The thesis entitled ‘A Study of Development and Values of Mahà Vessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony on the Maddã Chapter’ is of three objectives as 1) to study the historical background of MahàVessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony in Lanna, 2) to explore the rhetoric and the rhythmic of MahàVessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony in Lanna and 3) to study and analyze the development and values of MahàVessantara Jàtaka Recitation Ceremony on the Maddã Chapter in Lanna.

The results revealed that Mahàjati preaching or MahàVessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony is the Buddhist literary works which found in Jàtaka or birth-stories of the Buddha’s previous lives in the Tipiñaka. It consists of 13 chapters with 1,000 verses. It is also influenced by the Phra Malai Sutta. It was developed into the royal tradition ceremony and the folkway. In Lanna region, however, there is no clear evidence of Vessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony, but it can be assumed that it was probably started by four aspects viz. 1) from the original Buddhist Order, 2) in the reign of King Kue Na, 3) from the rhythmic preaching of Mahayana Buddhist Monk and 4) influenced by the ancient Sukhothai. Regarding the MahàVessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony, it was divided into two types as 1) the annual ceremony and 2) the prolong life ceremony.  

The rhetoric of MahàVessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony in Lanna, it can be classified into 2 types as prose and verse. The prose type is the written language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure which mostly found in the palm - leaves and Saa Manuscripts or mulberry paper and was written in Lanna Tham script. The verses were composed with Dhamma and mostly found in the palm - leaves manuscripts and Khoi books. However, the study cannot accomplish which edition is the oldest one. But it can be sorted according to the ancient scriptures as follows the Gathà Pan Scripture or one thousand verses and the Cariyà Scripture.   

In terms of the rhythmic, it was divided into 2 types: - 1) Traditional melody is divided into two as the Dhammavatra and Mahàjati and 2) the applied melody can be classified as the mixed melody and the reading verses with rhythm.  The melodies in the sermons are very important because they convey different emotions and rhythms. It depends on the aptitude of the preacher. Regarding the development of the preaching style, the preachers in the past focused on the Dhamma that appeared in the Mahà Vessantara Jàtaka. Due to the limited of time, the preachers focus on the enjoyment and less on the morality. In term of rhetoric, the Mahà Vessantara Jàtaka was composed by the Lanna sophisticated people for 289 expressions with various melodies.  

Regarding the values of Mahà Vessantara Jàtaka Preaching Ceremony in Lanna, especially in the Maddã Chapter, it creates the true understanding of life to the listeners. The good result of listening to the Mahà Vessantara Jàtaka is to be reborn in the period of Buddhametteyya and also to remind to perform the wholesome action, charity, love within the family and the soul mate. The values also occur to the preachers as the tool for developing mindfulness and upgrading the mind to be gentler.  For the society, it creates both artistic and moral principles and Lanna culture. 

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