Maitripa College inaugurates a new tradition during its annual Monlam Prayer Festival – the “Opening of the Kangyur” – a reading from each of the Buddhist sutras in the corpus of teachings called the “Kangyur”. Students reading these texts range from one year of study to experienced translators working within the Maitripa translation group.  March 19, 2011




SPECIAL NOTICE:
CALLING ALL TRANSLATORS: AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YANGSI RINPOCHE

We are looking for advanced students in classical Tibetan (Sanskrit & Chinese scholars also needed) who are either acting translators or aspiring translators to apply to join Maitripa's reading/translation group with Yangsi Rinpoche that is forming beginning this Fall 2011. The group will work through texts with Yangsi Rinpoche, translations will be checked, edited, proofed, and then publication will be sought. The group will also be trained in basic translation theory and it will meet 1-2 times per week.

This is an incredible opportunity to read classic texts with a Geshe Lharampa and lineage holder, and to develop classical Tibetan translation skills. Texts will be translated primarily from Tibetan to English, but knowledge of other source languages or target languages welcome.

To Apply: Please send a preliminary letter of intent to Namdrol Miranda Adams by email - education@maitripa.org - outlining motivation, language education, and language/translation history. Applicants must have a solid background in classical Tibetan and knowledge of Buddhism. 

Opportunities to build skill in classical Tibetan at Maitripa College (click on the links for descriptions and to register for these courses::

TIB101: Introduction to Tibetan Language - offered Fall term 2011
TIB201: Intermediate Tibetan: Bridge to Translation - offered Fall term 2011


CLASSICAL TIBETAN LANGUAGE STUDIES AT MAITRIPA COLLEGE

Maitripa College encourages all students to develop skills in reading, understanding and working with a wide range of classical texts in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Studying texts in their original language is a core of traditional religious studies, and to that end, Maitripa College is committed to developing a program of excellence in Tibetan language.

Beginning from the alphabet, with an early emphasis on pronunciation and reading aloud, students will progress to foundations of grammar, all while building fluency with vocabulary drawn from the texts and traditions studied in philosophy and meditation courses. Students in the MA program will have the ability to refer directly to sources written in Classical Tibetan, and will have familiarity with philosophical, historical, and literary genres. Students also have the opportunity to master the fundamentals of translation methodology, and to work closely in translation seminars with Yangsi Rinpoche.


Classical Tibetan language study is foundational for the dharma practitioner wishing to engage in prayers, rituals and meditations in the original languages, for the student and scholar preparing for graduate work or research, for those interested in meeting the growing need for translators of the canon and commentaries, and those with an interest in the entirety of Tibetan studies from philosophy and ritual to medicine, literature, history and culture.

A minimum of one year of classical Tibetan study at Maitripa is required in the MA degree curriculum, and is encouraged for MDiv students. Tibetan language classes are also open to Continuing Education students.

Please see the course catalogue for all Tibetan course descriptions.

Click here for FALL 2011 classes and registration.


Tibet’s Literary and Textual Traditions

Tibetan language texts date back at least as early as the eighth century, when teams of scholar-translators secured the importation and adoption of Buddhism from India through their translation of key Sanskrit texts. In fact, Tibet has, in these translations, preserved ancient Indian Buddhist knowledge subsequently lost in the Buddha’s homeland.

Tibetan Buddhist culture highly values physical texts as symbolic of the words of the Buddha himself, as well as the venerated commentaries and collected speech of lineages of teachers. Tibet’s centuries-old printing press technology, still employed today (alongside digital projects), entails carving texts in mirror-image script into woodblocks, which are then inked and pressed onto handmade paper. Folios of loose pages are held together wrapped in cloths, as you can see in the Maitripa Jokhang and Library. Woodblocks were stored in regional and local printing presses which are treated just like temples, and printed texts are sacred and essential components of practice places from hermitage shrines to monastic assembly halls.

The Tibetan literary corpus features extensive philosophical treatises and meditation practice scriptures, but also includes copious works in the fields of history, medicine, astrology, biography, grammar, poetics, geography and folk culture songs, epics and tales. It is impossible today to know what percentage of Tibetan texts have been permanently lost to the tragedies of the 20th century, but it is estimated that less than ten percent of extant Tibetan texts have been translated into Western languages!



Tibetan Course Resources:

Buddhist Philosophy:
Losang Gonchok's Short Commentary to Jamyang Shayba's Root Text on Tenets,
by Daniel Cozort and Craig Preston  
(Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications)

How to Read Classical Tibetan:
Volume One: A Summary of the General Path
by Craig Preston
(Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications)

How to Read Classical Tibetan:
Volume Two: Buddhist Tenets
by Craig Preston
(Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications)


CLASSICAL TIBETAN SUMMER INTENSIVE with CRAIG PRESTON!
(in progress in 2011 ~ registration is closed for this summer)


CLASSICAL TIBETAN SUMMER INTENSIVE is an opportunity for students of all ages to cover First Year Classical Tibetan in eight weeks. Instruction is based on the approach developed at the University of Virginia by Jeffrey Hopkins, using Joe Wilson’s Translating Buddhism from Tibetan, supplemented with additional materials developed by Craig Preston, author of How To Read Classical Tibetan, Vols. I and II.

This class is for beginning students of Classical Tibetan or for those who wish a systematic and thorough review. The course starts with the alphabet and pronunciation, then rapidly moves on to words and particles. We will then learn how Classical Tibetan signifies meaning using Appendix Four on Verbs, Appendix Five on Case Particles and Declension, and Appendix Seven on Lexical and Syntactic Particles in Joe Wilson’s Translating Buddhism from Tibetan. Finally, we will read the Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Tsong-kha-pa (1357-1419), supplemented with a short commentary by Dngul Chu Dharma Bhadra (1772-1851).

This is an excellent foundation for students applying to or entering MA or Ph.D. programs in Buddhist Studies as well as a rare opportunity for students seeking a knowledge of Classical Tibetan for their personal study and practice.

>CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE FULL SYLLABUS FOR THIS CLASS (PDF FORMAT)


Maitripa College Credit: The complete summer intensive course is the equivalent of Maitripa College’s Tibetan 101 and Tibetan 102 courses, and, when taken for credit, satisfies the MA degree requirement for a minimum of one year of classical Tibetan language study.


Instructor: Craig Preston is an internationally known teacher of Classical Tibetan and author of three books. Educated at the University of Virginia under the renowned scholar Jeffery Hopkins, Preston has taught Classical Tibetan for twenty years. He currently teaches Classical Tibetan and Buddhist philosophy in the Asian Studies Program at the University at Buffalo. He is also adjunct faculty at the Namgyal Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, NY.


Dates: June 13, 2011 - August 12, 2011
One week break from July 11-15

Tentative class schedule:
Classes meet 4 days a week/4 hours
a day; 128 total contact hours
M, T, TH, F ~ 4 hours per day (two two-hour classes), with Wed, Sat, & Sun off.

Cost and Credit Options: $2,512 for academic credit students (8 credits); $1,950 for non-credit students.

Non-credit students are expected to meet all course requirements for preparation, attendance, and participation, but will not be issued a transcript, nor transfer credit towards a degree at Maitripa College.

Payment:  Payment may be made in full at time of registration or by $250 deposit to hold your space, with the balance payable in 2 equal installments by May 15 and June 15 ($1,131 each for credit students and $850 each for non-credit students). You may pay online by credit card or by check or money order.

Refund/drop policy: Before April 15: Deposit and tuition fully refundable; April 15-June 12: Tuition 75% refundable; From June 12 forward: No refunds

Housing Assistance: Click here for general information on the Portland area, and please contact Maitripa for assistance in locating housing if you are traveling to the area for the summer: studentservices@maitripa.org

LOCATION | CONTACTS | VISIT

Maitripa College | 1119 SE Market Street | Portland, Oregon USA 97214 | phone: 503-235-2477 | email: info@maitripa.org | fax: 503-231-6408