Anne Klein – Tsadra Conferences

Literary & Liturgical Representations of Women & the Feminine

Gwen Witt Dorring — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:12:00 +0000

Dynamics of Devotion

Migmar Lama — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 08:14:53 +0000

Andrew Quintman (Wesleyan), Lara Braitstein (McGill), Heidi Nevin (Independent), Anne Klein (Rice), Holly Gayley (University of Colorado, Boulder), and Annabella Pitkin (Lehigh) take on the topic of devotion in translation. Annabella Pitkin skillfully facilitates discussion focused on three themes: literary and embodied devotion, translation as an act of devotion, and the cultural translation of devotion. Regarding the first, the group considers what terms are particularly difficult to unpack in English, posing questions like, “How does language serve to dictate devotion?”, and, “How does literature and its utterance help mediate the distance between subject and object?” While translators are positioned as well-intentioned authorities, translation as an act of devotion relates to the ethos of the translator approaching the translation of devotional literature and how translators might perform their craft in service to particular communities of practice. Finally, the panel discusses how to translate a concept like devotion across language communities and cultural differences acknowledging the role of the translator to guide or teach based on his or her choices. These topics elicit enthusiastic participation from the audience and a lively discussion ensues.

Translators and Intention

Marcus Perman — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 04:54:14 +0000

This first panel on the first day of the conference addressed questions related to translators and intention and the discussion ranged from Karl Brunnhölzl’s investigation of the art of “non-dual syntax” to Heidi Nevin’s insightful reflections on lineage and why we translate. Wulstan Fletcher of Padmakara Translation Group discussed the needs of target readers and the larger question of why and for whom do we translate, while Anne Klein shared her thoughts on the resonance and sometimes apparent tension between translation and transmission.

Translating the Languages of Contemplative Experience: rdzogs chen dang phyag rgya chen po

Marcus Perman — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 06:00:33 +0000

In this panel, we draw on our respective explorations of translating Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) and Mahamudra (phyag rgya chen po) texts. Our hope is that you will come away from this session with an enriched tool-kit for your own work. The central thesis we will explore is that because these texts rise from and speak to experience in multiple ways, effective translation must be sensitive to experience on multiple registers. In particular, we look at the challenges of translation from three different experiential perspectives:

Using the rhythms of speech to find grammar and wordings through which an English translation evokes experiences similar to those evoked by the original Tibetan.
Paying attention to the experiences elicited by a translation and what to do with that information.
Exploring the diverse contexts of contemplative practices against the background of their lived worlds to better translate the forms of life of contemplative practices and experiences.

Conference 2017 Closing Session

Marcus Perman — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 03:52:29 +0000

“Love, Gratitude, Inspiration” – Anne Carolyn Klein describes the meeting of minds and provides a heartfelt closing to the 2017 Translation & Transmission Conference.

Transmission: Authenticity and Transformation

Marcus Perman — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 03:09:13 +0000

As curators of context, translators create and manage the ongoing, multifaceted process of transmission through their work. Panelists explore this process from varied angles. Ringu Tulku articulates the view of transmission from the Tibetan tradition speaking about empowerment, transmission, and instruction while David Germano highlights the importance of the perpetual responsibility of translators when considering both temporal and atemporal spaces. Relationship and interconnection feature prominently in Anne Klein’s talk and John Canti focuses on the translator as the creator of context so that transmission is properly received.

Translating Sadhanas and Rituals

Marcus Perman — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 14:05:23 +0000

Discussing the translation of the genre of sadhana and ritual materials, presenters consider particular challenges and rewards. Stephen Gethin talks about accuracy and precision as they relate to sadhana readership and considers the demand for chantability of the ritual texts in English. Anne Klein follows this by considering the somatic and cognitive experience of practice, melody as transmission, and the possible trade-offs in the process. Larry Mermelstein speaks about specific choices in translation that elicit somatic experience during the practice of sadhana and ritual.