Buddha in Theravada Buddhism

Dr. Endo's primary task, as he states, is to present the data and information embodied in the Pali Atthakatha concerning the Buddha-concept as much and as systematically as possible. He begins with a brief examination of the Buddha-concept found in the pre-commentarial literature as a prelude to his main themes both of the Buddha-concept and the Bodhisatta concept from Chapter I onwards. Findings presented in his work clearly indicate that the Buddha-concept in the Atthakatha literature forms in itself an important and dynamic force to reckon with for the establishment of what we later regard as Theravada Buddhism reflected in the commentarial and subsequent literature.

Dr. Endo's work has set an example of how the Atthakatha literature can be studied in its entirety as a source material even for a single topic like the Buddha-concept. His work becomes all the more useful in that he has made a comprehensive study of secondary Japanese sources not available to the average student and has made a synthesis of material scattered in various primary sources and has traced the historical development of the concept systematically. The strength of his study is his thoroughness and scientific approach in presenting the data and information embodied in the Atthakatha.