The Ka Ter Translation Fund thanks you for supporting the translation-projects of the Shang Shung Institute, Austria.

The Ka Ter Fund understands that there are requests regarding the expected time of new translations. The translators are currently working on several texts, i.e., the new Tregchod book, the book on Longsal Thogal, the root-text of the Dra Thalgyur tantra, etc. We understand your questions and can understand the desire to get the newest publication of these books as soon as possible.

Clarification of the process:

First of all Rinpoche works for a certain time on a certain tantra as in the case of the DOORJE SEMPA NAMKHA CHE, to put in order the Tibetan text in the computer and to correct mistakes. Rinpoche gives the transmission of these texts and also leads a retreat on this specific text – like for example the retreat on The Mejung Tantra – Marvelous Primordial State, which Rinpoche personally worked on for several years.

Then Rinpoche asks the translators to translate these texts. This work is not easy at all and many of these texts or tantras are very cryptic, and are very difficult to understand and to translate. The translators cannot just translate word-by-word, but they need to have the living knowledge of these texts in order to translate correctly. We are very fortunate that we still have Rinpoche with us so the translators can work with Rinpoche and clarify several doubts. Rinpoche is always ready to collaborate when there is time.

Many of the Tibetan expressions and terms actually don’t have a simple, precise and clear expressions or terms in English. Adriano Clemente makes the revision of all texts and books being published within the Shang Shung Publications regarding the correct translation and the correct terminology. After the review, the corrections need to be typed in the computer and that has to be checked again. This process happens several times. Sometimes Rinpoche adds or changes some parts in the texts, so that needs to be translated again, reviewed again, etc.

So you see, all that needs a lot of dedication, qualification, effort and time.
Not everybody who understands and translates from Tibetan is qualified to translate these texts. Out translators are extremely qualified, have an experience of more than forty years of translating mainly Dzogchen texts, and we all can be so happy that they are working for the Dzogchen Community.

Since 2002 my job has been to find funds so that the translators don’t have to think about how to earn money for paying their bills every month. They get a small reimbursement for their extraordinary work and they will also get a pension.

We ask that everybody who understands this situation of the ongoing work of the translation projects, everybody who understands the value of the work that the translators are doing, everybody who understands the most precious moment we are having, that Rinpoche is collaborating as much as possible with the translators and with all of us, everybody who understands that the translators need to be free of the effort to earn money for the surviving in order to keep their concentration on their translations, everybody who understands that the translators also need the certainty that they will get a pension at a certain moment, everybody who understands all that, are invited to become part of these activities by supporting the work of the translators as much as possible according to their personal situation.

On behalf of the translators I say thank you for all your support and the donations you have given in the last fourteen years. Please continue to support the outstanding work of the translators that they are doing for us and for future generations!

Please send donations to:
Name of the bank: Raiffeisenbank Ilz
Account holder: Shang Shung Institute Austria
IBAN: AT19 3815 1000 0003 0387
BIC: RZSTAT2G151

or

via Paypal: just use this link: PAYPAL

Thank you once more and all the very best to everybody.

Yours,

Oliver Leick
Director of the Shang Shung Institute Austria
Gersdorfberg 19
8212 Pischelsdorf
Austria
Tel: 0043 664 8866 2660
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ssi-austria.at