Buddhaghosa Thera's Hermeneutical Arguments in Aṭṭhasālinī to Establish the Abhidhamma as the Authoritative Word of the

This study examines Buddhaghosa thera’s hermeneutical strategies in the Aṭṭhasālinī to establish the canonical authority of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka as the direct word of the Buddha within the Theravāda tradition. Through narrative, textual, and doctrinal arguments, Buddhaghosa responds to historical and sectarian challenges regarding the Abhidhamma’s late composition and its inclusion in the canon most notably concerning the Kathāvatthu. The analysis highlights how Theravāda orthodoxy, reflecting broader Buddhist scholastic trends, sought to authenticate a systematically evolved body of teachings as Buddhavacana.