FOREWORD

It is a matter of great satisfaction that interest in higher study and research in Buddhist learning has been increasing in the country since our independence. Many institutions devoted to Buddhist Studies have come into existence in different parts of the country and are engaged in doing useful work in this direction. Pāli The Middle Indo-Aryan language used in the earliest Buddhist scriptures and Buddhist Studies have become the subjects of interest at the under-graduate and post-graduate levels in many Universities. Efforts are also being made to bring the original materials to light and make them accessible to the Scholars and interested people in general.

The Nava Nālandā Mahāvihāra A modern institute for Pali and Buddhism, named after the ancient university of Nalanda, Nālandā has done commendable work in bringing out the critical edition of the Pali Tipitaka The "Three Baskets" or the complete canon of Theravada Buddhist scriptures into Devanāgarī The script used for writing Sanskrit and Hindi script for the first time after the Mahāparinibbāna The final passing away or "great extinction" of the Buddha of the Buddha. Many Sanskrit texts of the Mahāyāna The "Great Vehicle" tradition of Buddhism tradition were critically edited and published by the Sanskrit Institute, Darbhangā. The K.P. Jayaswāl Institute, Patna brought out the critical edition of the Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmakośa The "Treasury of Higher Knowledge," a foundational text on Buddhist philosophy and psychology with its auto-commentary. The book was immensely liked by the Scholars and it soon became out of stock.

Swāmī Dwārikā Dās Śāstrī, an erudite scholar of ancient Indian lore, took the task of bringing out the Buddhist texts by establishing an institution named Bauddha Bhāratī at Vārāṇasi. He prepared the critical edition of many Buddhist texts both in Sanskrit and Pali and published them through this institution. In series of the publication of the Bauddha Bhāratī, he critically edited and published the Abhidharmakośa, the magnum opus of the Sarvāstivādin An early school of Buddhism that argued "all exists" across past, present, and future tradition with its commentary by Acarya Vasubandhu and sub-commentary by Acarya Yaśo-