Launch of the Journal of the Dhammachai International Research Institute : หน้า 16/141

Introduction This collection of articles marks the launch of the Journal of the Dhammachai International Research Institute (JDIRI). The articles presented here indicate some of the perspectives on Buddhism that the journal intends to represent. It will feature articles that investigate all aspects of studies into Early Buddhism, with particular emphasis on the discovery and study of old manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts are copies of discourses from the Pāli canon. Others are extra-canonical Southeast Asian meditation manuals. The latter tend to relate to esoteric methodologies, as well as presenting exoteric notions from the vināya, the suttas and the abhidhamma. The former present researchers with the opportunity to examine early palm-leaf versions of canonical texts, many of which are often subjected to esoteric interpretations. The JDIRI, then, plans to publish research articles about Early Buddhism and Buddhist meditation written by members of the DIRI and by international scholars. An important focus of the JDIRI will be research into the Buddhist texts related to the ancient meditation tradition, mül kammaṭṭhāna, of Theravāda Buddhist mainland South East Asia, and the connections between this borān or ancient meditation tradition and the modern vijja dhammakāya popular in Thai Buddhism today. Over the past decade, the DIRI has trained a team of researchers, and entered into agreements with various universities around the world, for the purpose of pursuing these research interests. The DIRI sponsors graduate students from Thailand to undertake research degrees in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and other countries. Graduates from these programs have gone on to participate in various international Buddhist research projects such as the DIRI is assisting with the Early Buddhist Manuscript Project. at the University of Washington (Seattle) USA and the University of Oslo, Norway. One of these graduates and participants in the Early Buddhist Manuscript Project is Dr. Chanida Jantrasiralai; she is also a contributing author to this first volume of the Journal. XII