A Message from Our Founder

Photo: Ng Wee Keat

A Message from Our Founder:

Since 84000 started its work just six years ago, the combined effort of translators, scholars, sponsors, editors, and technical staff worldwide has finished translating 80 core Kangyur texts amounting to 6,080 pages. And they are still working hard on 120 more texts (nearly 18,000 pages). When they finish those, we’ll actually have translated one-third of the entire Kangyur – a task we originally thought might take a lifetime!

I can only consider this immense ongoing effort from everyone involved in the 84000 endeavour as a compassionate manifestation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Lest we mistakenly turn these ‘accomplishments’ into pride, however, it’s important to remind ourselves that we will never manage to properly translate, let alone interpret, the words of the Buddha. All we can do is try our best, with the utmost right and good intention, to benefit sentient beings.

So, since we’re not sublime beings, the only way 84000 can ensure as much authenticity and accuracy as possible is to approach the translation work from two sides simultaneously – balancing the work of scholars and practitioners so they reinforce each other. As well, the 38 teams of 201 translators worldwide include both Tibetan scholars and western academics – again in an effort to be as true and faithful as humanly possible to the original texts.

None of that would be possible without all those supporters who consciously decided not to have that extra cup of coffee, and instead saved their money to translate half a page of Sutra.

And among the 138,000 people from 238 countries and regions who have visited our 84000 Reading Room to read the 29 translated texts published online to date, we know that this half page of Sutra has been read by somebody somewhere in the world. It has quenched one person’s thirst and soothed another’s burning heart. And if those words of the Buddha have created solace for just one being in this stressed world even for a few hours, then that sacrificed cup of coffee is more than worth it!

I can only offer my humble gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to every one of the dedicated supporters on whom 84000 completely depends to bring the Buddha’s priceless words into this world. Thank you all!

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse
September 16, 2016


Posted: 15 Sep 2016