The Dharmachakra Center for Translation and Translation Studies was founded in 2011 with the mission of establishing the translation of Buddhist texts as a core activity at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California.  Inspired by the great importance Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche has placed on translation, the Center has been is dedicated to the translating the words of the Buddha and Buddhist masters, training future translators and encouraging dialogue between the traditional and academic scholars of Buddhist studies.

The Dharmachakra Translation Center is committed to facilitating the translation of classic Buddhist Texts from their original languages.  We provide and manage facilities where resident and visiting translators may comfortably stay and work on their translation projects, either individually or in collaboration.  The Center also serves as the US office of the Kathmandu-based Dharmachakra Translation Committee, founded by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.  The Center is directed by members of the Dharmachakra Translation Committee and has served as residence during their translation work.  To date, the following texts have been translated in part or in full at the Dharmachakra Translation Center:

• The Play in Full, a life story of the Buddha (a contribution to the 84000 project).
• The Mahāmāyā Tantra  (a contribution to the 84000 project).
• Rich in Qualities, a commentary on the Mahāmāyā Tantra by Ratnākaraśānti.
• The Tantra of the Blue-clad Vajrapāni (a contribution to the 84000 project).
• A Concise Daily Liturgy for Offering the Body, a chöd practice from the Chokling Tersar Tradition (forthcoming).
• Entering into the Non-conceptual, a Mahāyāna Sūtra  (forthcoming from the 84000 project)

Beyond simply benefiting translators, our goal is to create a translation community woven into the fabric of the Rangjung Yeshe Gomde community.  The Center’s translators take an active role in all aspects of Gomde’s activities and are available and accessible to the entire community.

As part of our commitment to advancing the study of translation, the Dharmachakra Translation Center runs the Dharmachakra School of Translation.  In this intensive program interns work alongside translators from the Dharmachakra Translation Committee on active translation projects and gain hands-on experience working in a collaborative environment to develop their abilities to read and translate Tibetan texts and acquire the skills necessary to undertake their own translation work.  The program also includes an oral-interpreter training component where students improve their abilities to understand spoken Dharma teachings in Tibetan as a step towards gaining the abilities necessary for oral interpreting. Interns also attend talks led by Rangjung Yeshe Gomde’s resident Lamas, attend programs with our visiting teachers, and participate in the center’s daily meditation practices.

The program runs for six weeks every summer and is open to qualified students of any background.  For more information and to apply visit the program page.

The union of the traditional and academic study of Buddhism is the cornerstone of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s engagement with the West.  With the aspiration to sustain this vision the Dharmachakra Translation Center strives to cultivate dialogue between traditional and Western scholars of Buddhism by hosting seminars and study retreats and otherwise making the facilities of the Center open to scholars of all backgrounds working in Buddhist Studies.  We also host a series of lectures throughout the year on the history, culture and art of the Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.  Please refer to the Gomde program calendar for our upcoming events.

The Dharmachakra Translation Center was founded by two long-time students of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Catherine Dalton and Ryan Damron.  Both have been members of the Dharmachakra Translation Committee since its inception and have contributed to a number of its publications.  Catherine spent the last ten years at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu where she has served as an oral translator and language instructor.  She is currently a PhD student in Buddhist Studies at UC Berkeley.  Ryan lived and studied in Kathmandu for 10 years during which time he taught Tibetan at the Centre for Buddhist Studies.  He is now pursuing a PhD in Sanskrit at UC Berkeley.

Questions?  Please contact us at dtcgomde@gmail.com.