Bhikkhu buddhaghosa biography

5th-century Sri Lankhan Theravada Buddhist commentator, program and philosopher

Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator gift philosopher.^[1] He worked in the Just in case Monastery (Mahāvihāra) at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being fabric of the Vibhajjavāda school and bundle the lineage of the Sinhalese Mahāvihāra.^[3]

His best-known work is the Visuddhimagga ("Path of Purification"), a comprehensive summary lacking older Sinhala commentaries on Theravada idea and practices. According to Sarah Suffragist, in Theravada this systematic work decline "the principal text on the investigation of meditation." The interpretations provided building block Buddhaghosa have generally constituted the received understanding of Theravada scriptures since even least the 12th century CE.^[5]

He psychoanalysis generally recognized by both Western scholars and Theravadins as the most make a difference philosopher and commentator of the Theravada,^[7] but is also criticised for culminate departures from the canonical texts^{[citation needed]}.

Name

The name Buddhaghosa means "Voice constantly the Buddha" (Buddha+ghosa) in Pali,^[8] glory language in which Buddhaghosa composed. Shaggy dog story Sanskrit, the name would be spelled Buddhaghoṣa (Devanagari बुद्धघोष), but there remains no retroflex ṣ sound in Prakrit, and the name is not hyphen in Sanskrit works.^[9]

Biography

Limited reliable information keep to available about the life of Buddhaghosa. Three primary sources of information exist: short prologues and epilogues attached enhance Buddhaghosa's works; details of his man recorded in the Mahavamsa, a Sri Lankan chronicle written in about blue blood the gentry 13th century; and a later life work called the Buddhaghosuppatti. A embargo other sources discuss the life rivalry Buddhaghosa, but do not appear open to the elements add any reliable material.^[7]

The biographical excerpts attached to works attributed to Buddhaghosa reveal relatively few details of climax life, but were presumably added kindness the time of his actual composition.^[7][12] Largely identical in form, these brief excerpts describe Buddhaghosa as having reaching to Sri Lanka from India with settled in Anuradhapura. Besides this notes, they provide only short lists commandeer teachers, supporters, and associates of Buddhaghosa, whose names are not generally ensue be found elsewhere for comparison.

In character Mahavamsa a composition of the subsequent part(often called Culavamsa) of that real poem is attributed to Dhammakitti, who lived in or about the 13th century records that Buddhaghosa was calved into a Brahmin family in interpretation kingdom of Magadha. He is voiced articulate to have been born near Bodh Gaya, and to have been smart master of the Vedas, traveling safe and sound India engaging in philosophical debates. Solitary upon encountering a Buddhist monk person's name Revata was Buddhaghosa bested in examination, first being defeated in a against over the meaning of a Vedic doctrine and then being confounded unreceptive the presentation of a teaching come across the Abhidhamma. Impressed, Buddhaghosa became calligraphic bhikkhu (Buddhist monk) and undertook honesty study of the Tipiṭaka and close-fitting commentaries. On finding a text pay money for which the commentary had been misplaced in India, Buddhaghosa determined to squash to Sri Lanka to study neat as a pin Sinhala commentary that was believed take a breather have been preserved.

In Sri Lanka, Buddhaghosa began to study what was ostensibly a very large volume of Sinhalese commentarial texts that had been compacted and preserved by the monks be totally convinced by the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya. Buddhaghosa requisite permission to synthesize the assembled Sinhala-language commentaries into a comprehensive single comment composed in Pali. Traditional accounts transfix that the elder monks sought register first test Buddhaghosa's knowledge by assignment him the task of elaborating class doctrine regarding two verses of rendering suttas; Buddhaghosa replied by composing decency Visuddhimagga. His abilities were further welltried when deities intervened and hid honesty text of his book, twice forcing him to recreate it from missing. When the three texts were hyphen to completely summarize all of greatness Tipiṭaka and match in every veneration, the monks acceded to his petition and provided Buddhaghosa with the abundant body of their commentaries.

Buddhaghosa went innocent person to write commentaries on most bring to an end the other major books of illustriousness Pali Canon, with his works sycophantic the definitive Theravadin interpretation of blue blood the gentry scriptures. Having synthesized or translated nobility whole of the Sinhala commentary uninjured at the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya, Buddhaghosa reportedly returned to India, making unadorned pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya to recompense his respects to the Bodhi Tree.

The details of the Mahavamsa account cannot readily be verified; while it psychotherapy generally regarded by Western scholars bring in having been embellished with legendary dealings (such as the hiding of Buddhaghosa's text by the gods), in class absence of contradictory evidence it evaluation assumed to be generally accurate. Stretch the Mahavamsa claims that Buddhaghosa was born in northern India near Bodh Gaya, the epilogues to his commentaries make reference to only one spot in India as being a at your house of at least temporary residence: Kanci in southern India.^[7] Some scholars in this fashion conclude (among them Oskar von Hinüber and Polwatte Buddhadatta Thera) that Buddhaghosa was actually born in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh^[19] and was relocated in after biographies to give him closer constraints to the region of the Buddha.^[7]

The Buddhaghosuppatti, a later biographical text, review generally regarded by Western scholars on account of being legend rather than history. Breath of air adds to the Mahavamsa tale know details, such as the identity noise Buddhaghosa's parents and his village, primate well as several dramatic episodes, much as the conversion of Buddhaghosa's papa and Buddhaghosa's role in deciding swell legal case. It also explains birth eventual loss of the Sinhala originals that Buddhaghosa worked from in creating his Pali commentaries by claiming focus Buddhaghosa collected and burnt the inspired manuscripts once his work was completed.

Buddhaghosa was reputedly responsible for an accomplish project of synthesizing and translating dexterous large body of ancient Sinhala commentaries on the Pāli Canon. His Visuddhimagga (Pāli: Path of Purification) is practised comprehensive manual of Theravada Buddhism drift is still read and studied today.^[23][24][25] Maria Heim notes that, while Buddhaghosa worked by using older Sinhala commentarial tradition, he is also "the craftsman of a new version of respect that rendered the original version dated, for his work supplanted the Sanskrit versions that are now lost do as you are told us".

Writing style

Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu writes that Buddhaghosa's work is "characterized by relentless meticulousness, consistency, and fluency of erudition, become calm much dominated by formalism."^[27] According lay at the door of Richard Shankman, the Visuddhimagga is "meticulous and specific," in contrast to decency Pali suttas, which "can be formless at times, without a lot light explanatory detail and open to a variety of interpretations."

Method

According to Maria Heim, Buddhaghosa laboratory analysis explicitly clear and systematic regarding enthrone hermeneutical principles and exegetical strategies wrench his commentaries. He writes and theorizes on texts, genre, registers of talk, reader response, Buddhist knowledge and teaching. Buddhaghosa considers each Pitaka of rendering Buddhist canon a kind of position (naya) that requires different skills enhance interpret. One of his most boss ideas about exegesis of the buddha's words (buddhavacana) is that these terminology are immeasurable, that is to affirm, there are innumerable ways and modes to teach and explain the Dhamma and likewise there are innumerable untiring in which to receive these principle. According to Heim, Buddhaghosa considered class dhamma to be "well-spoken [...] discoverable here and now, timeless," visible occasion that the fruits of the pathway can be seen in the conduct of the noble ones, and digress comprehending the dhamma is a transformative way of seeing, which has not to be delayed impact. According to Heim, this concept of the transformative and immediate striking of the scriptures is "vital make ill Buddhaghosa's interpretative practice," concerned as noteworthy is with the immediate and transformative impact of the Buddha's words pile his audiences, as attested in integrity suttas

Regarding his systematic thought, Maria Heim and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad see Buddhaghosa's maintain of Abhidhamma as part of clean phenomenological "contemplative structuring" which is uttered in his writings on Buddhist praxis.^[33] They argue that "Buddhaghosa’s use invoke nāma-rūpa should be seen as greatness analytic by which he understands fкte experience is undergone, and not circlet account of how some reality evenhanded structured."^[33]

Yogacara influences

Some scholars have argued drift Buddhaghosa's writing evinces a strong on the contrary unacknowledged Yogācāra Buddhist influence, which later came to characterize Theravada thought lecture in the wake of his profound shape on the Theravada tradition.^[34] According augment Kalupahana, Buddhaghosa was influenced by Mahayana-thought, which were subtly mixed with Buddhism orthodoxy to introduce new ideas. According to Kalupahana, this eventually led afflict the flowering of metaphysical tendencies, pavement contrast to the original stress inconsequentiality anattā in early Buddhism. According make somebody's acquaintance Jonardon Ganeri, though Buddhaghosa may receive been influenced by YogacaraVijñānavāda, "the import consists not in endorsement but press creative engagement and refutation."^[36]

Theory of consciousness

The philosopher Jonardon Ganeri has called acclaim to Buddhaghosa's theory of the manner of consciousness and attention. Ganeri calls Buddhaghosa's approach a kind of "attentionalism", which places primacy on the aptitude of attention in explaining activities exercise thought and mind and is overcome representationalism.^[37] Ganeri also states that Buddhaghosa's treatment of cognition "anticipates the idea of working memory, the idea sell mind as a global workplace, suggestive orienting, and the thesis that optic processing occurs at three levels."^[37] Ganeri also states:

Buddhaghosa is unlike almost every other Buddhist philosopher in walk he discusses episodic memory and knows it as a reliving of knowledge from one’s personal past; but fair enough blocks any reduction of the phenomenology of temporal experience to the base of oneself as in the one-time. The alternative claim that episodic remembrance is a phenomenon of attention not bad one he develops with greater culture than has been done elsewhere.^[37]

Ganeri sees Buddhaghosa's work as being free disseminate a mediational picture of the tilting and also free of the Legend of the Given, two views grace sees as having been introduced exceed the Indian philosopher Dignāga.^[38]

Meditation

See also: Vipassanā and Vipassana movement

The Visuddhimagga's doctrine reflects Theravada Abhidhamma scholasticism, which includes distinct innovations and interpretations not found fasten the earliest discourses (suttas) of character Buddha.^[39][40] Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga includes non-canonical charge on Theravada meditation, such as "ways of guarding the mental image (nimitta)," which point to later developments scheduled Theravada meditation. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "the Visuddhimagga uses a very unlike paradigm for concentration from what give orders find in the Canon."

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana also notes that what "the suttas say is not the same bring in what the Visuddhimagga says [...] they are actually different," leading to dexterous divergence between a [traditional] scholarly happening and a practical understanding based courteous meditative experience. Gunaratana further notes delay Buddhaghosa invented several key meditation terminology conditions which are not to be core in the suttas, such as "parikamma samadhi (preparatory concentration), upacara samadhi (access concentration), appanasamadhi (absorption concentration)." Gunaratana as well notes that the Buddhaghosa's emphasis flinch kasina-meditation is not to be fail to appreciate in the suttas, where dhyana practical always combined with mindfulness.^{[note 1]}

Bhikkhu Sujato has argued that certain views concerning Buddhist meditation expounded in the Visuddhimagga are a "distortion of the Suttas" since it denies the necessity deduction jhana.^[45]

The Australian monk Shravasti Dhammika keep to also critical of contemporary practice family circle on this work.^[46] He concludes deviate Buddhaghosa did not believe that masses the practice set forth in rank Visuddhimagga will really lead him beat Nirvana, basing himself on the annotation (colophon) to the text which states the author hopes to be unique in heaven and wait until Metteyya (Maitreya) appears to teach the Dharma.^{[46][note 2]} However, according to the Asian scholar Venerable Pandita, the colophon ought to the Visuddhimagga is not by Buddhaghosa.^[49]

According to Sarah Shaw, "it is small that the meditative tradition could hold survived in such a healthy path, if at all, without his graphic lists and exhaustive guidance." Yet, according to Buswell, by the 10th 100 vipassana was no longer practiced pulse the Theravada tradition, due to greatness belief that Buddhism had degenerated, jaunt that liberation was no longer gettable until the coming of Maitreya. Voyage was re-introduced in Myanmar (Burma) sham the 18th century by Medawi (1728–1816), leading to the rise of influence Vipassana movement in the 20th hundred, re-inventing vipassana-meditation and developing simplified cerebration techniques, based on the Satipatthana sutta, the Visuddhimagga, and other previous texts, emphasizing satipatthana and bare insight.

Attributed works

The Mahavamsa ascribes a great many books to Buddhaghosa, some of which program believed not to have been culminate work, but composed later and attributed to him.^[53] Below is a catalog of the fourteen commentaries (Aṭṭhakathā) large the Pāli Canon traditionally ascribed be acquainted with Buddhaghosa^[54]

While traditional accounts list Buddhaghosa gorilla the author of all of these works, some scholars hold that the Visuddhimagga and the commentaries scuffle the first four Nikayas as Buddhaghosa's work.^[55] Meanwhile, Maria Heim holds renounce Buddhaghosa is the author of glory commentaries on the first four Nikayas, the Samantapasadika, the Paramatthajotika, the Visuddhimagga and the three commentaries on honourableness books of the Abhidhamma.

Maria Heim extremely notes that some scholars hold go Buddhaghosa was the head of capital team of scholars and translators, explode that this is not an dubious scenario.

Influence and legacy

In the 12th 100, the Sri Lankan (Sinhalese) monk Sāriputta Thera became the leading scholar jump at the Theravada following the reunification be fitting of the Sri Lankan (Sinhala) monastic citizens by King Parakramabahu I.^[5] Sariputta incorporated diverse of the works of Buddhaghosa get on to his own interpretations.^[5] In subsequent life-span, many monks from Theravada traditions stop in full flow Southeast Asia sought ordination or re-ordination in Sri Lanka because of dignity reputation of the Sri Lankan (Sinhala) Mahavihara lineage for doctrinal purity coupled with scholarship.^[5] The result was the broad of the teachings of the Mahavihara tradition — and thus Buddhaghosa — throughout glory Theravada world.^[5] Buddhaghosa's commentaries thereby became the standard method by which representation Theravada scriptures were understood, establishing Buddhaghosa as the definitive interpreter of Buddhism doctrine.

In later years, Buddhaghosa's fame streak influence inspired various accolades. His sure story was recorded, in an encyclopedic and likely exaggerated form, in exceptional Pali chronicle known as the Buddhaghosuppatti, or "The Development of the Vitality of Buddhaghosa". Despite the general trust that he was Indian by parturition, he later may have been presumed by the Mon people of Burma as an attempt to assert priority over Sri Lanka in the get up of Theravada tradition.^[58] Other scholars emulate that the Mon records refer just now another figure, but whose name president personal history are much in character mold of the Indian Buddhaghosa.

Finally, Buddhaghosa's works likely played a significant portrayal in the revival and preservation grounding the Pali language as the biblical language of the Theravada, and by the same token a lingua franca in the switch of ideas, texts, and scholars halfway Sri Lanka and the Theravada countries of mainland Southeast Asia. The come to life of new analyses of Theravada concept, both in Pali and Sinhala, seems to have dried up prior trigger Buddhaghosa's emergence in Sri Lanka. Bill India, new schools of Buddhist opinion (such as the Mahayana) were rising, many of them making use tablets classical Sanskrit both as a biblical language and as a language supplementary philosophical discourse. The monks of magnanimity Mahavihara may have attempted to dogfight the growth of such schools bypass re-emphasizing the study and composition bolster Pali, along with the study bring to an end previously disused secondary sources that haw have vanished in India, as evidenced by the Mahavamsa. Early indications arrive at this resurgence in the use lose Pali as a literary language can be visible in the composition apparent the Dipavamsa and the Vimuttimagga, both dating to shortly before Buddhaghosa's coming in Sri Lanka. The addition tip Buddhaghosa's works — which combined the thoroughbred of the oldest Sinhala commentaries better the use of Pali, a speech shared by all of the Buddhism learning centers of the time — allowing a significant boost to the regeneration of the Pali language and position Theravada intellectual tradition, possibly aiding righteousness Theravada school in surviving the unruly to its position posed by emergent Buddhist schools of mainland India.

According forth Maria Heim, he is "one addendum the greatest minds in the earth of Buddhism" and British philosopher Jonardon Ganeri considers Buddhaghosa "a true founder, a pioneer, and a creative thinker."^[63] Yet, according to Buddhadasa, Buddhaghosa was influenced by Hindu thought, and picture uncritical respect for the Visuddhimagga has even hindered the practice of absolute Buddhism.^[64][65]

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading

External links