On September 13, 2005 (B.E. 2548), Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, the elder sister of His Majesty King of Thailand, presents to the Kingdom of Sweden "Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500" --the Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka-- the world's first Pāḷi Tipiṭaka edition in 40 volumes, published in Roman script in 2005 by the Dhamma Society Fund under the patronage of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.

International Tipitaka Network

In fact, a worldwide Pāḷi Tipiṭaka network was begun over 112 years ago with the royal command by King Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao the Great of Siam instructing the Foreign Minister, Prince Devawongse, in 1894 to supervise the distribution and presentation of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka as a Royal Gift of Dhamma from Siam, to more than 260 institutions throughout the world. Some of those institutions, at that time, were already long established and recognized as offering the very best of education, while others were elevated to the ranks years later. The Uppsala University in Sweden, one of the recipients of the Royal Gift, has not only maintained its high ranking in the international community throughout the centuries, but is worthy of praise for its preservation of knowledge in all forms, and especially for its preservation of the King Chulachomklao the Great of Siam Pāḷi Tipiṭaka 1893 Edition.

The preserver of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka in written form from ancient times has been Sri Lanka, the country where the Holy Buddhist Scriptures were first inscribed in Sinhala script on palm leaves over 2,000 years ago. Thus the Dhamma Society deems it appropriate that in addition to Thailand and Sweden, one of the three especially printed and bound inaugural editions should be presented to Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, the world's Cradle of the Written Pāḷi Tipiṭaka.

Tipiṭaka Pilgrimage

On February 27, 2005 a special Tipiṭaka Pilgrimage Orientation for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana was held at Prince Devawongse's former Palace, which is now the Bank of Thailand, to announce the completion of the special Romanised edition and the Royal Tipiṭaka Pilgrimage to follow on March 6, 2005 to present this Gift of Dhamma to the President of Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese people. Seven days after the orientation, the maiden journey of a brand-new airplane anointed just prior to the pilgrimage by Her Royal Highness herself descended amidst Pāḷi chanting of the Ratana Sutta by the Thai delegation and traditional Kandyan drums of a Sinhalese escort troupe, to the joy and relief of a tsunami-ravaged local people. With the acceptance of this Gift of Dhamma, the Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka has been entrusted to Sri Lanka, who it is hoped, will continue to protect and preserve the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka as one of the centers for Tipiṭaka Studies in the East.

In the West, the Kingdom of Sweden has proved itself, domestically and internationally, to be the promoter of peace and wisdom-based development, as well as having been in the forefront of intelligent, responsible social and environmental protection and development, the Dhamma Society discerned that the Kingdom of Sweden would be the most appropriate country in which to entrust the most Sacred Text of Theravāda Buddhasāsana, for preservation, and for development and promotion of a truly wisdom-based culture.

Thus, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana who is the Royal Matriarch of the Descendents of King Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao and the Honorary President of the Tipiṭaka Presentation Worldwide, graciously undertook the initiative to present the third set of the most special inaugural Romanised edition as a Gift of Dhamma to the Uppsala University and to the Swedish people. With this presentation it is hoped that Sweden will also be the initiator of Tipiṭaka Studies in Sweden and in the West, to promote a Wisdom-based approach to sustainable growth and higher development, both individually and socially, for the benefit of all. For this to be possibly, an intelligent and insightful schema must be laid out and followed.