Buddhadatta Thera was a 5th-century Theravada Buddhist writer from the town of Uragapura in the Chola kingdom of South India. He wrote many of his works in the Bhà «tamangalagÃÂma monastery and his patron was Accutavikkanta of the Kalamba dynasty (Kalambhakulavamsa jÃÂte AccutavikkamanÃÂme ColarÃÂjini Colarattham samanusÃÂsante). Buddhadatta traveled to Sri Lanka's MahÃÂvihÃÂra in AnurÃÂdhapura to study and translate the commentaries on the Buddha's teachings from Sinhalese to Pali. He is said to have met Buddhagosa at sea while returning to India, his work unfinished. Buddhadatta asked Buddhagosa to send him his translations and commentaries and used them in the writing of his AbhidhammÃÂvatÃÂra. Buddhadatta's other works include the Vinaya-Vinicchaya (âÂÂAnalysis of the VinayaâÂÂ), the Uttara-Vinicchaya, the Rà «pÃÂrà «pa-VibhÃÂga
The AbhidhammÃÂvatÃÂra (Pali: âÂÂThe Coming of the AbhidhammaâÂÂ) is one of the earliest and most important Abhidhamma manuals. It is a systematized overview of the doctrines in the Abhidhamma Pitaka, written largely in 24 verse chapters. The Abhidhammattha-sangaha has, in essence, superseded it.