Learning Classical Tibetan ― A Reader for Translating Buddhist Texts

A modern and accessible reader of Classical Tibetan Buddhist texts based on the traditional monastic educational system, designed for both classroom use and independent study

Unlike most readers of Classical Tibetan, this is a comprehensive manual for navigating Tibetan Buddhist literature based on a Tibetan monastic curriculum. Utilizing the most up-to-date teaching methods and tools for Tibetan language training, students learn to navigate the grammar, syntax, and style of Classical Tibetan while also engaging the content of Buddhist philosophical works.

Texts that are presented in this reader include Jñānamitra's Explanation of the Heart Sūtra, Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path, the Fourth Panchen Lama's Prayer for Release from the Bardo, and Śāntideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Chapters consist of a contextual introduction to the reading, the Tibetan text marked with callouts that signal annotated points, annotations that include progressive explanations of grammar, cultural notes on vocabulary, translation hints, notes on the Sanskrit origins of Tibetan expressions and grammatical structures, and a literal translation of the text. The reader also includes advice on how to use the book, study plans for classroom use, discussion of dictionaries and other helpful resources: a glossary of English grammatical and linguistic terms, abbreviation lists for verb classes and noun cases as described in Joe Wilson's Translating Buddhism from Tibetan, notes on reading blockprints, and examples of different scripts. This textbook also provides cultural notes and explanations of the Sanskrit influence on Tibetan genres, literary styles, expressions, and so on that aren't readily found elsewhere.

Using a clear and approachable style, Paul Hackett provides a practical and complete manual that will surely benefit all students of Classical Tibetan. This reader will be released in conjunction with Hackett's new expanded edition of his well-known A Tibetan Verb Lexicon.

PAUL HACKETT specializes in canonical Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan culture, as well as their influence on contemporary alternative religion in America. He is also active in the field of applied computational linguistics and serves as the chair of the Tibetan Information Technology Panel for the International Association for Tibetan Studies. He currently teaches classical Tibetan language at Columbia University.