CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The 72nd birthday anniversary of the king of Thailand continues to inspire a rich variety of spiritual, artistic and cultural contributions to Thai society.

One such project is the plan to publish a romanized Pali Tipitaka, which reflects the essence of the Buddhist Holy Scriptures and is considered one of the oldest sacred texts in the world. The force behind this initiative, under the auspices of the supreme patriarch of Thailand, was a devout and learned Thai lady, the late Thanpuying Maniratana Bunnag, who was for many decades an assistant to the queen of Thailand. The torch has now been passed to her son Suradhaj Bunnag and to a society created in 1997 for this purpose, the Dhamma Society Fund.

When completed, the project will constitute the world's first publication of the complete Buddhist Pali Tipitaka in the Roman alphabet. There will be 1,000 45-volume sets, (representing the 45 years of Lord Buddha's teachings), to be presented as gifts to leading international institutions throughout the world.