Translators play a crucial role in conveying ideas across time and cultures. Making the dharma accessible to others is regarded as a virtuous activity and a right livelihood.

The Pali Canon is the standard and most complete collection of scriptures. It was written on palm leaves. In 374 CE, the scholar-monk Daoan compiled the first catalog of Buddhist texts in Chinese. Shantarakshita of Nalanda and Padmasambhava began translating them into Tibetan in the 8th century. The Canon was divided into two parts: the Buddha’s teachings (Kangyur) and the commentaries (Tengyur).

Translators in Tibet have been revered for translating the entire Indian Buddhist canon into Tibetan, a process which is regarded as the greatest planned and sustained cultural exchange in early world history.

Guidelines for Buddhist translators include having the following qualities: 1) Selflessness: Translators should avoid aggrandizing themselves and denigrating others. 2) Openness: Translators should not establish themselves as the standard of correctness, and should not suppress the work of others. 3) Certification: Translators should request certification from the elder virtuous ones of the ten directions. 4) Propagation: Translators should strive to propagate the teachings by printing certified translations of sutras, shastras, and vinaya texts. 5) Background knowledge: Translators can improve their background knowledge of Buddhism by reading translated works of Buddhist discourses and learning technical terms.

Modern translation and preservation efforts include 84000, the Buddhist Digital Resource Project, Kumarajiva, The Buddhist Digital Archives (BUDA), and Yeshe Text Preservation Project.

Some meaning can be lost in translation. But all words are approximations that express ideas. For Buddhism to truly take root in local cultures, the teachings and practices must be translated into the local languages.

Translate a phrase from one language to another and reflect on how the meaning changes. Notice if anything is lost or gained.

• Why is translating the dharma important?
• How is the translation of dharma texts different from the translation of a novel, for example?
• Do you think dharma translators should also be dharma practitioners, and why?

Analyze the contributions of at least five key translators of the Buddhist canon, evaluating their impact on the transmission of dharma across cultures.