Sacred Texts of the World

Reading Other People's Scriptures

Hinduism and the Vedas

What Is Heard: Upanishads

What Is Remembered: Epics

Laws of Manu and Bhagavad Gita

Related Traditions: Sikh Scriptures

Judaism: People of the Book

Five Books of Torah

Prophets and Writings

Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls

Oral Torah: Mishnah and Talmud

Related Traditions: Zoroastrian Scriptures

The Three Baskets of Buddhism

Vinaya and Jataka

Theravada Sutras

Mahayana Sutras

Pure Land Buddhism and Zen

Tibetan Vajrayana

Related Traditions: Jain Scriptures

Five Confucian Classics

Four Books of Neo-Confucianism

Daoism and the Daodejing

The Three Caverns of Daoist Scriptures

Related Traditions: Shinto and Tenrikyo

Christian Testaments Old and New

Gospels and Acts

Letters and Apocalypse

Apocryphal Gospels

Related Traditions: Mormon Scriptures

Islam and Scriptural Recitation

Holy Qur'an

Hadith and Sufism

Related Traditions: Baha'i Scriptures

Abandoned Scriptures: Egyptian and Mayan

Secular Scripture: U.S. Constitution

Heavenly Books, Earthly Connections