My name is Karma Palden, and I live in Kathmandu, Nepal, where I am currently studying at a Buddhist college and at the Kumarajiva training program. I feel very fortunate to have such great resources for my studies. The teachers in this training program have treated us as future colleagues from the very beginning, and this trust makes us feel a great responsibility. I would also like to thank Khyentse Foundation in particular for its vision in making it possible for these Buddhist texts, originally preserved only in Tibetan and Sanskrit, to be presented to the world in Chinese.

The training course progressed faster than I expected, so I had to adjust myself to the pace of learning. I was also delightfully surprised that the teachers were more excellent than I had expected. We as trainee translators received a lot of support from the Kumarajiva Project administrative team, who are doing their best to support and help us. When I think that I can help the dharma survive well into the future, that I can contribute to such a great translation project with such great historical significance, I am willing to overcome all difficulties. Vivian

I have a full-time job and can only participate in the training in my spare time, so at the moment the goal of becoming a qualified translator seems somewhat out of reach. On the other hand, after a year’s rigorous training I can now express myself better and understand instructions in Tibetan. My ability to follow Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings in Tibetan has improved as well. This has made me both more appreciative of the profound benefits of translating sutras and hopeful for the future.

If you asked me whether it’s worth giving up so many worldly benefits to participate in the training and work of the Kumarajiva Project, I’d definitely say “yes.” The teachers and students I’ve met over the past year are all working for the same goal. If we put the same amount of effort into worldly work we would all earn a decent income. But we’ve all recognized that even if we became really successful, we wouldn’t be able to escape the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death and would still experience the suffering of emotions. The temporary hardships of study or not being understood by family and friends can be ignored when compared to the suffering of rebirth in the six realms. At the same time, the benefits of liberation for ourselves and others are incomparable.