The thesis entitled “An Analytical Study of the Importance of Commentaries to the Tipitaka Study” consisted of three objectives. The study aimed: 1) to study the viewpoints on the commentaries to the Tipitaka study, 2) to study the importance of commentaries to the Tipitaka study according to Buddhist tradition, and 3) to analyze the importance of commentaries to the Tipitaka study.

This is an educational research that was created through the descriptive analysis of  the Tipitaka in Pali version of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU), Tipitaka in Thai version of MCU and commentaries in Thai version of MCU. The research was conducted by studying problems and its viewpoints, followed by finding and analyzing its importance through pointing out the importance of commentaries to the Tipitaka study. The research also involved interviewing 3 experts in commentaries.

From the study, it showed the importance of commentaries to the Tipitaka study as commentaries gave a direct explanation in Tipitaka. This helped solving problem in interpreting the Tipitaka. Commentaries helped defining the meaning of each word or sentence in a correct way. It was also a compilation of information about Buddhist history and tradition that was scattered all over the Tipitaka by explaining, clarifying and construing, in order, of words, idioms, texts in Vinaya Piṭaka, Sutta Piṭaka and Abhidhamma Piṭaka. In commentaries, there was also a melodic storytelling that linked with the origin and development of the story in order to let the readers understand clearer of the word of the Buddha or stories in the Tipitaka. Commentaries was considered as a bridge or a ladder that helped to approach the Tipitaka and was a dictionary that preserved the original descriptions as many as possible.

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