sa^stra). (2) 論藏 The abhidharma division of the Tripitaka. (3) Explanatory notes; comments (vya^khya^). (4) 優婆提捨 upade/sa; (5) Debate, discussion, argument (va^da, prava^da).(6) To think, consider. (7) To take up, to treat, make an issue of, comment on. A theory. 

梵語 s/a^stra 或 abhidharma，為論藏之略稱，係三藏之一。即如來所說阿毘曇等論，及佛弟子所造諸論也。即明示教法之意，將經典所說之要義，加以分別、整理，或解說，稱為論。

十二部經中，佛自論議、自問答而辨理決擇法相，或是佛弟子議論佛語或法相，只要與佛相應的，亦稱論議。是三藏中之阿毘達磨藏Abhidharma。

梵名 Upades/a，論議經之略稱，為十二部經之一。音譯優婆提捨，意譯法義、說義、法說。為佛陀與弟子間之論議、分別，以解明經義、辨別法相之一種經典形式。叫優婆提舍，譯曰論。