This work focuses on the composition of Saṅghabhadra's Shanjian lü piposha and on the nature of its relation with the Pāli Samantapāsādikā. Through thorough research into several aspects of T.1462, an attempt is made to find out how this monastic commentary materialised in Chinese. The study reveals new elements concerning the origination of the Shanjian lü piposha. This in turn clarifies some crucial aspects of the history and the transmission of the Buddhist body of thought in general and of the monastic disciplinary rules in particular. By means of an original method, new evidence is presented that deepens our understanding of the relation between T.1462 and the Samantapāsādikā. Having collected contextual, textual and structural clues, interesting hypotheses are brought forward that substantially improve our knowledge of one of the most important vinaya commentaries.