Buddhaghosa
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Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. Buddhaghosa means "Voice of the Buddha" in the Pāli language.
Writings and translations
He translated extensive Sinhala commentaries on the Pāli Buddhist texts in Pāli. Certain commentaries are also attributed to him, including one on the Vinaya and one on the Dhammapada that includes 305 stories for context. [1]
His Visuddhimagga (Pāli: Path of Purification) is a comprehensive manual of Theravada Buddhism that is still read and studied today. The book is divided into sections on Sīla (ethics), Samādhi (meditation), and Pañña (wisdom). This is a traditional division in Buddhist teachings, which suggest that ethics are essential to meditation, and that meditation is essential to developing wisdom. From the Buddhist point of view this is the "path of purification" because it purifies the mind of the defilements of greed, hatred, and delusion.
Below is a listing of Buddhaghosa's fourteen commentaries (Pāli: atthakatha) on the Pāli Tipitaka:[1]
Pali Tipitaka |
Buddhaghosa's Commentary | ||
---|---|---|---|
from the Vinaya Pitaka |
Vinaya (general) | Samantapasadika | |
Patimokkha | Kankhavitarani | ||
from the Sutta Pitaka |
Digha Nikaya | Sumangalavilasini | |
Majjhima Nikaya | Papañcasudani | ||
Samyutta Nikaya | Saratthappakasini | ||
Anguttara Nikaya | Manorathapurani | ||
from the Khuddaka Nikaya |
Khuddakapatha | Paramatthajotika (I) | |
Dhammapada | Dhammapada-atthakatha | ||
Sutta Nipata | Paramatthajotika (II), Suttanipata-atthakatha | ||
Jataka | Jatakatthavannana, Jataka-atthakatha | ||
from the Abhidhamma Pitaka |
Dhammasangani | Atthasalini | |
Vibhanga | Sammohavinodani | ||
Dhatukatha | Pañcappakaranatthakatha | ||
Puggalapaññatti | |||
Kathavatthu | |||
Yamaka | |||
Patthana |
Notes
- ↑ Table based on Bullitt (2002). Bullitt further notes that only six of Buddhaghosa's commentaries have complete English translations: the Dhammapada-atthakatha, the Jatakatthavannana, the Jataka-atthakatha, the Atthasalini, the Sammohavinodani and the Pañcappakaranatthakatha. These English translations are available through the Pali Text Society. (See Bullitt, 2002, for more information about these translations.) Soma (2003) contains a translation of Buddhaghosa's Papañcasudani pertinent to the Satipatthana Sutta.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Bullitt,John T. (2002). Beyond the Tipitaka: A Field Guide to Post-canonical Pali Literature. Available on-line at: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bullitt/fieldguide.html.
- Soma Thera (trans.) (2003). The Way of Mindfulness. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. ISBN 955-24-0256-5. Also available on-line in a 1998 version at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wayof.html.
External links
- Entry on Buddhaghosa in the Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names Retrieved November 13, 2007.
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