

	About The Translation Group Lama Chönam Sangye Khandro Jules B. Levinson Letter from Chönam

Sangye Khandro

In 1971 Sangye Khandro, intent upon meeting H.H. the Dalai Lama, traveled overland for five months, finally arriving in Dharamsala, India. At this same time the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala began to open its doors to Western students. Completing six months of study at the library, and recognizing her deep commitment to the Buddhist teachings, Sangye took the vows and lay precepts signifying the formal entrance to the Buddhist path. Throughout the next seven years, Sangye traveled to India and Nepal annually to continue her studies of the Buddhist teachings and Tibetan language.

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Between 1973 and 1977 Sangye lived and taught at the Nechung Drayang Ling Buddhist Temple in Hawaii, which she helped to establish. Throughout this period, she joined others in bringing many renowned teachers to the Hawaiian Islands. These highly respected and learned lamas included H.H. Düdjom Rinpoche, the Venerable Kalu Rinpoche, and H.H. the 16th Karmapa. In 1977, Sangye met the Ven. Gyatrül Rinpoche while he was visiting Hawaii. Their friendship began in the midst of an illness that nearly took his life. Sangye became Rinpoche's companion and her relationship with him became central to her work and life.

Sangye became Gyatrül Rinpoche’s primary translator and together they proceeded to establish Buddhist centers in California and Oregon under the auspices of H.H Düdjom Rinpoche. On a yearly basis, Gyatrül Rinpoche and Sangye traveled to Taiwan, where they taught, translated, and raised funds for the creation of the Tashi Chöling Temple in southern Oregon. For the next two decades Sangye acted as translator for many great teachers, among them H.H Düdjom Rinpoche, H.H. Penor Rinpoche, H.H. Khenpo Jigme Phüntsok Rinpoche, Dungsei Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Kusum Lingpa Rinpoche, Gyatrül Rinpoche, Lama Ganga, Gönpo Tseden Rinpoche, Chagdud Tülku Rinpoche, Ngapa Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche, Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche, Khenpo Namdröl Rinpoche, Yangthang Tülku Rinpoche, and Gyala Padma Namgyal Rinpoche, accompanying them on numerous teaching tours throughout the world.

Sangye has helped to teach many programs and retreats while continuing her personal studies. In the mid-1980s Sangye traveled to the Namdröling Monastery, established by H.H. Penor Rinpoche near Mysore, India, and became the first Western woman to receive and practice the transmissions for the channels and winds in the monastery's previously all male training program.

Over the past few years, Sangye has studied and translated several commentaries based upon the Guhyagarbha Tantra. In 1997, she translated for Khenpo Namdröl Rinpoche at the Ngagyür Nyingma Institute in southern India, where he taught commentaries on the Guhyagarbha Tantra to a group that included Tibetan tülkus and young khenpos, as well as Western men and women. In 1999, Sangye again translated for Khenpo Namdröl's teachings on the Guhyagarbha, this time at Yangleshö in Nepal. In 2001 Sangye served as translator for Khenpo Namdröl in Oregon, marking the first occasion of this teaching and study in the West. As a result of this intensive study, the Light of Berotsana Translation Group will publish a translation of Jamgön Mipham's Essence of Clear Light, one of the most important commentaries on the topics set forth in the Guhyagarbha Tantra.

Sangye has translated numerous texts and published several books, including A Garland of Immortal Wishfulfilling Trees, a history of the Payül tradition; Generating the Deity; Ancient Wisdom; Perfect Conduct: Ascertaining the Three Vows; Yeshe Lama; The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava, and various cycles of instruction taken from the writings of H.H. Düdjom Lingpa. Sangye was one of three translators who collaborated in the translation of the first three volumes of the life of Gesar of Ling. Additionally, Sangye has translated several commentaries written by Dungsei Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

In 1999, Sangye's vision came to fruition when she was able to help found Light of Berotsana, a nonprofit organization for translators. Currently, Sangye dedicates her time to Light of Berotsana and the translation of essential texts drawn from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. About this work, Sangye says, "After many years of preparing the field, it is now time to cultivate the depth and breadth of Tibetan Buddhist studies. This cannot come about without good translations of the works most relevant to the scholarly and meditative traditions. We have established Light of Berotsana so that we may help with the task of translation from Tibetan into English while highly accomplished Tibetan lamas remain alive and available to teach in the West. Light of Berotsana hopes to keep the presses hot with work of good quality that comes about through scholarship, understanding, and dedication."