Message from our Executive Director

10 Years Down, 90 Years to Go!

A message from the Executive Director, Huang Jing Rui

Huang Jing Rui has steered 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha as its appointed Executive Director since its inception as a project of Khyentse Foundation in 2010. Prior to that, Jing Rui worked in the nonprofit sector as a social worker in a community-based family service center in Singapore. In part to seek alternative answers to the ills of urban living and in part to pursue her childhood dreams, she gave up her career to volunteer in a remote village named Bir in the Indian Himalayas. It was in these hills that she, most unexpectedly, stumbled upon the opportunity to take part in 84000—a hundred-year undertaking that will last beyond her lifetime.

Dear friends and supporters of 84000,

I can barely believe we are already celebrating ten years of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Some of you were present at the 2009 conference in Bir from which this initiative was born; and many of you have become involved with us along the way whether through reading our publications, participating in our resoundings, sharing our social media offerings, or otherwise generously donating what resources you have been able. And for all this, we are so grateful.

These ten years have been a litmus test for our vision, and not without their challenges. But with deep respect for the tradition of translation—and the historical precedents set throughout the centuries by Dharma kings and faithful patrons whose dedication has ensured its survival thus far—we can confidently report that 84000 is successfully leading the world’s only long-term, collaborative, and non-sectarian effort to preserve and expand access to the Tibetan Buddhist Canon (the Kangyur and Tengyur).

We commission translations by awarding grants to teams of highly skilled translators around the world, and we are innovating the ways in which these online publications can be accessed. We maintain an even balance between Western-modeled academic approaches and Indo-Himalayan insight and scholasticism, and through this approach, our publications have been widely accepted. But we don’t stop there: We enhance these digital publications with integrated comprehension tools to improve your ability to engage with, and delve deeper into, the vast and profound content of these texts. Guided by the preservation of wisdom and the revitalization of authentic Buddhist study and practice, our vision of universal access to the Canon means not only translating into a modern language, but also ensuring that such access is intuitive and easily gained.

84000 relies on the support of individual donors and we appreciate every donation, no matter the size—a drop in the ocean is no less important than the wave. But it would be remiss of me not to mention first and foremost our Founding Sponsors, without whose trust this project would not have been possible. And I must also gratefully acknowledge our Matching Funds Donors and our Sūtra Sponsors for their significant contributions: the former have pledged to match all recurring donations made by our thousands of general donors, and the latter, through their sponsorship of specific texts, have facilitated the commissioning of translations—an activity that is integral to our operations and ability to achieve our vision.

As the organization grows, we are constantly examining our processes and monitoring our progress and impact. This is a 100-year project, and today, it is in our hands to protect this endangered archive of wisdom and to gift this precious legacy for future generations. As I reflect on the past ten years I am proud of the many milestones we have achieved together, and we are truly honored to have had you with us on this journey. I hope that we continue to earn your support in the years and decades to come.

Yours in the Dharma,

Huang Jing Rui

Posted: 1 Jun 2020