What does genuine transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the west look like? How can we be active participants in this process? What role do translators and Western teachers have in this globalized process? What is transmission, really? Two Western teachers and two translators will discuss all these issues and more in this wonderful meeting of minds.
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.
This special session follows from ongoing discussions among teachers and translators of Tibetan Buddhism in the west who are concerned with issues of transmission, teaching, and translating. This session will be a chance to explore some of these important questions with people from various organizations from around the world that have thought deeply about transmission and translation: What are the issues in teaching Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world? How do we balance integrity of tradition with the modern context? How does the availability of translations inform the process of transmission? When is it appropriate to use modern or secularized […]
