user289: And as a follow up, what institutions are charged with expanding the list of canonical works, if any?

user289: I'll add the other part of the answer:
Tibetans take the Kanjur to be canonical. It's is a huge list of documents. New documents are added as new terma are discovered. Terma are roughly teaching left long ago to be discovered today.
The Chinese Buddhist canon was compile a long time ago. It also is a hug list of documents. As far as I know, there isn't an institution to expand it. I would guess the natural role would be the Chinese Imperial Government, which doesn't exist at the moment, or at least is hostile to Buddhism.
The Pali canon, as mentioned by Jayantha is a huge set of documents and as far as I can tell, there isn't any institution that is attempting to add more text to it.

user121: For Theravada there is the Tipitaka: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/index.html
This consists of the "three baskets"  of the vinaya pitaka,  the rules for monastics,  the sutta pitaka aka the sutta teachings,  and the abidhamma. 
It is generally accepted that the oldest and most core part of the Tipitaka that is closest to what the buddha said,  are the four Nikayas
Digha Nikaya (long discourses) 
Majjhima Nikaya ( middle length) 
Samyutta Nikaya (grouped discourses) 
Anguttara Nikaya ( numbered discourses) 
There is also the Khuddaka Nikaya which is a collection of "little texts".  This is where the famous dhammapada  and Sutta Nipāta reside. 

289: <p>And as a follow up, what institutions are charged with expanding the list of canonical works, if any?</p>
 289: <p>I'll add the other part of the answer:</p>

<p>Tibetans take the Kanjur to be canonical. It's is a huge list of documents. New documents are added as new terma are discovered. Terma are roughly teaching left long ago to be discovered today.</p>

<p>The Chinese Buddhist canon was compile a long time ago. It also is a hug list of documents. As far as I know, there isn't an institution to expand it. I would guess the natural role would be the Chinese Imperial Government, which doesn't exist at the moment, or at least is hostile to Buddhism.</p>

<p>The Pali canon, as mentioned by Jayantha is a huge set of documents and as far as I can tell, there isn't any institution that is attempting to add more text to it.</p>
 121: <p>For Theravada there is the Tipitaka: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/index.html</a></p>

<p>This consists of the "three baskets"  of the vinaya pitaka,  the rules for monastics,  the sutta pitaka aka the sutta teachings,  and the abidhamma. </p>

<p>It is generally accepted that the oldest and most core part of the Tipitaka that is closest to what the buddha said,  are the four Nikayas</p>

<p>Digha Nikaya (long discourses) </p>

<p>Majjhima Nikaya ( middle length) </p>

<p>Samyutta Nikaya (grouped discourses) </p>

<p>Anguttara Nikaya ( numbered discourses) </p>

<p>There is also the Khuddaka Nikaya which is a collection of "little texts".  This is where the famous dhammapada  and Sutta Nipāta reside. </p>
