The Usage of Commentaries for Determining an Original Reading:A Case Study of the Dīghanikāya

Abstract

        The Pāli Commentaries are a tremendous source of useful information for the study of the Pāli canon. The role of the commentaries becomes even more essential when used as a tool to help to determine an original reading among variant readings found in both palm-leaf manuscripts and printed editions of the Pāli canon.
        This paper will raise interesting issues on variant readings found in the Dīghanikāya and explain how to utilize its commentary, so-called the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, to help determine the original reading. From five traditions of palm-leaf manuscripts namely Sinhalese, Burmese, Khom, Tham and Mon, all forty-eight manuscripts used in this paper were collected by the Dhammachai Tipiṭaka Project. Four different ways to use the commentary are described with examples and detailed explanations: (1) Using a commentary as a common reference point among scholars; (2) Using a lemma in a commentary as an ancient reading from Buddhaghosa’s time; (3) Utilizing information found from commentarial explanation; and (4) Acquiring alternative ancient variants from Buddhaghosa’s time. The practice of utilizing a commentary as described can be regarded as an effective way to study Pāli commentaries in a new landscape that promotes active learning of Pāli texts. Students should read Pāli texts, consider commentaries from different aspects by comparing variant readings they encounter, and then continually think, analyze, ask questions and seek proper answers by themselves.