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When the first edition of The Way | When the first edition of The Way of the Bodhisattva was published in 1997, | ||
it was stated that the commentary of the Nyingma master Khenpo Kunzang Pelden (1872-1943) had been consulted for the elucidation of difficult | it was stated that the commentary of the Nyingma master Khenpo Kunzang Pelden (1872-1943) had been consulted for the elucidation of difficult | ||
passages. At the time, a translation into English of that long and important | passages. At the time, a translation into English of that long and important | ||
work was no more than a pious dream. Now, after a wait | work was no more than a pious dream. Now, after a wait of almost ten years | ||
and many intervening projects, this task has been completed; and the | and many intervening projects, this task has been completed; and the careful reading and study of the text that it involved prompted us to revisit and | ||
overhaul our original version of The Way of the Bodhisattva, correcting | overhaul our original version of The Way of the Bodhisattva, correcting | ||
errors and, where possible, making it a tauter, more literal, reflection | errors and, where possible, making it a tauter, more literal, reflection of the | ||
Tibetan original. We hope that we have been able to rectify the perhaps | Tibetan original. We hope that we have been able to rectify the perhaps | ||
undue freedom of expression in the earlier rendering that led some of its | undue freedom of expression in the earlier rendering that led some of its | ||
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Publications for being willing to produce this new edition. | Publications for being willing to produce this new edition. | ||
Since 1997, several other translations of the | Since 1997, several other translations of the ''Bodhicharyāvatāra'' have | ||
appeared in English. The first, published just as The Way | appeared in English. The first, published just as The Way of the Bodhisattva | ||
was going to press, was made by Kate Crosby and Andrew Skilton directly | was going to press, was made by Kate Crosby and Andrew Skilton directly | ||
from the surviving Sanskrit text. This was followed shortly afterward by | from the surviving Sanskrit text. This was followed shortly afterward by | ||
the translation | the translation of Vesna and Alan Wallace, made also from the Sanskrit but | ||
with reference to the Tibetan, and with the Tibetan variants given in | with reference to the Tibetan, and with the Tibetan variants given in footnotes. Later, in 2003, a version was published by Neil Eliott based in the explanations of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Most recently, another rendering | ||
(printed and circulated at the time of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching on the ''Bodhicharyāvatāra'' in Zurich, 2005) was produced by Alexander Berzin, mainly from the Tibetan but revised and corrected in light of the | |||
Sanskrit. Finally, yet another project to translate Shāntideva's root text and | |||
(printed and circulated at the time of His Holiness the Dalai | |||
Sanskrit. Finally, yet another project to translate | |||
the commentary by Kunzang Pelden, accompanied by the inestimable | the commentary by Kunzang Pelden, accompanied by the inestimable | ||
explanations of Khenpo Chöga of Shri Simha College in Kham, was | explanations of Khenpo Chöga of Shri Simha College in Kham, was inaugurated in 2002 by Andreas Kretschmar, who, in an act of great and openhanded generosity, has made his as yet uncompleted work freely available | ||
on the Internet. All these translations are of the greatest interest, and although, for our interpretation, we have followed Kunzang Pelden in all | |||
on the Internet. All these translations are of the greatest interest, and | |||
things, in preparing this revised edition, we have diligently compared our | things, in preparing this revised edition, we have diligently compared our | ||
work with the versions just mentioned and gratefully acknowledge the | work with the versions just mentioned and gratefully acknowledge the | ||
help that they have given us. | help that they have given us. | ||
The appearance | The appearance of translations ofthe ''Bodhicharyāvatāra'' made from | ||
the Sanskrit, side by side with others made from the Tibetan, calls into | the Sanskrit, side by side with others made from the Tibetan, calls into | ||
question with renewed force the desirability of translating | question with renewed force the desirability of translating what is itself a | ||
translation, when a manuscript of the text still exists in the original | translation, when a manuscript of the text still exists in the original language. This is closely connected with another question, which concerns the | ||
relative merits of study (and by extension, translation) within the environment of secular Western scholarship as contrasted with the traditional setting of a Tibetan monastic college and a teacher-disciple relationship. These two approaches differ considerably both in method and objective. | |||
relative merits of study (and by extension, translation) within the | The Buddhologist of Western academia aims, through the examination of | ||
texts, archaeological evidence, and so on, to arrive at a scientifically objective understanding of a religious culture. This is viewed, from outside, as | |||
These two approaches differ considerably both in method and objective. | |||
The Buddhologist | |||
texts, archaeological evidence, and so on, to arrive at a scientifically | |||
an essentially anthropological phenomenon, the beliefs and practices of | an essentially anthropological phenomenon, the beliefs and practices of | ||
which are described and classified within a discipline that consciously | which are described and classified within a discipline that consciously distances itself from religious allegiance and practice.1 Buddhists, on the | ||
other hand, study the sacred texts as part of a spiritual discipline, intending or at least aspiring to implement the teachings they contain. And to | |||
other hand, study the sacred texts as part of a spiritual discipline, | |||
that end, they attach an equal importance not only to the origins and | that end, they attach an equal importance not only to the origins and | ||
authorship of the texts, but also to the living tradition of explanation | authorship of the texts, but also to the living tradition of explanation | ||
and practice that has preserved them into the present age. These two | and practice that has preserved them into the present age. These two | ||
approaches obviously overlap, in the sense that textual accuracy and | approaches obviously overlap, in the sense that textual accuracy and correct interpretation are of prime importance for both. Nevertheless, they | ||
diverge in important respects; and it is important to recognize the difference between independent, academic scholarship, with its essentially humanistic interest in texts, as compared with the allegiance to a tradition of spiritual training: detached erudition on the one hand, committed involvement on the other. | |||
diverge in important respects; and it is important to recognize the | |||
There is no doubt that the findings of Western scholarship in the | There is no doubt that the findings of Western scholarship in the | ||
Revision as of 19:09, 30 October 2023
See Padmakara The Way of the Boddhisattva p.i-xxi
This page will include a discussion on methodological issues related to the translation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra into modern languages. In this discussion, we will identify key points that are particularly relevant for translators of Indian Buddhist treatises.
The titles listed in the bibliography below are useful sources to develop this page. Even if their main focus appears to be on different subject, they have been selected because they include valuable information on the topic of this page.
