Intention – Tsadra Conferences

Conference 2017 Welcome Speeches

Marcus Perman — Tue, 01 May 2018 05:25:13 +0000

The opening ceremony of the 2017 Translation and Transmission Conference was introduced with speeches from Eric Colombel (President and Founder of the Tsadra Foundation), Chuck Lief (President of the Naropa University), and Valerio Ferme (Associate Dean for the Arts and Humanities of the University of Colorado). The conference was held at the University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, and attended by more than 250 translators, scholars, and practitioners representing over forty-five translation groups and sanghas and thirty-five universities around the world.

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.

The Translator’s Intention: Motivation, Intended Impact, and Why They Matter

Marcus Perman — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:40:34 +0000

This open discussion session focused on the themes of intention and motivation. Thomas Doctor and Eric Colombel facilitated the exploration of many topics the audience brought, including questions such as: What are the assumptions and expectations about reading audience? As a translator, do you feel the need to be clear and transparent about our background, perspectives, influences, and agenda? If so, how do you address that? What are we trying to reach in the readers? Cognitive understanding? Inspiration? Aesthetic enrichment? Somatic responses? Visionary opening? How do you assess the success of a translation?

Translation for the Sake of Self and Other

Marcus Perman — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 04:59:53 +0000

In the search of where the true text resides and how translations will be transmitted to students and practitioners in the future, Professor Cabezón notes the importance of the social, economic, and political contexts in which Buddhist text arose and the contemporary circumstances in which we find ourselves as it relates to study and practice of Buddhism in the West. Then with characteristic humor and levity, Professor Cabezón encourages translators to embrace the art of decision-making in the unique method of self-study that is translation. Thanks to Maitripa College, you can read a transcript of the speech here.

Conference 2014 Opening Remarks

Marcus Perman — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 03:28:57 +0000

Vice President of Tsadra Foundation, Lama Drupgyu Anthony Chapman, welcomes all the participants and reflects on the long journeys of many of the translators and practitioners present at this historic opening of the 2014 Translation & Transmission Conference.

Traduttore, Traditore: The Role of the Translator

Marcus Perman — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 03:13:11 +0000

“Traduttore, Traditore” is an Italian adage that means “translator, traitor.” In this panel on the roles of translators, translators of the Tibetan tradition mingle with scholars of Buddhism and discuss a range of topics from the possibility of the invisibility of the translator and the role of real-time interpreters to philosophical ideas about representation.

Evening Event with Robert Thurman

Marcus Perman — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 08:59:02 +0000

Robert Thurman, activist-scholar-practitioner and pioneer of Tibetan studies and Buddhist studies in the academy, shares his eclectic, joyous, and encouraging thoughts to the audience of translators about the state of Tibetan Buddhism’s transmission to our ever-evolving Western society.

Interview with Alak Zenkar Rinpoche

Marcus Perman — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 17:00:54 +0000

Wulstan Fletcher interviews Alak Zenkar Rinpoche about his experience finding, editing, and publishing rare texts.

Conference 2014 Closing Session

Marcus Perman — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 06:50:51 +0000

Thupten Jinpa closes the 2014 Translation & Transmission Conference with a summary of important themes emerging from the four days of thoughtful interaction. Broadly, these include translation, transmission, and the combination of the two, and most significantly, the developing sense of community among those working diligently to present Tibetan Buddhism to the West.