Buddhaghosa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buddhaghosa
Buddhaghosa with three copies of Visuddhimagga, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
Occupation	Buddhist monk
Era	5th century
Movement	Theravada Buddhism

Buddhaghosa was an important Buddhist scholar and writer from India. He lived in the 5th century. He was a Theravada Buddhist, which is a major branch of Buddhism.

Buddhaghosa worked in a famous monastery in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. This monastery was called the Great Monastery (Mahāvihāra). He saw himself as part of the Vibhajjavāda school of Buddhism.

His most famous book is the Visuddhimagga, which means "Path of Purification." This book explains many older teachings and practices of Theravada Buddhism. It is a very important book for understanding Buddhist meditation. Many people believe Buddhaghosa's ideas have shaped how Theravada scriptures are understood since the 12th century.

Most scholars and Theravada Buddhists agree that Buddhaghosa is the most important philosopher and writer of the Theravada tradition. However, some also say that his ideas sometimes differ from the very old Buddhist texts.

What Does His Name Mean?

The name Buddhaghosa comes from the Pali language. Pali is the language Buddhaghosa used for his writings. His name means "Voice of the Buddha." It combines "Buddha" and "ghosa" (voice).

His Life Story

We don't have a lot of clear information about Buddhaghosa's life. Most of what we know comes from three main sources. These are short notes in his books, a Sri Lankan history book called the Mahavamsa, and a later storybook called the Buddhaghosuppatti.

Early Life and Becoming a Monk

The Mahavamsa says Buddhaghosa was born in India. He came from a Brahmin family, which was a high social class. He was born near Bodh Gaya, a very important place for Buddhists.

He was very smart and knew a lot about the ancient Indian texts called the Vedas. He used to travel around India and debate with other thinkers. One day, he met a Buddhist monk named Revata. Buddhaghosa debated with Revata and lost. He was very impressed by the monk's knowledge of Buddhist teachings. Because of this, Buddhaghosa decided to become a bhikkhu (a Buddhist monk). He then started to study the Buddhist scriptures, known as the Tripiṭaka.

Journey to Sri Lanka

Buddhaghosa found that some Buddhist texts in India were missing their explanations. He heard that these explanations were kept safe in Sri Lanka. So, he decided to travel to Sri Lanka to study them.

In Sri Lanka, he went to the Great Monastery in Anuradhapura. The monks there had a huge collection of old texts written in the Sinhala language. Buddhaghosa asked for permission to gather these Sinhala texts and rewrite them in Pali. Pali was a language that many Buddhist scholars understood.

The older monks wanted to test Buddhaghosa's knowledge first. They asked him to explain two verses from the Buddhist scriptures. Buddhaghosa responded by writing his famous book, the Visuddhimagga. Traditional stories say that gods even tried to hide his book. This made him rewrite it twice from memory. When all three versions were exactly the same, the monks were amazed. They then gave him all their old texts to work with.

His Work and Return to India

Buddhaghosa then wrote many more explanations for most of the main books of the Pali Canon. His works became the standard way to understand Theravada Buddhist scriptures. After he finished translating and organizing all the Sinhala texts, he reportedly went back to India. He visited Bodh Gaya to show his respect to the Bodhi Tree.

Some scholars believe that the stories about Buddhaghosa's life might have some added legends. For example, the part about gods hiding his book. However, most scholars think the main parts of the story are true. While the Mahavamsa says he was born in northern India, some notes in his own books suggest he might have lived in southern India for a while.

A later storybook, the Buddhaghosuppatti, adds more dramatic details. It even claims Buddhaghosa collected and burned the original Sinhala texts after he finished his work. But scholars generally see this book as more of a legend than a true history.

How He Wrote His Commentaries

Buddhaghosa was known for organizing and translating many old Sinhala explanations of the Pāli Canon. His book, the Visuddhimagga, is a detailed guide to Theravada Buddhism. People still read and study it today. He took older Sinhala traditions and created a new version that became the main one. The original Sinhala versions are now lost.

His Writing Style

Buddhaghosa's writing is known for being very accurate and clear. It is also very detailed and follows a strict structure. One scholar, Richard Shankman, said that the Visuddhimagga is "meticulous and specific." This is different from the original Pali suttas, which can sometimes be less detailed.

His Method of Explanation

Buddhaghosa was very clear about how he explained texts. He wrote about how to understand Buddhist teachings. He believed that the Buddha's words were endless. This means there are many ways to teach and explain the Dhamma (Buddhist teachings). And there are also many ways for people to understand these teachings.

He thought that the Dhamma was "well-spoken" and "visible here and now." This means that the good results of following the Buddhist path can be seen in how noble people act. Also, understanding the Dhamma can change how you see things right away. This idea was very important to Buddhaghosa. He wanted the Buddha's words to have an immediate and powerful effect on people.

His Ideas on Meditation

The Visuddhimagga includes detailed instructions on Buddhist meditation. These instructions reflect the scholarly ideas of Theravada Buddhism. Buddhaghosa's book describes ways to practice concentration and develop mental images during meditation.

Some scholars and monks have pointed out that the meditation instructions in the Visuddhimagga are different from what is found in the earliest Buddhist texts (the suttas). For example, Buddhaghosa introduced terms like "preparatory concentration" and "access concentration," which are not in the original suttas. He also put a lot of emphasis on kasina-meditation, which is not as central in the suttas.

Some critics argue that certain views in the Visuddhimagga might change the original meaning of the suttas. However, others believe that Buddhaghosa's detailed guidance was very important. It helped keep the meditation tradition alive and healthy.

It is believed that the practice of vipassana (a type of meditation) almost disappeared in the Theravada tradition by the 10th century. This was because people thought Buddhism had declined. But vipassana was brought back in Myanmar (Burma) in the 18th century. This led to the modern Vipassana movement in the 20th century. This movement developed simpler meditation techniques based on old texts, including the Visuddhimagga.

Books Attributed to Buddhaghosa

The Mahavamsa says that Buddhaghosa wrote many books. However, some scholars believe that not all of them were written by him. Some might have been written later and then linked to his name.

Buddhaghosa is traditionally credited with writing fourteen commentaries (Aṭṭhakathā) on the Pāli Canon. These include:

• Commentaries on the Vinaya Pitaka (rules for monks and nuns), such as the Samantapasadika.
• Commentaries on the Sutta Pitaka (discourses of the Buddha), such as those for the Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, and Anguttara Nikaya. He also wrote explanations for parts of the Khuddaka Nikaya, including the Dhammapada and Jataka stories.
• Commentaries on the Abhidhamma Pitaka (deeper teachings), such as the Atthasālinī.

Some scholars think Buddhaghosa only wrote the Visuddhimagga and commentaries on the first four Nikayas. Others believe he might have led a team of scholars and translators. This is a possible way that so many works could be linked to his name.

His Impact and Legacy

Buddhaghosa had a huge impact on Theravada Buddhism. In the 12th century, a Sri Lankan monk named Sāriputta Thera became a leading scholar. He included many of Buddhaghosa's ideas in his own teachings.

Later, many monks from Southeast Asia traveled to Sri Lanka. They wanted to learn from the famous Great Monastery. This helped spread the teachings of the Great Monastery, and thus Buddhaghosa's ideas, throughout the Theravada world. Because of this, Buddhaghosa's commentaries became the main way to understand Theravada scriptures. He became the most important interpreter of Theravada teachings.

Buddhaghosa's fame also led to more stories about his life. The Buddhaghosuppatti is one such storybook that made his life seem even more amazing.

His work was also very important for the Pali language. Pali was the language of the Buddhist scriptures. Buddhaghosa's writings helped bring Pali back into use as a language for scholarly work. This helped connect scholars and texts between Sri Lanka and other Theravada countries. His work helped the Theravada school of Buddhism stay strong.

Many scholars today see Buddhaghosa as one of the greatest minds in Buddhist history. He is considered a very creative and innovative thinker. However, some also suggest that his work might have been influenced by Hindu ideas. They believe that too much focus on the Visuddhimagga might sometimes make it harder to practice original Buddhism.

Images for kids

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  Buddhaghosa with three copies of Visuddhimagga, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara