Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Exploring the Dhamma, as understood from the perspective of the ancient Pali commentaries.
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robertk
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Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by robertk »

I saw this on another thread:
then there's good old Buddhaghosa ordained in India by who knows what lineage yet still considered Theravada
to clarify Buddhaghosa was ordained in India in a Theravada ordination.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Robert,

Out of interest, do you have a link to the post?

I think some confusion arises from him being born into a non-Buddhist family (Hindu? Brahman? I can't recall the specifics). Sometimes this is used against him by his detractors, particularly when they think his views are closer to Hinduism/Eternalism than they are to the Buddha's Dhamma.

Metta,
Retro. :)
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Ben
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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by Ben »

robertk wrote:I saw this on another thread:
then there's good old Buddhaghosa ordained in India by who knows what lineage yet still considered Theravada
to clarify Buddhaghosa was ordained in India in a Theravada ordination.
Thank you Robert for making that clarification. Anyone with a copy of the Visuddhimagga will know there is a biography of Buddhaghosa in its introduction.
kind regards

Ben
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Bankei
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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

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Was Buddhagosha ordain under the Mahavihara lineage?

Bankei
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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by jcsuperstar »

Bankei wrote:Was Buddhagosha ordain under the Mahavihara lineage?

Bankei
highly doubtful unless he re-ordained in sri lanka
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cooran
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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

This may be of relevance:

Buddhaghosa Thera
The greatest of Commentators on the Tipitaka. He was a Brahmin. The Sās. (p. 29) says his father was a purohita, named Kesa, his mother being Kesī. Gv.66 says his father was the purohita of King Sangāma.

He was born in a village near Buddhagayā and became proficient in the Vedas and allied branches of knowledge. One day he met a monk, named Revata, and on being defeated by him in controversy, entered the Order to learn the Buddha's teachings. Because his speech was profound, like that of the Buddha, and because his words spread throughout the world (like those of the Buddha), he came to be called Buddhaghosa.

While dwelling with Revata, he wrote the Ñānodaya and the Atthasālinī, and also began to write a Parittatthakathā (a concise commentary) on the Tipitakas.
In order to complete his task, he came over to Ceylon at the suggestion of Revata (Sās.p.29, says he was sent to Ceylon as punishment for thinking himself wiser than his teachers) and studied the Singhalese Commentaries at the Mahāvihāra, under Sanghapāla.

When his studies were ended he wrote the Visuddhi-Magga, and having thereby won the approval of the Elders of the Mahāvihāra, he rendered the Singhalese Commentaries into Pāli. During this period he lived in the Ganthākaravihāra, and on the accomplishment of his task he returned to Jambudīpa. (Burmese tradition says he obtained his copy of the Tipitaka and the Commentaries from the āloka vihāra. But see P.L.C.83, n.1.4).

Besides the above mentioned works of Buddhaghosa, we have also the Samantapāsādikā and the Kankhāvitaranī on the Vinaya Pitaka; the Sumangalavilāsinī, the Papañcasūdanī, the Sāratthappakāsinī and the Manorathapūranī on the Sutta Pitaka.

He is also said to have compiled Commentaries on the Khuddakapātha and the Sutta Nipāta (called the Paramatthajotikā) and on the Dhammapada. He also wrote a series of Commentaries on the Abhidhamma Pitaka (the Atthasālinī, the Sammohavinodanī and the Pañcappakaranatthakathā).

Some ascribe to him the Jātakatthakathā. For further particulars relating to Buddhaghosa, see Law's "Life and work of Buddhaghosa" and P.L.C.79 ff. The account of his life given here is taken from Cv.xxxvii.215ff . For a list of works ascribed to Buddhaghosa see Gv., pp.59 and 68.
http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_n ... hagosa.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Was Buddhaghosa Theravada ?

Post by Gwi II »

robertk wrote: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:35 am I saw this on another thread:
then there's good old Buddhaghosa ordained in India by who knows what lineage yet still considered Theravada
to clarify Buddhaghosa was ordained in India in a Theravada ordination.
1.000% yes because The (old) Aṭṭhakathā is held by
Mahāvihāro, it cannot be given to non-Theraṽādos
(this is the logic) and Mahāvihāro (in Sri Lanka) is
definitely Theraṽādin.
Gwi: "There are only-two Sakaṽādins:
Theraṽādå&Ṽibhajjaṽādå, the rest are
nonsakaṽādins!"
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