Theravāda Tradition
• Samantapāsādikā (5th c. CE, Buddhaghosa)
– The “All-Encompassing Comforter” weaves together Vinaya rules with stories from the Buddha’s life.
– Still the go-to guide for monks and nuns across Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.

• Paṭṭhāna (Paramatthadīpanī) by Dhammapāla (6th c. CE)
– A deep-dive into procedural details, clarifying grey areas left by the primary text.
– Lays the groundwork for later sub-commentaries, much like roots feeding a banyan tree.

• Subcommentaries (Tika and Ṭīkā)
– Cover individual suttas or vinaya sections, often composed in Burma during the 18th–19th centuries.
– Examples include the Dipavaridhi and the Malamālāṭīkā, expanding on local monastic issues.

East Asian (Mahayāna)
• Chinese Vinaya Commentaries
– Daoxuan’s annotations on the Dharmagupta Vinaya (Tang dynasty) blend Indian source material with Chinese monastic needs.
– Song-era scholars added marginal notes, comparable to putting fresh ink on an old map.

• Korean and Japanese Traditions
– Jogye Order’s modern glosses adapt Vinaya guidelines to contemporary temple life, even touching on digital ethics in 2024.

Tibetan (Mūla-Sarvāstivāda)
• Tengyur Commentaries
– Works by Rolla Tsamdrak (12th c.) and Khenpo Shenga (19th c.) unravel Mūla-Sarvāstivāda rules.
– Offer philosophical discussions alongside procedural advice, akin to having both compass and sextant.

Modern Studies & Translations
• Pali Text Society and SuttaCentral (ongoing digital editions, 2025) are making these commentaries accessible online—no longer hidden in dusty libraries.
• New research journals regularly revisit vinaya exegesis, often in light of global conversations on monastic discipline and ethics.