The Vinaya is the first part of the Tipiñaka, the sacred scriptures of Buddhism, the other parts being the Sutta Piñaka and the Abhidhamma Piñaka. The word vinaya means `discipline' and refers to the rules Buddhist monks and nuns must abide by. The Vinaya Piñaka contains three divisions Ý the Suttavibhaïga, the Khandhaka and the Parivàra. The first of these contains the Pàtimokkha, the 227 rules for monks and 311 for nuns, and a commentary on them. The Khandhaka contains various monastic procedures such as ordination and monastic administration. The last part of the Vinaya is a cathetical appendix dealing with monastic law. The earliest part of the Vinaya Piñaka is the Pàtimokkha, while the rest evolved over a long period of time in the centuries after the Buddha.
Buddhist Monastic Discipline, Mohan Wijayaratna, 1990.