The study of early Buddhism will always be the objective of the majority of those who take up pali, though in addition to the Interest of the language itself we must stress the importance of the text for the study of the history of Indian literature, especially secular literature. In Pali is preserved the Buddhist canon which, considered as the most authentic form of Buddhavacana, constitutes the very matrix of its 2500-year-long Theravada tradition. The book presents an exhaustive picture of the Pali literature, both canonical and post-canonical, giving summaries of all the Pali books, from the Vinaya Pitaka which specifies the rules of conduct of bikkhus and bikkhunis to the Jataka tales containing popular stories. Providing a huge amount of information about early Buddhism as well as about ancient Indian history, this is an invaluable reference book for the scholar as well as for the general reader interested In Buddhism.