Than Hsiang's Pu Men Pin Online Gong Xiu Dharma Sharing (7/11/2025)

Teaching Assistant of IBC, Brother Tan Jee Peng sharing " Buddhaghosa's main contribution to Theravada Buddhism "

Buddhaghosa's main contribution to Theravada Buddhism was the compilation and systematic explanation of its scriptures through his commentaries and original works, particularly the Visuddhimagga ( The Path to Purification).

Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Indian Theravada Buddhist commentator, translator and philosopher. He worked in the Great Monastery at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajjavada school and in the lineage of the Sinhalese Mahavihara.

Pāļi Tipitaka:
(1) Vinaya Pitaka: Contains the rules and regulations for the monastic community.
(2) Sutta Pitaka: A collection of the Buddha's discourses and teachings.
(3) Abhidhamma Pitaka: Includes the more systematic and philosophical teachings.

Five nikayas (collections):
The Sutta Pitaka is divided into five main collections:
(1) Digha Nikaya
(2) Majjhima Nikaya
(3) Samyutta Nikaya
(4) Anguttara Nikaya
(5) Khuddaka Nikaya

Pāli Sutta Pitaka ( Five Nikaya ):
(1) Digha Nikaya: Contains 34 long discourses.
(2) Majjhima Nikaya: Contains 152 medium-length discourses.
(3) Samyutta Nikaya: Contains thousands of short discourses.
(4) Anguttara Nikaya: Contains thousands of short discourses arranged numerically from one to eleven.
(5) Khuddaka Nikaya: A miscellaneous collection of texts in both prose and verse.

Commentaries:
(1) Digha Nikaya: Sumangalavilāsinī
(2) Majjhima Nikaya: Papañcasūdanī .
(3) Samyutta Nikaya: Sāratthappakāsinī.
(4) Anguttara Nikaya: Manorathapūraṇī .

For the Khuddaka Nikāya, the situation is more complex, as this collection has a variety of texts.

The works within the Khuddaka Nikaya that are generally attributed to Buddhaghosa are:
• Paramatthajotikā (Volumes I and II), commentaries on the Khuddakapāṭha and the Sutta Nipāta.
• Dhammapadaṭṭhakathā, a commentary on the Dhammapada.
• Jātakatthakathā, a commentary on the Jātaka tales.

The Dharmapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form. The original version of the work is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.

Visudimagga ( The Path to Purification)
Core content structure of Visudimagga:
•Morality (sīla): This section covers the rules of discipline and the foundational principles of ethical conduct, including instructions on how to find a suitable place and teacher to practice Buddhism.
•Concentration (samadhi): This part provides detailed instructions on samatha (calm abiding) meditation, including the use of meditation objects (kammatthana). It also forms the basis for developing vipassana (insight) meditation.
• Wisdom (paññā): The final section focuses on the cultivation of wisdom and insight. It covers the practices and understanding needed to realize the ultimate nature of reality, such as the three characteristics of existence: impermanence, suffering, and non-self.

For more information, please browse https://www.youtube.com/live/4ip0n8ZBCh4

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