Univeristy of Washington Received the World Tipitaka Edition 2010

University of Washington
Keynote Speech
by
Professor Keyes

Your Serene Highness, Ambassador Don, Khunying Vichandara (วิจันทรา),
Mr. Suradhaj (สุรธัช), and all members of the Thai delegation
It is a great honor that you have come to the University of Washington to present the World Tipiṭaka to our Libraries.

Although the link between the University and Thailand may not date back to 1895, it does have a long and significant history.

2010 is the hundredth anniversary of Asian Studies at the University, a field that today is under the auspices of the Jackson School of International Studies and the Department of Asian Languages and Literature.

Thai language was first taught at the University of Washington in the 1950s under the direction of Professor Li Fang-kuei, a distinguished linguist who specialized on languages in China and Southeast Asia. The University of Washington has offered Thai instruction ever since, and is one of a handful of universities in America to have such a long record of Thai language instruction. We are fortunate to have Dr. Wiworn Kesavatana-Dohrs continuing this role.

In the 1950s Thai students began to come to the University of Washington from Thailand for the first time. Among the first Thai to receive PhDs here were Dr. Deb Menasveta (เทพเมนะเศวต) in fisheries and Dr. Sanga Sabhsri in forestry, both of whom went on to have very distinguished careers. I know that the late Dr. Sanga would have been very pleased with this event today as he was a devout Buddhist and we are delighted that Dr. Deb is represented here today by Dr. Piamsak, his son.

I personally decided to join the faculty of the University in 1965 because I felt confident that given the commitment to instruction in Thai and in Asian studies more generally as well as the attraction of Thai students to the university that this would be an excellent place to promote Thai studies. There have been a few ups and downs from time to time, but my early faith has clearly been realized.

During my long tenure at the University, I have been very fortunate to recruit, find support for and see through to completion of their PhD programs almost a dozen students from Thailand. Ajarn Amara Pongsapich, the director of the Thai Human Rights Commission and former dean of the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University who is here today, was the first and most distinguished of this group. These luksit are the legacy of which I am most proud.

When I first came to the University I found that the Libraries already had an embryonic collection of Western language materials on Thailand. I soon realized that the Libraries staff were very receptive to building a collection in Thai language materials as well as in other languages about Thailand. In each of the extended research trips I made to Thailand from the 1960s through the 1990s, I collected many works in Thai, most of which are now in the Libraries collection.

As the founding director of Southeast Asian studies at the University, I recognized that the development of collections on Southeast Asia, including Thailand, would be greatly enhanced if there were a position at the Libraries dedicated to this goal. We were fortunate first in receiving funding from the Luce Foundation for such a position and then even more fortunate in recruiting Dr. Judith Henchy, who has organized this event, to fill it.

Judith has recently secured funding from the US Department of Education for a project joint with the Maha Chakri Princess Sirindhon Center and Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research to develop a virtual archive, searchable in both Thai and English, of research materials on Thailand. Thus, the University of Washington Libraries is contributing to the development of Thai studies not only here, but also in Thailand itself.

I see the presentation of the collection of the World Tipiṭaka here today not only as an honor for the University of Washington Libraries, but as the capstone of UW’s long connection with Thailand. ขอบคุณมากฯ ครับ

World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script to the University Library of the University of Washington

Keynote Speech
by
Professor Amara Pongsapich

President of the National Human Rights
Commission of Thailand
and
Advisor to the World Tipiṭaka Project

The Presentation of The World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script
To The University of Washington 2010

It is with great privilege and honor for me to be addressing this gathering on the Occasion of the Presentation of the World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script to the University Library of the University of Washington, my alma mater.

This royal gift has been published by the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund under the Patronage of His Holiness Somdet Phra Nanasanvara, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.

The World Tipiṭaka is being presented by the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund in cooperation with the UW Alumni Association of Thailand.

The publication of the Roman Script Edition is the result of care and dedication of many people, too numerous to mention here. Nevertheless, their efforts are very much appreciated with great respect and gratitude. The preparation involved complicated tasks, facilitated by the use of Information Technology with rigorous computer-controlled procedures.

The process included:

• recitation by canonical Tipiṭaka experts,

• verification of the authenticity of the original manuscripts and phonetic verification of every sound,

• correction of printing errors, and

• numerous proof-readings to ensure accuracy.

In addition, the project committee also made reference to all modern 18 editions of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka. The reference collection totals over 2,000 volumes and has been presented as a donation to Chulalongkorn University.

The World Tipiṭaka is considered as a Gift of Wisdom and Peace. To date, more than 40 leading international institutions in 20 countries have been presented with the gift.

1. In 2004, the formal and final announcement of the world’s first printed set of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka Roman Script Edition was made in a special Royal Lecture for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, who was the Royal Matriarch of the Descendents of King Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao of Siam.

2. In 2005, the special inaugural 40-volume edition in Roman script was finally published by the Dhamma Society. These special sets were graciously presented during the same year by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Honorary President of the World Tipiṭaka as a Royal Gift of Wisdom & Peace.

3. In 2008, the World Tipiṭaka WebService was made available on the internet as a gift of Dhamma, for institutional request. This will result in:

* Eliminating the information cost of the Tipiṭaka Wisdombase.

* Making the Wisdom Heritage in the Tipiṭaka more accessible to a greater

number of people.

* Facilitating Tipiṭaka Studies by making the World Tipitaka Reference available electronically.

4. In 2010, this year, the Personalized Digital Tipiṭaka Printing and the Tipiṭaka Social Networking through the World Tipiṭaka WebService will be made available. Like-minded individuals interested in Tipiṭaka Studies can be connected online to form networks. Furthermore, networking of Tipiṭaka study groups can also be made possible.

Human Rights

In terms of Human Rights, the new initiative in Tipiṭaka Studies, which allows electronic access to the 40-volume Roman Script Edition will enable scholars and practitioners to explore the teachings on specific topics more deeply. Each person will be able to retrieve, examine, and make interpretations freely and at one’s own pace. I would like to discuss two topics related to Human Rights.

1. Rights and Justice

1. Since, knowledge can be access through self actualization without domination; therefore, the interpretation of what is “right” and what is “just” can be made individually.

2. “Righteousness and Justice for one” and “Righteousness and Justice for all” then become fundamental ethical values of individuals and society.

3. Interpretation of human relationship between individual inner life process and social values can be made through personal experience in the course of realizing of the true self in one’s own way.

4. Conscious concern for social and ethical values can be realized and practiced.

2. Freedom, Equality and Democracy

1. Freedom. The principle of relying on oneself is the essence of each individual’s virtue. Hence one has freedom to choose one’s own interpretation and one’s own destiny.

2. Equality. The emphasis on one’s inner life puts unqualified faith on the quality of oneselves which are all the same with no distinction as to class, race, and gender.

3. Democracy. This term puts focus on the “demo” which concerns people and/or citizen. In the Tipiṭaka, the term is dhamma-cracy which puts the concern on Righteousness and Justice. Hence the emphasis is on the essence or quality not on the citizen and the rulers.

Finally, I would like to end my remark by expressing my appreciation to the Library of the University of Washington in making this occasion possible for the benefit of humanity of this generation and future generations.

March 8th 2010

World Tipiṭaka Presentation to University of Washington

Miles for Merit Preserving Wisdom
Heritage of Humanity

Special transportation for the World Tipiṭaka
Presentation has been made possible
by
Thai International Airways

Keynote Speech
by
Professor Amara Pongsapich

President of the National Human Rights
Commission of Thailand
and
Advisor to the World Tipiṭaka Project

The Presentation of The World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script
To The University of Washington 2010

It is with great privilege and honor for me to be addressing this gathering on the Occasion of the Presentation of the World Tipiṭaka in Roman Script to the University Library of the University of Washington, my alma mater.

This royal gift has been published by the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund under the Patronage of His Holiness Somdet Phra Nanasanvara, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.

The World Tipiṭaka is being presented by the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund in cooperation with the UW Alumni Association of Thailand.

The publication of the Roman Script Edition is the result of care and dedication of many people, too numerous to mention here. Nevertheless, their efforts are very much appreciated with great respect and gratitude. The preparation involved complicated tasks, facilitated by the use of Information Technology with rigorous computer-controlled procedures.

The process included:

• recitation by canonical Tipiṭaka experts,

• verification of the authenticity of the original manuscripts and phonetic verification of every sound,

• correction of printing errors, and

• numerous proof-readings to ensure accuracy.

In addition, the project committee also made reference to all modern 18 editions of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka. The reference collection totals over 2,000 volumes and has been presented as a donation to Chulalongkorn University.

The World Tipiṭaka is considered as a Gift of Wisdom and Peace. To date, more than 40 leading international institutions in 20 countries have been presented with the gift.

1. In 2004, the formal and final announcement of the world’s first printed set of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka Roman Script Edition was made in a special Royal Lecture for Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, who was the Royal Matriarch of the Descendents of King Chulalongkorn Chulachomklao of Siam.

2. In 2005, the special inaugural 40-volume edition in Roman script was finally published by the Dhamma Society. These special sets were graciously presented during the same year by Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, the Honorary President of the World Tipiṭaka as a Royal Gift of Wisdom & Peace.

3. In 2008, the World Tipiṭaka WebService was made available on the internet as a gift of Dhamma, for institutional request. This will result in:

* Eliminating the information cost of the Tipiṭaka Wisdombase.

* Making the Wisdom Heritage in the Tipiṭaka more accessible to a greater

number of people.

* Facilitating Tipiṭaka Studies by making the World Tipitaka Reference available electronically.

4. In 2010, this year, the Personalized Digital Tipiṭaka Printing and the Tipiṭaka Social Networking through the World Tipiṭaka WebService will be made available. Like-minded individuals interested in Tipiṭaka Studies can be connected online to form networks. Furthermore, networking of Tipiṭaka study groups can also be made possible.

Human Rights

In terms of Human Rights, the new initiative in Tipiṭaka Studies, which allows electronic access to the 40-volume Roman Script Edition will enable scholars and practitioners to explore the teachings on specific topics more deeply. Each person will be able to retrieve, examine, and make interpretations freely and at one’s own pace. I would like to discuss two topics related to Human Rights.

1. Rights and Justice

1. Since, knowledge can be access through self actualization without domination; therefore, the interpretation of what is “right” and what is “just” can be made individually.

2. “Righteousness and Justice for one” and “Righteousness and Justice for all” then become fundamental ethical values of individuals and society.

3. Interpretation of human relationship between individual inner life process and social values can be made through personal experience in the course of realizing of the true self in one’s own way.

4. Conscious concern for social and ethical values can be realized and practiced.

2. Freedom, Equality and Democracy

1. Freedom. The principle of relying on oneself is the essence of each individual’s virtue. Hence one has freedom to choose one’s own interpretation and one’s own destiny.

2. Equality. The emphasis on one’s inner life puts unqualified faith on the quality of oneselves which are all the same with no distinction as to class, race, and gender.

3. Democracy. This term puts focus on the “demo” which concerns people and/or citizen. In the Tipiṭaka, the term is dhamma-cracy which puts the concern on Righteousness and Justice. Hence the emphasis is on the essence or quality not on the citizen and the rulers.

Finally, I would like to end my remark by expressing my appreciation to the Library of the University of Washington in making this occasion possible for the benefit of humanity of this generation and future generations.

March 8th 2010