Abstract: This article examines the literary archetype of the Abhidhamma master through two Pali narratives: the story of the young Nāgasena in the Milindapañha (Questions of Milinda) and the account of Moggaliputta Tissa Thera, the author of the Kathāvatthu (Points of Debate), as recounted in the Vinaya commentary called the Samantapāsādikā . Both narratives depict Nāgasena and Moggaliputta Tissa as exemplary Buddhist scholars, embodying the ideal of a genius born with the sacred mission to safeguard the Buddha's teaching from both external and internal challenges. Through a comparative analysis of these stories, this study reveals that the concept of Abhidhamma within the Theravāda tradition transcends its identity as a mere corpus of scholastic texts. Instead, it emerges as a dynamic culture of public debate, engaging the entire Sangha—monastics and laity alike—in the defense and propagation of the Dhamma. This exploration underscores the broader role of Abhidhamma as a living tradition of intellectual and communal discourse.
Aleix Ruiz-Falqués (2026) studied this question.