Buddhaghosa

Definition

Buddhaghosa was a commentator par excellence of the Buddhist canonical literature in the fifth century A.D.

Buddhaghosa was the greatest of the three commentators.

Of the three commentators on the Tipiṭaka, Buddhaghosa, Buddhadatta, and Dhammapāla, the first is a commentator par excellence. He was really the greatest commentator on the Tipiṭaka.

Buddhaghosa was born in a brahmin family in a village near Gaya in Magadha now called the state of Bihar. His father’s name was Kesa and his mother’s name was Kesi [1].

He became very proficient in Brahminical lore as he had mastered the Vedas and allied literature at a very young age. He must have been a prodigy and so very proud of his knowledge. That is why he went from place to place to enter into debate and derive the satisfaction of defeating those who came to debate with him. But it so happened that he once met a Buddhist monk called Revata. In the debate that took place between them, Revata asked him some questions which he...