Current Projects in Pali Studies

On these pages the Pali Text Society tries to maintain a list of scholarly projects related to the study of Pali to facilitate communiction and collaboration between scholars and to help avoid duplication of research.  Scholars working on editions and translations of Pali texts, and linguistic Pali studies are invited to email a short statement of their work to the Pali Text Society.

Projects supported by the Pali Text Society

  1. A Dictionary of Pali. Dr Martin Straube (Research Fellow in Pali Lexicography) is preparing the fourth (and final) volume. He can be contacted by email at straubem@staff.uni-marburg.de.
  2. Kalyāṇī inscription. The Pali text and translation is being prepared by Jason Carbine.
  3. Apadāna. Dr Chris Clark (University of Sydney) is working on a critical edition and translation.
  4. Cariyāpiṭaka commentary. A translation of the text and its commentary translated by the late Dr Peter Masefield is being prepared for publication by the Pali Text Society.
  5. Abhidhammatthavibhavinī. Professor Rupert Gethin is working on a revised edition of Saddhatissa’s 1988 edition.
  6. Kaṅkhāvītaraṇī. translation (Overcoming Doubts). Dr  Petra Kieffer-Pülz and Dr  Pruitt are working on completing and revising the late K.R. Norman’s draft translation. The first volume of this translation was published in 2018.
  7. Ekakkharakosa. Dr Javier Schnake is preparing a  critical edition.
  8. Nikāyasaṅgrahaya. A new edition and translation is being prepared by Professor Sven Bretfeld.
  9. Vessantaradīpanī. A critical edition is being prepared by Dr Yukio Yamanaka.
  10. Mahāsūtras. The final volume is being prepared by Professor Peter Skilling.
  11. Saṅgītiyavaṃsa. And edition and translation by Dr Charles Hallisey.
  12. The papers of T. W. and Caroline Rhys Davids and the papers of I. B. Horner in the Oriental Faculty Library of the University of Cambridge have been catalogued. They can be consulted on the website.

Other projects in Pali studies

  1. Maṅgalatthadīpanī. Gregory Kourilsky is researching the work of Sirimangala, a scholarly monks of 16th century Lanna (present-day northern Thailand). In particular, he is preparing a critical edition of the Maṅgalatthadīpanī, a monumental work composed in 1524.
  2. Dr Justin McDaniel is analyzing and translating various Nissaya, Vohāra, and Nāmasadda Manuscripts from Laos and Northern Thailand. He also studies protective Pali Yantras and Mantras from Central Thailand. Contact: justin.mcdaniel at ucr.edu
  3. Dr Grace Burford (Prescott College, Arizona, U.S.A.) is researching the life and work of I.B. Horner in order to write a biography of her. She would appreciate to hear from anyone with relevant information and can be contacted through the PTS.
  4. Mr Christian Lammerts is involved in the following projects:
    (I) Pali, Burmese, Mon Dhammathat (Dhammasattha): an integrated catalogue of manuscripts in Burma;
    (II) An edition and English translation of the Dhammavilāsa Dhammathat, ca. 1174 C.E.
    Contact: DCL33 at cornell.edu
  5. Venerable Udagama Dhammaseeha Thero (Australia) is translating a section of the Papañcasūdanī Pāli MN commentary into English. Here is the Acrobat version of the Synopsis. Contact: seeha99 at bigpond.net.au
  6. Dr Aleix Ruiz Falqués is working on the Pāli grammatical tradition of Burma and on a critical edition of Chapaṭa Saddhammajotipāla’s Suttaniddesa and Vimalabuddhi’s Nyāsa or Mukhamattadīpanī. He is also working on a translation of Saddhammasiri’s Saddatthabhedacintā
  7. Dr Jnan Nanda (Jnanananda Tanchangya) at the University of Hong Kong is working on “An Annotated Translation of the Sampasadaniya-sutta-vannana”. Contact: jnannanda at yahoo.com