MANDALA TALK
October-December 2012
His Holiness the Dalai Lama reading a text at Rajagriha, India, January 2002. Photo courtesy of fpmt.org
At one point or another, serious students of Tibetan Buddhism may find themselves considering whether or not to learn classical Tibetan. Many considerations factor in to the decision. And while time and money are crucial to study, a student also needs to find a qualified teacher.
Since 1994, Craig Preston has been that teacher for many, teaching classical Tibetan to English speakers in the United States first at Namgyal Institute of Buddhist Studies and Nagarjuna Language Institute in Ithaca, New York, and more recently at Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon, where Craig has taught the Classical Tibetan Summer Intensive for the last two years.
In addition to teaching Tibetan, Craig also works as a translator of Tibetan texts. With Rebecca French at SUNY Buffalo, Craig translated Tibetan legal code. Currently, Craig is working on a project led by his former professor at University of Virginia, Jeffrey Hopkins, to translate the monastic textbooks written by Jamyang Cheba.
In late August 2012, Craig came by Mandala’s office for an informal talk about his translation work, teaching Tibetan and the future of Buddhism in the West.
(Audio interview available for download as MP3.)Visit Craig Preston’s website to learn about his approach to teaching classical Tibetan.
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