The first meeting in the Translation & Transmission Conference series was held in the snowy peaks above 9,000 feet at the Keystone Conference Center amongst the bright fall colors of Colorado’s famous quaking aspens. Over two-hundred translators, practitioners, and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism traveled from around the world to share three days together in the mountains.
Attendees reported that the meeting was a place for openly sharing knowledge, building connections amongst translation groups, scholars, and practitioners, and learning from peers. Some people deepened their connections and commitments to translating and transmitting Tibetan Buddhism to the West while others made connections for the first time and began projects that continue to this day.

On the first day of the conference, the group was treated to a special talk by a translator from outside of the Tibetan Buddhist world, Princeton professor of translation David Bellos, who reminded all translators everywhere to “be kind to your reader.” This concept of kindness spread throughout the rest of the conference and lead to positive discussion.
By the second day, after an amazing evening event with Robert Thurman, a sense of community was growing and a moment was taken to reflect and recognize Sidney Piburn, creator of Snow Lion Publications, with a lifetime achievement award. There was also a special evening event with Jeffrey Hopkins and on the final day, deeper discussions were just getting started, as exemplified in the fantastic presentations on the plenary panel “Translation and Transmission: Authenticity & Myth Creation” with Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Don Lopez, Wulstan Fletcher, Jules Levinson, and Daniel Hirshberg.
Thupten Jinpa closed the conference with a wonderful summary of the important themes, including translation, transmission, the combination of the two, and most significantly, the developing sense of community among those working diligently to present Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

The Conference Steering Committee
The Steering Committee meets regularly in the years leading up to each conference, designing meetings that will be inclusive of all traditions and approaches to the translation and transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Comprised of international representatives from some of the most well-established translation groups and university programs, these master translators have more than 300 years of combined experience translating the Tibetan language. The committee itself represents the community building effort at the heart of the conference series.
Thupten Jinpa (Institute of Tibetan Classics)
Elizabeth Callahan (Tsadra Foundation)
John Canti (Padmakara Translation Group & 84000)
Wulstan Fletcher (Padmakara Translation Group & Tsadra Foundation)
Holly Gayley (University of Colorado, Boulder)
Sarah Harding (Naropa University & Tsadra Foundation)
Marcus Perman (Tsadra Foundation)

The 2014 Conference Revisited
Thursday, October 2, 2014
WELCOME DAY
12:30 PM
Welcome Lunch for Speakers and Moderators
6:30 PM
Welcome Reception and Speeches with Eric Colombel
Friday, October 3, 2014
DAY ONE
8:30 AM
Opening Remarks by Anthony Chapman
9:00 AM
Keynote Lecture: Be Kind to Your Reader
11:00 AM
Plenary Session 1: Translation: Theory and Praxis
2:00 PM
Plenary Session 2: Traduttore, Traditore: The Role of the Translator
4:30 PM
Workshops
- Translating Biographical and Historical Materials
- Translating Philosophical Materials A
- Translating Spiritual Instructions
- Translating Vajrayana Commentarial Materials
- Translating Canonical Materials: Sutra
8:00 PM
Evening Event with Robert Thurman
Saturday, October 4, 2014
DAY TWO
9:00 AM
Keynote Lecture: Questions about Transmission and Translation
10:30 AM
Plenary Session 3: Transmission: Authenticity and Transformation
2:00 AM
Plenary Session 4: Scholars, Translators, Practitioners: What is Our Role in Transmission
4:30 PM
Workshops:
- Translating Canonical Materials: Tantra
- Translating Poetic and Inspirational Materials
- Translating Philosophical Materials B
- Translating Sadhanas and Rituals
- Translating Abhidharma Materials
8:00 PM
Evening Event with Jeffrey Hopkins
Sunday, October 5, 2014
DAY THREE
9:00 AM
Plenary Session 5: Translation and Transmission
11:30 AM
Interview: with Alak Zenkar Rinpoche
1:00 PM
Concluding Address by Thupten Jinpa
Speakers and Facilitators
Search speakers details

Richard Barron (Chokyi Nyima)
Tsadra Foundation Fellow

Karl Brunnhölzl
Nitartha Translation Network

Jeffrey Hopkins
UMA Institute for Tibetan Studies

Tom Tillemans
University of Lausanne; 84000

Janet Gyatso
Harvard University

John Canti
Padmakara Translation Group; 84000

Gavin Kilty
Institute of Tibetan Classics; FPMT

Thomas Doctor
Dharmachakra Translation Committee

David Bellos
Princeton University

Kurtis Schaeffer
University of Virginia

Ringu Tulku
Bodhicharya International

Sarah Harding
Tsadra Foundation Fellow; Naropa University

Donald Lopez, Jr.
University of Michigan

Roger Jackson
Carleton College, Emeritus

John Dunne
Emory University

Thupten Jinpa
Institute of Tibetan Classics

Larry Mermelstein
Nālandā Translation Committee

Christian Bernert
Chödung Karmo Translation Group; IBA

Lama Chonam
Light of Berotsana

Catherine Dalton
Dharmachakra Translation Committee; UC Berkeley

Dan Martin
Independent

Klaus-Dieter Mathes
University of Vienna

Peter Alan Roberts
Independent

Andrew Quintman
Yale University

Holly Gayley
University of Colorado, Boulder

Amelia Hall
Naropa University

Karma Lekshe Tsomo
University of California, San Diego

Tyler Dewar
Nitartha Translation Network

David Gray
Santa Clara University

Tom Yarnall
AIBS; Columbia University

Wulstan Fletcher
Padmakara Translation Group; Tsadra Foundation Fellow

Gyurme Dorje
Tsadra Foundation Fellow; 84000

David Germano
University of Virginia

Anthony Chapman
Tsadra Foundation (Vice-President and Director of Contemplative Scholarships)

Alak Zenkar Rinpoche
Nyingmapa scholar; Columbia University

Alex Berzin
The Berzin Archives

Art Engle
Tsadra Foundation Fellow

Ian Coghlan
Institute of Tibetan Classics; Monash Sophis

Dorji Wangchuk
Khyentse Center for Tibetan Buddhist Textual Scholarship; University of Hamburg

Stephen Gethin
Padmakara Translation Group; Tsadra Foundation Fellow

Elizabeth Callahan
Tsadra Foundation Fellow

Robert Thurman
AIBS; Columbia University

Anne Klein
Rice University

Sara McClintock
Emory University

Jacob Dalton
University of California, Berkeley

Willa Miller
Harvard University

Christian Wedemeyer
University of Chicago

Andreas Doctor
Dharmachakra Translation Committee

Sangye Khandro
Light of Berotsana

Douglas Duckworth
Temple University

Jules Levinson
UMA Institute for Tibetan Studies

Eric Colombel
Tsadra Foundation (President and Founder)
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