MOU with Hsuan Chuang University in Taiwan
On July 16, 2008 (2551 B.E.), Dhammachai Institute’s Buddhist Studies Department and Hsuan Chuang University’s Religious Studies Department in Taiwan signed an academic agreement to develop together better learning and teaching methods and elevate academic development standard.
The purpose of this MOU is to collaborate with the three universities mentioned previously for a research project entitled “Theravada Buddhism: Continuity and Varieties”, which is a project related to the original teaching of Theravada Buddhism.
MOU with Peking University
On August 27, 2009 (2552 B.E.) at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Peking University agreed to translate the Tripitaka from Pali into modern Chinese. This Tripitaka version is called “Beida-Dhammachai Pali Series” (BDP).
The purpose of this MOU is to collaborate with the three universities mentioned previously for a research project entitled “Theravada Buddhism: Continuity and Varieties”, which is a project related to the original teaching of Theravada Buddhism.
Sri Lanka’s Buddhist TV Channel
On September 29, 2010 (2553 B.E.) at Wat Phra Dhammakaya, DMC signed an agreement with Sri Lanka’s Buddhist TV Channel, MOU, to exchange broadcasting programs with each other. The Siamvongse Nikaya Supreme Patriarch presided over the signing. Initially, MOU will air certain DMC programs that are of interest to the people of Sri Lanka for two hours each day.
Siminar: Perpetuation of the Buddha’s Teachings: During Buddha’s Time to the Present Days
On Saturday, February 23, 2013, the Tripitaka Research Group of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, the Dhammakaya Foundation along with 10 universities from around the world, organized a seminar and exhibits on the Tripitaka-Pali under the theme “Perpetuation of the Buddha’s Teachings: During Buddha’s Time to the Present Days” at Thailand Science Park Convention Center in Pathumthani.
During the seminar there were exhibitions and lectures from a panel of world renowned Pali experts such as Professor Richard Gombrich from Oxford University; Professor Oskar von Hinüber, an expert on Pali and ancient manuscripts; Professor Rupert Gethin, President of the Pali Text Society; and Professor Masahiro Shimoda from University of Tokyo. Professor Shimoda presented discussions on the topics: “The Transmission of Dhamma Through Oral Tradition”; “The Transmission of Dhamma Through Palm-leaf Manuscript”; “The Transmission of
Dhamma Through Printed Editions of the Tipitaka”; and “The Transmission of Dhamma in the Digital Age.”
The Tripitaka Research Group of Wat Phra Dhammakaya organized this event as an effort to preserve the ancient manuscripts digitally, a more durable format, and to create a database of the Tripitaka to assist the continued research of Buddhism throughout the world. At the event, the Tripitaka Research Group discussed their research results on ancient Buddhist manuscripts from every tradition and presented the “Dhammachai Tripitaka (preliminary edition)” in order to corral opinions and recommendations from experts that can be applied to producing the most complete text.