The Pali Canon, a set of texts compiled in India nearly two and a half thousand years ago, is the oldest record of the teaching of the Buddha. The word Pāli, now the name of a language, originally meant "text for recitation". In Pali, these texts are collectively referred to as Tipiṭaka, meaning the set of three baskets, and Buddhists consider them to be the "word of the Buddha". In English they are usually called the Pali Canon.

These texts have much to say on many aspects of human life, and are still guiding forces in contemporary life. Several of the texts underpin the mindfulness practices that have gained traction in modern times, and there are many ethical and moral teachings that can be applied in business, government, and everyday life.

Historical Significance

Just as the King James version of the Bible finally made the entire key text of Christianity available to the English speaking world, just so this project will complete work that has been ongoing over more than a century, like a final relay race runner crossing a historical finish line. We are indebted and profoundly grateful to all the translators who have worked so hard to get us this close and all the generous patrons who have supported their work. This project and those who made it possible will hopefully be remembered for hundreds of years as the project that completed a truly historic milestone in the history of religious literature.

The timing of this is also important, as Pali teaching is in decline in Anglophone countries. Within a generation we may not have the necessary skills to complete the Canon and the commentaries. We hope that our work here will encourage a renaissance of interest in the early records of the teachings of the Buddha.