Practicing and Studying in Your Own Language When he came to the West, Trungpa Rinpoche made it clear that he wanted students to be able to practice in their own language. He wanted to make sure that language would not become a barrier to practice. He wanted to create the situation that we have today: you do not need to learn Tibetan or Sanskrit to practice and study Buddhism and the Shambhala tradition. So, he founded the Nalanda Translation Committee and worked closely with it during its development. He believed strongly that translations must be produced with great care and in a spirit of collaboration—to ensure that the power of the dharma comes through without judgment or bias and, above all, with undiluted force. We've been trying to do that for over twenty-five years, now having produced several hundred translations, enabling students to practice and study in English and other Western languages. For eighteen of those years, we were honored to have the guidance of Lama Ugyen Shenpen, who worked tirelessly until he passed away in 1994. We have many projects in progress and many more waiting in the wings, and you can read about those in these pages. Translating from Tibetan can be demanding, often mind-numbing work, but we are confident that the work that has been completed in our first twenty-five years—and what we'll be able to complete in the future with your support—will stand as an important legacy of Vajradhatu and Shambhala, an offering to future generations of practitioners. Our work is your work. Please take a look at what we are up to. Let us know what you think. Ask us questions, find out anything more you would like to know—by calling, writing, or e-mailing—and please continue to support us or please make a first-time donation, so that we may help bring the dharma to as many people as possible. Thank you for your support. Yours in the profound and brilliant Buddhist and Shambhala dharma, Larry Mermelstein Executive Director, Nalanda Translation Committee How You Can Help