Translating Texts and Teachings

To translate exactly as the lama has said from beginning to end is extremely difficult. Even if the translator is very good, it is extremely difficult and quite rare for there to be not the slightest mistake. Some people might be good at translating texts, but when it comes to colloquial language, it might be difficult for them to translate correctly. Even some professors who are great teachers, when it comes to colloquial language, find it difficult to understand everything.

It is very important for the teacher, the Tibetan geshe, to examine the translator and also to ask the students questions, to see what they have understood. Then they can tell whether the students have got the right explanation or not, when they listen to how it comes back to them. They can get some idea whether the students have got the correct explanation or not. Their answers may be incorrect, but still it becomes clear if they haven’t received the complete explanation.

There are many different reasons why it is important to learn the Tibetan language. One has so much freedom to study all the commentaries in Tibetan, and you can also learn from a Tibetan lama directly without a translator, especially for the philosophical teachings. Of course, if there is either a precise translation from the translator or direct explanation from the teacher, there is no question about that. But sometimes I see the Dharma is more difficult to understand in English than in Tibetan. In some cases, it is not clearer and easier, but more difficult in English than in Tibetan.

In Tibetan, everything is in the past tense, that such and such happened. For example, “clouds of offerings appeared and were offered” and so forth. In English, this is always translated in the present tense, as “clouds of offerings appear and are offered” and so on. So, in Tibetan it’s happened and finished, and you move on to the next thing, but in English it’s still happening, so you never get to finish even one sadhana. It takes a whole lifetime just to do one sadhana!

My very dear one,
Thank you for kindly and compassionately existing in this world, helping sentient beings and, of course, helping the buddhas and bodhisattvas. I was shocked to hear that there were six Sanskrit texts of Arya Sanghata Sutra. I heard there are two Chinese translations, one is quite different to the original.

What I would like to comment on is what you said about the original Sanskrit being developed more and more over time. I can understand this happening if it is for the purpose of clarifying the text, if it was hard to understand in its original form. If it is for this purpose I can understand.

Also, one needs to check if the translators were known, great holy beings and scholars, or whether they were just ordinary beings. The Arya Sanghata Sutra is not like a root text with commentary, like the five main texts studied in the monasteries that have different commentaries by the great holy Indian pandits. And it is not like the situation with Sera, Ganden, and Drepung monasteries having different authors of debating texts, and from time to time there are contradictions or different explanations, but none of these contradictions or different explanations are obstacles to achieving enlightenment, to actualizing the path.

These days some people make their own commentaries on a text, not following the meaning. I think it is best to see which Sanskrit text was used by great Tibetan lamas, holy beings, and scholars to translate into Tibetan, and follow these. They would have checked and used the best Sanskrit version.

I am sure the original Chinese translation of the Arya Sanghata Sutra may be interesting. That would have been closer to the original Sanskrit. I checked the Beijing, Lhasa, and Dergye editions and found very small differences in the wording.

It is true that people who have strong faith in this text have to have a lot of merit. It is similar with certain subjects in the lamrim. If it is difficult to generate a lot of faith, then that is the whole reason for preliminary practices: to purify and collect merit.

With much love and prayer...

The purpose of my life is to free all sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the hell realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the preta realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the animal realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the human realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the sura realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the asura realm sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

I must free all the intermediate state sentient beings from suffering, and lead them to full enlightenment.

Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I am going to translate these teachings ¹ to benefit all sentient beings.

May this text be most beneficial for all sentient beings. May it cause all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. May anyone who sees this text, hears, or dreams about this text never be reborn in the lower realms. May they immediately be freed from all disease, spirit harms, negative karma, and defilements, and then achieve enlightenment in that very life.²

And may those who use this text to do retreat actualize during that retreat guru devotion, the three principles of the path, and the two stages of tantra.

Notes

¹  Here one can mention the type of teachings one is translating. [Return to text]

²  As the motivation was originally composed for a teaching on Vajra Yogini practice, Rinpoche added here the line: “At least, may they be guided by Vajra Yogini to be born in Tapa Kachoe Pure Land." When translating other tantric texts, one may adapt this line as appropriate. [Return to text]