Thai Royal to present first English volume of Tripitaka to President
THE first copy of the Tripitaka of Theravada Buddhism
printed in English will be presented to President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga by Princess Galyani Vadhana of Thailand. The presentation
ceremony will take place at the BMICH tomorrow, states a Presidential
Secretariat press release.
This composite volume of the Tripitaka in English went
into print after much study. Tripitaka books in countries where the pure
form of Theravada Buddhism is practised were used to compile this rare
first of its kind volume.
The compilation took over five years of work and
involved research in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri
Lanka, a press release said.
This volume of the Tripitaka, the first composite
version in English would help people across the world to learn more
about the Buddhist philosophy.
A delegation of Buddhist leaders from Thailand called on
President Kumaratunga last year along with Daranagama Kusala Dhamma
Thera, Chief Incumbent of Sri Sambodhi Vihara in Sri Lanka and submitted
a manuscript of the newly compiled English Tripitaka.
The presentation of the first volume of the Tripitaka to
the Head of State of Sri Lanka on behalf of the World Buddhist
fraternity, is an endorsement of the fact that Sri Lanka is the premier
nation preserving Buddhism in its purest form todate.
It would be a historic day for Sri Lankan Buddhists. |
