The Buddhaghosācariyanidāna : The Edition and Analytical Study

Abstract

This research article has three primary objectives: (1) to study the life and works of Buddhaghosa, (2) to transliterate and critically examine the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna manuscript from Pali in Khmer script to Pali in Thai script, and to translate it into Thai, and (3) to analyze the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna. This study employs a documentary research approach, gathering data from the most complete version of the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna manuscript, consisting of three volumes. The manuscript was transliterated from Pali in Khmer script to Pali in Thai script, translated into Thai, and analyzed in comparison with other key texts, such as the Tipiṭaka and the Aṭṭhakathā. Based on the findings of the study, it was found that:

1) The Life and Works of Buddhaghosa. Buddhaghosa was an Indian scholar-monk from the 10th Buddhist century. His seminal work, Visuddhimagga, is a comprehensive compilation of teachings on the practice of the Buddhist path leading to liberation from suffering. Buddhaghosa played a pivotal role in the dissemination of Buddhism, particularly in establishing its presence in Sri Lanka.

2) Transliteration and Critical Examination of the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna. Authored by the Venerable Mahāmangala Thera, the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna details the life of Buddhaghosa, including his studies in India and Sri Lanka, the composition of works such as the Visuddhimagga, and his contributions to the spread of Buddhism. This research selected three of the most complete volumes of the manuscript for transliteration and translation into Thai, aiming to make the text accessible to a broader audience.

3) Analysis of the Buddhaghosa Cariyanitāna. The manuscript is composed in a mixed style of prose and verse, with significant references to canonical texts, including six citations from the Tipiṭaka, three from the Abhidhammatthavibhāvini, and nine from the Jinālaṅkāra. Its historical and doctrinal significance lies in its account of Buddhism's expansion from India to Sri Lanka and its insights into the Theravāda tradition, with Buddhaghosa as a central figure in this development.