Introduction.
To clarify difficult passages in the suttas and to shed additional light on passages whose meaning is richer than appears at
first sight, a copious set of back notes has been provided. Many
of these notes are drawn from the commentaries on the Majjhima,
of which there are two. One is the commentary proper, the
Majjhima Nik›ya A˛˛hakath›, also known as the PapañcasÒdanı.
This was composed in the fifth century by the great Buddhist
commentator, ficariya Buddhaghosa, who based it on the
ancient commentaries (no longer extant) that had been preserved for centuries by the Sangha of the Mah›vih›ra at
Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. The commentary is of value not
only for elucidating the meaning of the texts but also for filling
in the background of events that led to the promulgation of the
discourses. The other commentarial work is the subcommentary, the Majjhima Nik›ya ≥ık›, ascribed to ficariya Dhammap›la,