[p. I] Preface to Volume III

The editors are pleased to present the first fascicle of CPD Vol. III, the publication of which has been made possible by grants from Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, Tokyo; Reiyukai, Tokyo; Pali Text Society, London; Académie Des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Paris; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris; Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien, Stockholm; Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien. As is well known, the former main sponsors of the CPD, the Carlsberg Foundation and the Danish Research Council for the Humanities, terminated their sponsorship in 1991 with the publication of the last part of the vowel section of the dictionary. Since it became clear that the CPD would have to be discontinued unless it proved possible to raise money enough for its continuation, members of the Danish Commission for A Critical Pāli Dictionary as well as interested scholars from Japan, England, France, Sweden, and Austria have succeeded in finding new sponsors for the CPD, who are interested in granting the means necessary to ensure its continuation. At this important juncture in the history of the dictionary the new sponsors have promised grants sufficient for financing the project for a period of ten years. The CPD project would thus seem to be financially secured for a sufficient period of time to make considerable progress with the publication of the dictionary. The present fascicle, introducing the comprehensive consonant section of the CPD, is to be followed each year by a new fascicle of about 65-80 pages, every five fascicles constituting one volume. It is thus hoped that CPD Vol. III and IV will be completed in ten years' time.

The editors plan to publish addenda and corrigenda for Vol. I and II, including a new Epilegomena, before CPD Vol. III is finalized. From CPD III.1 onward the users of the dictionary are kindly asked to refer to H. BECHERT, Abkürzungsverzeichnis zur buddhistischen Literatur in Indien und Südostasien, Göttingen 1990, for abbreviations that are not found in the abbreviation lists published in the Epilegomena (1948) and in CPD III.1.

Since the CPD project was revived in 1958 a considerable number of Pāli scholars have contributed articles to the CPD, thus making it possible to continue the publication of the dictionary. However, the success of the CPD has to a large extent been dependent upon its successive Editors-in-Chief, F. MØLLER-KRISTENSEN, L. ALSDORF, and K. R. NORMAN, as well as upon the continuous efforts of ELSE PAULY in keeping the CPD office in Copenhagen afloat. Without their work for the benefit of the project the editors would not have been in a position to carry on editing and publishing the CPD.