There Is More Than One Buddhaghosa

In 1901 CE (2444 BE), a Dutch scholar named Dr. Jean Philippe Vogel (J.Vogel)—renowned for his expertise in Sanskrit and Indian studies, especially Indian paleography—was appointed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the head of archaeological missions in the western territories, including present-day Pakistan and northern India. Though he had previously taught at a university for a short time, his exceptional scholarship quickly caught the attention of ASI. When Vogel arrived in the field, he was shocked to discover there was no official office, no infrastructure—only three Indian assistants and one cook. He initially had to rent an office in Lahore before later relocating to Taxila, since ASI wanted a presence in the western region despite lacking proper facilities at the time. In 1905 CE (2448 BE), Dr. Vogel and his team began excavating the ancient Buddhist site of Loriyan Tangai in the Swat Valley, now in Pakistan. They uncovered an extraordinary number of Gandhāran-period Buddha images, many of which were transported and displayed in various museums.

One particular artifact stood out: a Buddha statue in the Abhaya (blessing) posture, of which only the base remains—the image itself has been lost. This base, retrieved from Loriyan Tangai, bears an inscription in the Kharosthi script, composed in a mix of Prakrit and Sanskrit, written in a single line: “Sa (saṃvacchare) 1111001044 Porṭhavadas di (divase) 204111 Buddhaghosasa danamukhe Saghorumas sadaviyaris.” Translation: "In the year 318, on the 27th day of the month Bhadrapada (around August–September), this religious donation was made by Venerable Teacher Buddhaghosa, together with his companion, Venerable Sanghavarman." This inscription clearly states that the base of the Gandhāran Buddha statue was donated by Venerable Buddhaghosa and Venerable Sanghavarman.

However, this Buddhaghosa is not the same person as the renowned Theravāda scholar Buddhaghosa, who lived around 1000 BE (approx. 5th century CE). The famous Buddhaghosa crossed the sea to Sri Lanka, mastered the Tipiṭaka at the Mahāvihāra, and authored revered commentaries like the Samantapāsādikā and many others. The Buddhaghosa mentioned in the Loriyan Tangai inscription, however, lived earlier—around 700 BE (3rd century BCE to 1st century CE)—and is clearly a different person. Today, this Gandhāran-style Buddha base is on display at the British Museum in London, United Kingdom. Anyone wishing to view it can fly directly to London and head straight to the British Museum. Personally, the author has visited it twice.