Kingdom of Thailand		Republic of Korea
World Tipiṭaka Presentation at the Constitutional Court, Bangkok, Thailand November, 14, B.E. 2551 (2008)		World Tipiṭaka Handing-over at Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea April 23, B.E. 2552 (2009)

 

Amidst the spring flower blossoms and the week-long celebration of Visak in Seoul, a 40-volume set of the World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script was solemnly handed-over by President of the World Tipiṭaka Council from Thailand to President of Dongguk University in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

This Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka Edition was published in Roman script for the first time by Dhamma Society in Bangkok. Since 2005, it has been presented to leading international institutions worldwide as a royal gift of Dhamma from Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Project Founding Honorary President and Royal Patron.

On November 14, 2008, the eve of the State Funeral of Princess Galyani Vadhana, a formal announcement of the World Tipiṭaka Presentation was organised by H.E. Justice Chat Chonlavorn, President of the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand in Bangkok. Professor Won K. Seok, Director Dongguk University Library from Seoul, Republic of Korea, attended the ceremony.  As a merit-making for the late Princess Patron, ten international institutions from ten countries worldwide, including Dongguk University of the Republic of Korea, were nominated by the World Tipiṭaka Council of Sri Lanka to receive this commemorative 40-volume set of the World Tipiṭaka Edition in Roman Script.     

This year in 2009, upon the invitation of President Oh Yong-kyo of Dongguk University, Professor Annop Kunavongkrit, President of the World Tipiṭaka Council, led a special 20-member delegation from Bangkok to Seoul. The Handing-over and the Celebration  Ceremony of the World Tipiṭaka Enshrinement took place on April 23, 2009 at Dongguk University Campus.

Dongguk was one of the largest and leading private universities in Korea. It is the first higher learning institution in the Republic of Korea to have received the Royal Gift from the late Princess Matriarch of Thailand. This special gift will help Tipiṭaka Patrons of the two countries to closely collaborate on the study and the propogation of  Wisdom in the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka, i.e., the printing of the World Tipiṭaka in Roman script, especially the latest "Personalised Printing Technology" for wider distribution as a gift of Dhamma both in Korea and abroad.     

The World Tipiṭaka Project is grateful to Princess Galyani Vadhana's Endowment Project and THAI International Airways "Miles for Merit" for the publication and the transportation of the Royal Gift of the World Tipiṭaka from Bangkok to Seoul.  Equally heartfelt thanks go to THAI International Airways Royal Orchid Plus Members from all over the world who have donated their mileages to make it possible to bring the World Tipiṭaka to its destination in the Republic of Korea. 

---

I am delighted and profoundly honoured to present a special inauguration 40-volume Pāḷi Tipiṭaka in Roman-script edition to leading institutions worldwide. This occasion is especially meaningful because this publication is the world’s first International Romanised Pāḷi Tipiṭaka -- from the only Great International Council, convened by 2,500 Theravāda Buddhist monks in the Buddhist Era 2500 or 1957 A.D. It is, therefore, a Heritage of Humanity Enlightenment which has been preserved for over 2500 years.

The three inaugural Pāḷi Tipiṭaka edtions were published in 2005 by the Dhamma Society under the Patronage of the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. The first inaugural edition was presented to the people of Sri Lanka on March 6, 2005. I went on a Pilgrimage to Colombo upon the invitation of the President of Sri Lanka for the presentation of the special edition which is now preserved at the Presidential Mansion in Colombo. The special edition for the Kingdom of Thailand was presented to the people of Thailand on August 15, 2005 and is now preserved at the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand in Bangkok. The special edition for the western world was presented on September 13, 2005 to the Kingdom of Sweden and is now preserved at the Uppsala University Library.

The presentation of the International Romanised Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is a meritorious act following the publication of the Tipiṭaka in Siam-script edition by my Grandfather, King Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao of Siam, who in 1893 had the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka printed in book form for the first time in the world. Over two hundred and sixty of these sets were presented to leading institutions worldwide. In Sri Lanka and Sweden, one set of these historic printings “Chulachomklao the Great of Siam Pāḷi Tipiṭaka” has been well-preserved both in the temple of the Holy Tooth Relics in Kandy and at the Carolina Rediviva in Uppsala.

After this inauguration, one thousand sets will be presented as a donation to leading institutions worldwide. Furthermore, the International Tipiṭaka Studies will be initiated as an integral part of the presentation. The International Tipiṭaka Studies in these leading institutions will integrate the wisdom-base in the Tipiṭaka with the knowledge-base of the world today. It is hoped that the integration and right understanding of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka will ensure sustainable peace, as well as lasting security for the international community today.

May the merits of the International Tipiṭaka printing and the presentation bring wisdom, life-long happiness and prosperity to the people of the world, now and always.

---

 พระสัมโมทนียกถา
ในสมเด็จพระเจ้าพี่นางเธอ เจ้าฟ้ากัลยาณิวัฒนา กรมหลวงนราธิวาสราชนครินทร์

ประธานกิตติมศักด์ิการพระราชทานพระไตรปิฎกสากลแก่สถาบันสำคัญในนานาประเทศทั่วโลก

	อ่านในพิธีสมโภชและประดิษฐานพระไตรปิฎกสากลชุดพระธัมมทานแก่มหาวิทยาลัยดองกุกแห่งสาธารณรัฐเกาหลี โดย ศ. น.สพ. ดร. อรรณพ คุณาวงษ์กฤต ประธานสภาพระไตรปิฎกสากล

 

กรุงเทพมหานคร

  

저 희 왕실에서 40권의 로마자본 빨리삼장(Pāḷi Tipiṭaka)을 세계의 선도적인 연구기관들에 기증할 수 있게 되어 매우 기쁘고 영광으로 생각합니다. 이번에 기증하게 되는 로마자본 빨리삼장은 불기 2,500년(서기 1956년)에 2,500명의 테라와다(Theravāda) 스님이 참여한 국제적인 결집을 통해서 간행되었다는 점에서 매우 뜻이 깊습니다. 빨 리삼장은 2,500년 이상 지속되어 온 인류 문화의 자산입니다.

태국 종정의 후원아래 담마협회(Dhamma Society)는 이 중요한 빨리삼장을 세 번 출 간했습니다. 첫 번째 출판본은 2005년 3월 3일에 스리랑카 국민들에게 기증되었습니 다. 저는 스리랑카 대통령의 초청으로 직접 콜롬보에 가서 특별판을 기증을 했고 현재 콜롬보에 있는 스리랑카 대통령 관저에 보관되어 있습니다. 두 번째 태국을 위한 출판 본은 2005년 8월 15일에 태국 국민들에게 기증되었으며 현재 방콕에 있는 왕립 헌법 재판소에 보관되어 있습니다. 세 번째 서양의 국가들을 위한 출판본은 2005년 9월 13 일에 스웨덴 왕실에 기증되어 현재 웁살라대학 도서관에 보관되어 있습니다.

로마자 빨리삼장(Pāḷi Tipiṭaka)을 기증하는 것은 저의 조부이신 출라롱콘 출라촘클라 오(Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao) 왕께서 1893년에 빨리삼장을 사이암(Siam) 문자 로 책으로 출판 하신 뜻을 계승하는 공덕이 넘치는 선행입니다. 지금까지 260개 이상 의 빨리삼장이 전 세계 주요 기관에 기증되었습니다. 스리랑카와 스웨덴에서는 이 역 사적인 『출라촘클라오 사이암 빨리삼장』이 캔디(Kandy)의 불치사와 웁살라의 캐롤 리나 레디비바(Carolina Rediviva) 도서관에서 각각 잘 보관되어 있습니다.

2005년의 첫 출판 이래로 1,000개의 빨리삼장을 세계의 선도적인 연구기관에 기증하 려고 합니다. 또한 빨리삼장 기증사업과 함께 국제삼장학회(International Tipiṭaka Studies)를 출범시키려고 합니다. 세계의 선도적인 연구기관들이 참여하는 국제삼장학 회는 오늘날의 지식 기반사회를 삼장을 중심으로 지혜 기반사회로 통합하는 역할을 하 게 될 것입니다. 여러 종류의 빨리삼장들을 통합하고 올바르게 이해하는 일이야말로 오늘날 국제사회의 지속적인 평화와 안녕을 보장해주리라고 생각합니다.

이 빨리삼장의 간행과 기증의 공덕으로 지혜와 지속적인 행복과 번영이 이 세계의 모 든 사람들에게 가득하기를 간절히 기원합니다.