Aspiration is the King

How did you become involved in the Kumarajiva Project?

It was through the KF-sponsored “Planning Workshop on the Cross-Translation of the Tibetan and Chinese Canons” held in Hong Kong in 2012, which discussed how to go about translating the texts missing from the Chinese and Tibetan canons. Rinpoche and the foundation asked me to coordinate the work related to the project, which was officially launched as the Kumarajiva Project only in 2019. When I accepted the task I didn’t realize the importance of this undertaking, nor how difficult it would be!

I remember Rinpoche saying at the launch ceremony of our collaboration with Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA) in Taiwan, “We should have started this 40 or 50 years ago.” Now, we also deeply feel the urgency of translating these precious texts.

Many dharma friends ask us why Rinpoche wants to translate Tibetan texts into Chinese when the Chinese canon is already so rich. In fact, it was only after we did a catalog comparison of the two canons that we realized that nearly 90 percent of the Mahayana treatises and tantric texts had not been translated into Chinese, which is a great pity.

How many texts have been translated to date? How are they selected?

Since our official launch in 2019, we have translated 36 sutras and Indian commentaries from the Tibetan canon into Chinese. Each translation is a labor of teamwork, crafted with meticulous care to ensure that the teachings of Buddhism resonate deeply with readers in both classical and modern Chinese.

The texts are mainly selected on the basis of the content’s significance in complementing the Chinese Buddhist tradition, such as Indian commentaries on the much-recited “Heart Sutra.” We also try to translate texts that provide direct guidance for lay practitioners on specific practices. For example, last year Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave a public teaching on “The Sutra on Wisdom at the Hour of Death” and two Indian commentaries. The newly translated “The Questions of Brahmadatta” explains the merits and benefits of genuine faith and sincere practice, as well as the pitfalls for hypocritical practitioners. This year, we aspire to translate three important Indian commentaries on “The King of Aspiration Prayers.”

What have been some of the challenges along the way?

One of our biggest challenges has been the scarcity of skilled Tibetan-Chinese translators. To address this, in 2021 we launched a rigorous training program to nurture a new generation of translators dedicated to preserving and sharing the timeless wisdom of Buddhist texts.

The other challenge is that we realize there is an urgent need to find a suitable “cup” for modern people so that they can taste the “good tea” of the classics. In the past few years, we tried to foster a deeper understanding of the translations and their relevance in today’s world among Chinese readers through workshops, recitations, art, audiobooks, and music. This year we are exploring new approaches so we can reach out to a bigger audience.

Can you tell us about any related events the Kumarajiva Project has organized over the last year?

Last October we partnered with the CBETA (Comprehensive Buddhist Electronic Text Archive) Foundation, a respected organization in the Chinese Mahayana tradition, to host a workshop titled “Wisdom-Led Buddhist Technology: Translation and Transmission of Buddhist Texts in the AI Era.” We were honored to have Professor Peter Skilling, an internationally renowned scholar of Sanskrit, Bahasa Indonesia, and Tibetan Buddhist texts, join us for a lecture on “Cross-Cultural Translation.” This collaboration marks a significant step in our mission to integrate artificial intelligence into the translation of Buddhist texts and the study of the dharma.

We were also very moved to host a recitation of “The Sutra on Dependent Arising” under the Bodhi Tree during the 2023 Dzongsar prayer festival in Bodhgaya.

One thing that gives us confidence and hope is that in this modern world, … the causes and conditions that support the reading and study of the texts is much better than it used to be a century ago. So therefore, if you are able to translate the words of the Buddha and make them accessible and available, people who are fortunate and have the karmic connection will greatly benefit, even if they are able to read sutras such as “The Sutra on Dependent Arising” just for a fraction of a second. … I make this aspiration under this Bodhi Tree that in the future “The Sutra on Dependent Arising,” which does not exist in Pali and Khmer, will be translated and will be read under this Bodhi Tree. — Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Bodhgaya, October 2023

You are also in charge of developing the curriculum of the translator-training program. What do you look for in your translators?

The trainees in the program are actually very rare in this day and age. They must possess a strong desire to translate the Buddhist canon, enjoy studying Buddhist texts, be committed to continuous improvement in Chinese, Tibetan, and Sanskrit, and balance these studies with their worldly responsibilities. Despite the program’s difficulty, we now have more than 20 very dedicated and talented students from all over the world.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I would like to thank Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for his constant encouragement—Rinpoche’s emphasis on the importance of the Kumarajiva Project makes us determined to do our best. I am also grateful to all the friends who have supported the project by volunteering their time, supporting us financially, or joining our online teachings. It is really the aspiration to serve more and more Chinese sangha members that has brought us together and keeps us going.