World Tipiṭaka Edition

From Frankfurt Book Fair 2007 to the Peace Palace
at the Hague

Mr. Krirk-krai Jirapaet, Minister of Commerce, Kingdom of Thailand, and Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, President of Thai Airways International PLC, together with Océ (Thailand), have jointly sponsored the World Tipiṭaka Project to be unveiled in Germany at Frankfurt Book Fair 2007. The highlight of this exhibition will be “the International Wisdom–Based Technology from Thailand” a 40-volume Pāḷi Tipiṭaka edition in Roman Script (2005), and its newly published 40-volume Tipiṭaka Studies Reference which was published for the first time in Bangkok this year.

This commemorative 80-volume collection have been published by Dhamma Society Fund with various modern technologies, such as open-standard database with the latest high-quality, digital printing. The specially commemorative hand-bound in gold and silver dust edging will be exhibited at the Thailand Pavilion, organised between October 10-14 by Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce.

The objective of the World Tipiṭaka Project at the Frankfurt Book Fair is to demonstrate a perfect combination of modern technology and wisdom-based content. Printed with the most advanced and “appropriate technology”, Pāḷi Tipiṭaka, the universally acclaimed Teachings of the Buddha almost 3,000 years old, is now available in a complete edition in Roman script for the first time. The European digital-printing technology which was used in this Tipiṭaka production also represents a model of “sufficient economy” as well as environmentally friendly technology.

Frankfurt Book Fair is today the largest trade fair in the world. The Fair encompasses newly published books and prints as well as electronic multi-media. To keep up with e-books and global IT developments, the 40-volume Pāḷi Tipiṭaka in Roman Script will also be available to Tipiṭaka Network through WebService Technology (www.dhammasociety.org). The World Tipiṭaka Project from Thailand also demonstrates that a heritage of humanity has been well-integrated to international technology with new potential application worldwide. Because of an innovative presentation of the Tipiṭaka Project with far-reaching consequences towards World Peace and Wisdom, the Ministry of Commerce has presented the World Tipiṭaka Project as a ‘special activity” in the Thailand Pavilion this year.

Since the World Tipiṭaka Edition was first published, Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, Honorary President of Tipiṭaka Presentation Worldwide who is the Royal Matriarch of Thailand, has presented these special sets as gifts of Dhamma to leading institutions of the world. In 2005, upon a presidential invitation, Her Royal Highness made a Pilgrimage to Colombo, to present an inaugural set of the World Tipiṭaka to the President of Sri Lanka.

On October 12, 2007, a Commemorative World Tipiṭaka and its Reference edition in honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was presented as a Gift of Peace and Wisdom by the Princess Matriarch of Thailand to the International Court of Justice, popularly known as “the World Court at the Peace Palace” in the Hague, Kingdom of Netherlands.

World Tipitaka Edition for Peace

Peace Palace, the Hague, Kingdom of Netherlanads

Remarks by

Her Excellency Judge Rosalyn Higgins
President of the International Court of Justice

Peace Palace, the Hague, Kingdom of Netherlands

Royal Gift of the Tipitaka

12 October 2007

Ambassador Hiranprueck,

President Limvichai,

Major Bunnag,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the International Court of Justice, I thank you for this generous gift of the “World Tipitaka Edition”, which is given by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary. We are honoured to receive these impressive volumes. Thank you also for your speech, President, and the Royal Message.

This 80-volume collection has been published by the Dhamma Society under the patronage of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. It has been produced using the latest technology and will be followed by an electronic service available through the Dhamma Society website. In this way, we see modern technology being used to share ancient teachings in the spirit of peace.

I understand that the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand is the only institution in Thailand that has received the World Tipitaka Edition. We are delighted to have with us today President Limvichai and his judicial colleagues from the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. Contacts with leading national courts are of great importance to us. In 2003, we were pleased to welcome sixty executives of the Justice Administration Courts of the Thai Ministry of Justice to the International Court of Justice for a talk on the work of the Court and a tour of the Peace Palace.

International courts decide international law and national courts decide domestic law, but this division of legal labour is not as simple as it seems. Your jurisprudence forms part of the judicial decisions we look to under Article 38(1)(d) of our Statute, as relevant to the sources of international law. In certain areas of international law, such as the related fields of jurisdiction and State immunity, the input of national courts has a very particular significance.

As we have heard, the World Tipitaka Edition is a Gift of Peace and Wisdom from the people of Thailand. The International Court of Justice, as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is dedicated to the cause of peace. The idea of a standing international Court was born 100 years ago at the Hague Peace Conference. The hope was that States would refer their disputes for peaceful settlement rather than wage war against each other. Under the UN Charter, the Court is charged with maintaining international peace and security by settling legal disputes in accordance with international law. We are committed to guarding the respect for international law and promoting peaceful relations between States, and we are pleased to receive a gift given to us in this spirit.

The World Tipitaka Edition is also a reminder of the International Court’s relationship with Thailand in particular, and with the Asian region in general. Since the establishment of the International Court, we have had 13 disputes involving Asian States submitted to us for resolution. The Court has been particularly gratified to find that in recent years Asian States have been turning to us ever more often for judicial settlement of disputes, often bringing cases to us by special agreement. Indeed, hearings in a case submitted jointly to us by Malaysia and Singapore will commence next month. The interest in the Court manifested by Thailand through the presentation of this magnificent gift is greatly appreciated. These volumes will in due course be located in a prominent place at the Court where all can admire them.

I warmly thank you once again for this wonderful presentation to the International Court of Justice given on the occasion of His Majesty’s Birthday.

____________________

เปิดตัวพระไตรปิฎกภูมิปัญญาไทยสู่สากล

กระทรวงพาณิชย์ เวลา 16.00 น. วันที่ 10 ต.ค. 2550

นายกฤษฎา เปี่ยมพงศ์สานต์ โฆษกกระทรวงพาณิชย์ เปิดเผยว่า กระทรวงพาณิชย์ได้รับพระมหากรุณาธิคุณโปรดเกล้าฯ จากสมเด็จพระเจ้าพี่นางเธอ เจ้าฟ้ากัลยาณิวัฒนา กรมหลวงนราธิวาสราชนครินทร์ ในฐานะองค์ประธานกิตติมศักดิ์ การประดิษฐานพระไตรปิฎกสากลในนานาประเทศ ทรงโปรดเกล้าฯ ให้นำพระไตรปิฎกสากลภาษาบาฬีี อักษรโรมัน ชุด 40 เล่ม ชุดสมบูรณ์ชุดแรกของโลก และหนังสือพระไตรปิฎกศึกษาอ้างอิง ชุด 40 เล่ม ที่จัดพิมพ์เป็นครั้งแรกในปีนี้ ไปร่วมแสดงในงานมหกรรมหนังสือโลก ที่กรุงแฟรงก์เฟิร์ต ประเทศเยอรมนี ระหว่างวันที่ 9-14 ต.ค.นี้ ในฐานะที่เป็นผลงาน “ภูมิปัญญาไทยสากล”


นอกจากนี้ได้จัดให้โครงการพระไตรปิฎกสากลเป็น “กิจกรรมพิเศษ” ในคูหา ของประเทศไทย นับเป็นการนำภูมิปัญญาไทยเชื่อมต่อกับเทคโนโลยีที่เป็นสากล เพื่อสร้างฐานทางปัญญาและสันติสุข อันเป็นเป้าหมายที่แท้จริงของคำสอนในพระพุทธศาสนา


งานมหกรรมหนังสือโลกที่แฟรงก์เฟิร์ต เป็นงานแสดงสินค้าหนังสือ สิ่งพิมพ์ และสื่อข้อมูลที่ใหญ่ที่สุดในโลก ปัจจุบันกำลังพัฒนาไปสู่สื่ออิเล็กทรอนิกส์ ซึ่งพระไตรปิฎกสากลอักษรโรมัน ชุดนี้ ก็ได้สร้างฐานข้อมูลอิเล็กทรอนิกส์ ที่มีศักยภาพสำหรับการให้บริการเว็บเซอร์วิสด้วย และยังจัดพิมพ์ด้วยระบบดิจิทัล ซึ่งเป็นเทคโนโลยีของยุโรปที่ได้รับรางวัลอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อม อีกด้วย.