In early June, a host of delegates from Thailand and the Thai Embassy in Ottawa visited the Fisher Library to host the presentation of the World Tipitaka Saj-jha-ya Phonetic Recitation, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit Commemorative 2016 Editions.
This collaboration project between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the World Tipitaka Foundation aims to donate the special Tipitaka Editions to overseas libraries, institutions and organizations in more than 36 countries, including Canada, where His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother once paid official visits.
The 2016 edition, an 80-volume collection, was generously presented to UTL in a beautiful handover ceremony. Representatives from Thailand and the World Tipitaka Foundation led the ceremony, delivering remarks and a video presentation that showcased the volumes, which were displayed and adorned with flowers for an audience of over 50 guests from the libraries, the university community, and the Thai communities in Toronto. The event included remarks from his Excellency Kallayana Vipattipumiprates, Ambassador of Thailand to Canada, as representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and Thanpuying Varaporn Pramoj Na Ayudhaya, President of the World Tipitaka Foundation, along with University Chief Librarian Larry Alford.
The 2016 edition not only reflects the foundational teachings of Buddhism but also reflects the original pronunciations and recitation of the Pāḷi text from the time of the Buddha, over 2,500 years ago. It is an invaluable tool for preserving a language containing over nine million syllables, and its availability to libraries and museums worldwide marks a new era of sharing ancient Buddhist wisdom with a global audience.
The gift of the 2016 edition will help UTL continue to fuel the vital cultural engagement and discourse that is so vital to U of T's academic community.