The production of scriptures paralleled the oral transmission of Buddhist teachings for centuries. One monastic practice even today consists of learning the tradition’s canonical texts by heart.

For example, in the case of the northern Thai kingdom Lan Na, the use of texts to transmit Buddhism was less highly regarded than efforts to memorize and orally transmit them until the 15th century, when technologies for writing and producing texts had been available for some time. 

In part, this is because reciting the word of the Buddha was viewed as a way of attaining wisdom and spiritual liberation. Memorizing, reciting and worshiping the texts are part of monastic discipline and, like writing, copying and reading the texts, were regarded as practices yielding spiritual benefits.

In Southeast Asia, Buddhist scholars have mostly written their texts and commentaries in the vernacular, despite the prestige of Pali in Theravada Buddhism. The monastic schools produce manuscripts. Some are famous for their relics and their masters, well-versed in Pali and skilled at reciting and teaching in the vernacular. 

Traditionally, Thai teachers and students have travelled to monasteries in Laos, Burma or southern China in search of texts, images, medicines, prestige, patrons, etc. Rich patrons have often sponsored the production of texts, by means of copying, translation or commentary. 

Often, one monk will read a work out loud whilst another takes dictation and copies it onto a new palm leaf without having seen the original manuscript. Pali texts with colophons in the vernacular bear witness to collective production, the connection between monasteries and the fact that some manuscripts were not intended for instruction or monastic ritual (to be read at ceremonies such as the ordainment of monks or funerals), but for writing practice for novice monks.