Palm-Leaf Manuscripts as a Game Changer

Abstract

For over two millennia, palm-leaf manuscripts were instrumental in preserving and transmitting the teachings of the Buddha across generations. However, the challenges of preservation and the rapid advancements in modern technologies have gradually lessened their prominence.
Despite the widespread availability of printed Tipitaka editions, researchers frequently encounter “variant readings”—differing textual versions in identical passages. When scholarly opinions diverge, grammatical analysis alone is often insufficient to determine the correct reading. However, when we access primary sources or palm-leaf manuscripts, it allows for a more confident examination of these variants and the potential identification of “original readings.”
This article explores the background of the four main printed Tipitaka editions and details the selection and verification processes for palm-leaf manuscripts used in the Dhammachai Tipitaka Project. Through case studies such as “acela/acelaka,” “dukkhasamudayaṃ/dukkhasamudayo ariyasaccaṃ,” and “dukkhanirodhaṃ/dukkhanirodho ariyasaccaṃ,” the study concludes that “acela,” “dukkhasamudayaṃ ariyasaccaṃ,” and “dukkhanirodhaṃ ariyasaccaṃ” are strongly indicated as the original readings, demonstrating that palm-leaf manuscripts are an essential key for resolving ambiguities in comparative textual studies as “a game changer.”