Buddhaghosa is an emblematic figure as a scholar and commentator in the history of Buddhism. He was born at Buddha Gaya in North India in the early fifth century A.D. He was a Brahamin youth who became well known as an exponent of Veda and philosophy. He travelled extensively in India from one seat of learning to another. He was a great scholar keen in arguing with the other scholars in his time.

The biographic accounts of his life report that because his speech like that of the Buddha, was profound and his words spread throughout the world, he came to be called Buddhaghosa literally meaning Buddha utterance (Keown, 2003)

At Tamluk he met Maha Thera Revata and while discussing religious matters, he found Rev Revata to be superior to him in the doctrine of the Buddha. So he became a pupil and studied Buddhist philosophy under Rev Revata. At Rev Revata's vihara, he produced a treatise on Buddhism Nanoodaya. He also planned to compose commentries on Abhidhamma and the Sutras. On the advice of Rev Revata He decided to visit Sri Lanka where the Three Pitakas were preserved. In order to complete his task he came to Sri Lanka in the reign of King Mahanama. Ven Buddhaghosa was surprised to find quite a handsome collection of immensely valuable literary works preserved by the Mahaviharian Buddhist clergy. He stayed for three years chiefly at Mahavihara, Anuradhapura and Aluvihara where he re-wrote in Pali the Sinhalese commentries on the Buddhist Pitakas and composed philosophical treatises on Buddhist doctrine.

Buddhist literature

The Mahavihara, originally established as a monastery became a great seat of learning and turned into a national university. It played a conspicuous part in the history of Buddhism and Buddhist literature. Buddhaghosa, Buddhadatta, Dharmapala, Anuruddha, Sariputta and many other Buddhist teachers of extraordinary genius occupied its professional chairs and it was here that their priceless philosophical works were composed. Till the foundation of the Abhayagiri Vihara in the first century BC, it maintained its position as Lanka's unraivalled educational institution and cultural centre. (The Revolt in the Temple 1953).

Buddhaghosa translated Sinhalese Commentaries into Pali and wrote Vissudhi Magga (The Path of Purification) and other works including Commentaties on the Pitakas.

The Visuddhi Magga is a monumental commentry on the Pali Canon. It has been used for over 1500 years as a manual by meditation teachers. The structure of Vissudhi Magga follows the three divisions of the Noble Eightfold Path into morality (sila) meditation (samadhi) and insight (prajna). Its section entitled The Soil in which Understanding Grows is specifically taken as summary of the Abhidhamma. It is believed that Ven Buddhaghosa was inspired by the trietise Vimuttimaggo (The Path to Liberation), This work was authored by Upatissa, who may have lived in the 3rd century CE. Vimuttimaggo expounds the various aspects of the path to awakening (bodhi) as understood within the Theravada tradition.

Sinhalese commentries

In the compilation of Visuddhi Maggo he also made insightful use of the old Sinhalese commentries at that time. These were Maha Attakata, Maha-paccari Attakarha and Juringt Atthakastha respectively. Buddhaghosa's Atthasalini (The Expositor) is a commentry on the Dhammasangani the first book on the Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Buddhaghosa has identified ten impediments that should be completely dissected off before beginning meditation practices settled in a hospitable environment, free from disturbing elements. These impediments are abode (avasa), family (kula), gain (labha), group (gana), activities (kamma), travel (addhana), relations (jati), illness (abadha), study (gantha), and sup natural faculties (iddhi) respectively. On examining these impediment factors reveals that a busy person with family and economic burdens in an stressful mind would not be successful in initiating meditation. The emergence of supernatural powers (iddhis) has been discussed by Rev Buddhaghosa as a side effect of the attainment of higher stages of meditation. For this discussion a special chapter is devoted in the Vissudhi Magga. Buddhaghosa gives extensive coverage to wisdom (panna). There is no meditation without wisdom and vice versa.

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Buddhaghosa the emblematic commentator on the Pali Canon