Pali MS in Maha-Sarakham report

Here is a brief report on my findings in Maha-Sarakham, Thailand.

The manuscript collection is both catalogued and accessible.  Its size
is reported as "roughly 1,000", however, only 41 bundles are in Pali
(less than one half of 1 percent).  The Pali texts are kept in a
separate cupboard, and a list of their titles occupies only a single
page.

The collection owes its existence to a small number of enterprising
monks (most or all of whom are now deceased and memorialized
accordingly) and the MS remain the legal property of "Maha-Chai"
temple (actually pronounced "Wat Mahaa-Sai") but, in fact, are shared
between the temple property and three campuses belonging to two
universities.

All three of these campuses were worth visiting (for someone of my
interests) --but they are separated by significant geographic
distances (seeming like separate cities).

Some description of the universities and facilities will be of
practical value, and so follows:
   * The two universities are "Rajapak" (to which name the toponym
"Maha-Sarakham" is often added) and "Maha-Sarakham University" proper,
contracted to "MSU".
   * Rajapak has the smaller facility for MS studies, however, both
their offices and the small museum displaying both MS and a few
statues and stones are very charming (moreso than the larger
campuses).  I met and spoke with two professors, the more senior of
whom is the Prof. Emeritus Pratuan Bunbpok, who described their
current work as translating Issan-Buhan and "Tai-Noi" texts into
modern Thai; I surmise that they may comprise the entire MS-staff for
that department, but (by Canadian standards) this is neither small nor
insignificant. They directed me to the larger campuses' departments
regarding Pali, and were quite helpful.  They were the only professors
to test me, confronting me with a mixed (nissaya) text in old Lao-Tham
script, which I correctly "sussed out" to their delight.
   * MSU ("Maha-Sarakham University" per se) has an "old campus" (1 km
from Rajapak) and a "new campus" (perhaps more than 15 km from the
former) --both are a withering distance away from the city of
Maha-Sarakham (on the road to Kalasin), requiring that you decode the
system of busses (yellow truck-busses connect the old campus to the
new, and blue truck-busses connect to the city).  The total number of
students exceeds 20,000, and the new campus is built on the "American
Suburban" model of architecture (viz., heroic in scale, antagonistic
in its layout).
   * The "Issan culture hall" ("Hoh Sinh", viz., "Hoh Silapa") is a
massive edifice on the old campus, with an "information centre" on the
second floor, flanked by another (larger) musem, very nicely
displaying both MS, old stones, and traditional wicker-ware.  There is
a secretary of sorts here, who can contact and direct you to the
department you are actually seeking (not easily found).
   * The offices of the "Bai-Lan" (MS) department are on the new
campus, and fairly well hidden in an unremarkable concrete leviathan
of a building (this is a contrast to the relative charm of buildings
previously mentioned, Rajapak having blossoming "Dok Champa" trees
around its MS offices).
   * To add to the confusion, MSU also has a Museum _per se_, which is
actually much less of a museum than any of the aforementioned (just
displaying recreations of traditional wood architecture and implements
for hunting, weaving, etc.), but is a very nice place to sit in the
shade and watch the peacocks at the zoo.  I would be remiss if I did
not mention that it features possibly the nicest bathrooms in the
continent of Asia.  At this Museum I met the young professor Apichat
(nicknamed "Dtoh") who studies old vernacular literature.  A
considerable number of MS are housed at this Museum, too (catalogued
on the same system).
   * Further MS are found in affiliated collections in Loi-Et and
Kalasin, catalogued at MSU (they do not seem to have extended their
system to include Yasothon).

MSU requires all of its MS/Thai-literature students to learn
rudimentary Pali (viz., the alphabet and a few broad generalizations)
and, accordingly, there is one professor of Pali given the un-enviable
task of enforcing this policy for hundreds of undergraduate students a
year, who must learn this "bare minimum" (and likely will do less than
that).

This professor is Samay Vanaudorn.

Samay appeared to be about the same age as myself (viz., under 30) and
seemed to me a highly intelligent, highly capable man, with a
compendious knowledge of local history (the latter is rare).  I did
not test his ability in Pali, nor did he test mine.

As with everyone I spoke to, he remarked (after I described my current
project) that the study of Kaccayana was indeed extremely important,
but that nobody bothered to undertake it, as the system set up by Rama
V was easier, and led to rather more earthly rewards for those who
complied with it.

He reported that one of the great (but deceased) monks had carefully
examined all of the Kaccayana MS encountered, and had assembled at
least one that was entirely complete.  He provided me with the
citation details for a Kaccayana MS (with an uncertain degree of Lao
translation) running to fully 17 bundles, which purports itself to be
over 500 years old.  Certainly, 200-year-old MS are common in the
collection (perhaps reflecting a certain period of pillaging that I
will not digress to describe from Thai history) so this is not
entirely impossible --but I did not see the MS in question.

I would assume that even a 300 year old Kacc. would be of interest
--especially if the Lao commentary were any good.

I expressed my concern about the theft of MS, and they showed me
photographs of several of the security measures they had undertaken,
which included (e.g.) building towers to house the MS to which there
were no stairs whatsoever.  They also reported that while many guilded
MS-covers and cases had been stolen in the past, the leaves as such
were rarely (if ever) stolen; the thieves preferred to take the wood
and gold, then leave the text as a mess upon the floor.  I have not
heard this reported before.

Further on Kacc.: they reported that one temple around Ubon R. (closer
to Cambodia, on the S.E. of the Issan Plateau) had attempted a revival
of Kacc. scholarship some 70-80 years ago (the tradition has been dead
for at least 200 years, if it ever was alive here); one of the
memorable aspects of this tradition was requiring the monks to sleep
with their heads on cocoanut-shells.  Soon after they drifted off to
sleep, their heads would slip off of the (unsteady and uncomfortable)
shells, and they would return to study.

They also described to me a period of six months under the reign of
Rama the 8th (viz., with Phibun as generalissimo) during which
Lao-Tham MS were burned in pyres.  This purge of Pali MS lasted (as
stated) for only six months, but was devastating, and they said that
only a small number of old MS were saved by monks who hid them from
the authorities.  This was part of the enforced-assimilation policies
of the day (for which there was some precedent, albeit less violent,
under Rama 6th) --evidently an historical episode of extreme
significance, but one that I have never read mentioned in any source.

Now it is hardly surprising that this would be deleted from official
Thai historiography, which is a shameless fiction (I had to laugh when
one of the museums here described the incineration and looting of
Vientiane as Royal "influence extending to Vientiane" --influential
indeed!) --but nothing I have read deals with this, and it is
obviously of importance to understanding the period in both countries
(Lao & Thailand) --and may even shed light on the untimely death of
Rama 8th himself (about which almost nothing specific ever dares be
written).

Wat Maha-Chai itself is situated within the city of Maha-Sarakham
(rather far from all of the other locations mentioned) within walking
distance of the bus-station and the obligatory Tesco-Lotus shopping
mall.

The more scholarly monks were away at the time of our visit (viz.,
examining MS in nearby Kalasin) and the one monk we spoke with was
helpful in allowing us to unwrap, examine, and re-wrap three MS, but
who repeated many of the common misunderstandings as to exactly what
Pali is.

There is cofusion here (as everywhere) as to how Phasa-Pali,
Phasa-Tham, and old vernaculars overlap.

The university and temple have a cooperative programme to educate
local children in reading and writing using the ancient "Tham" script
--albeit for the vernacular.  They had a few drawings by the children
with Tham-script text, basically used to state modern Lao.

Those who visit the temple first will be disappointed, as all of the
required resources are at the University, and they will be directed to
use the cataloge there; further, the temple itself is neither
beautiful nor outwardly remarkable --one could easily wander through
it without guessing that it had any such collection at all.  It
features the usual concrete architecture of modern Thailand,
"decorated" with cartoonish statues of animals (zebras, lions, etc.)
and other flotsam and jetsam.

In explanation as to why nobody could read Pali, and nobody was
learning or teaching Pali at this temple, the monk remarked that it
didn't matter, as the entire Pali canon had been translated into Lao.
This is not true, but it is remarkable that some people believe it
(inclduing a vague remark from Dr. Dr. Harald Hundius in D. Wharton's
book).  He indicated to us a valut labelled as containing a complete
"Dipidok" (Tripitaka) in Lao translation of 200 years' vintage; in
fact, it contains a miscellany of vernacular MS, having nothing in
common (viz., neither a "translation" nor "complete") except that they
may all be roughly said to be 200 years old.  I unwrapped two from
this casket --neither had a word of Pali in them (and I doubt that
their content has much to do with the Tipitaka).

The collection is kept in a massive room with a valuted cieling, and
(entirely necessary) electrical fans.  Small desks and chairs are
available.

This report contains only the information I consider to be most useful
--and perhaps sounds dismal for that reason.  I am in fact very
optimistic about the environs (both academic and otherwise) and will
seriously consider relocating to the area after I complete my work in
Bokeo province (Laos).

For those who are not monks (or not yet monks) I now feel that I must
mention that Maha-Sarakham is the only university town I have ever
visited in Thailand in which the prohibition against short skirts and
tight blouses has, in fact, succeeded.  In contrast to every other
University I have seen here, the absence of shocking attire was itself
shocking. I do not know if this reflects a lack of rebellious spirit
among the female students here (who are the great majority) or if they
exercise this spirit by means more subversive.

E.M.