Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region

Education:

• Ganden Jangtse College, Mundgod, Karnataka, India, Studied commentaries on Sutra and Tantra, Tibetan History, and Tibetan Literature. Practiced Tibetan Buddhism. Graduated with phar phyin rab ‘byams pa certificate. 1987-1992
• Rongwo Monastery, Rebgong, Amdo, Tibet, Studied commentaries on Sutra and Tantra, Tibetan Buddhist Dialectics, Tibetan History, Tibetan Literature, Tibetan Poetry, and Tibetan Grammar. 1982-1986

Research Interests

• History of Tibetan Literature
• The Biographies of Tibetan Translators from the 9th to the 14th Centuries
• Tibetan Language Preservation

Courses Recently Taught

• Introductory Tibetan
• Intermediate Tibetan
• Advanced Tibetan
• Practical Tibetan
• Additional Courses Taught at Indiana University: Tibetan Poetics, History of Tibetan Literature, Tibetan Literature from Dunhuang, Buddhist Lives, Amdo Tibetan

Books

• 'Gro. skyabs bcol la 'gro [“Let's go into Exile”], a novel about Tibetan refugees fleeing into India. (Dharamsala: Tibet Times, 2005)
• A khu Padma: long ba lo tsa ba zhig gi mi tshe'i lo rgyus. [“The Biography of Akhu Pema;” The story of a Blind Translator to The Dalai Lama and other Tibetan officials in the 1950s] (Dharamsala: Tibet Times, 2005)
• Bod kyi rtsom rig gi byung ba brjod pa rab gsal me long [“A Comprehensive History of Tibetan Literature”] (Varanasi: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 2001 and (reprinted) Lanzhou: Gansu People's Publishing House, 2003). Used as subsidiary course book by the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Dharamsala, India
• Byang chub sems dpa'i rtogs pa brjod pa dpag bsam 'khri shing la dpyad pa rtog pa'i ri mo (Varanasi: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1998), a book-length study of Kśemendra's “Boddhisattvavadanakalpalata”
• Gzhon-nu’i-’char-snang (Varanasi, 1992). A general survey of Tibetan culture.

Other Publication Highlights

• “The Life of Shar Skal ldan rgya mtsho (1916-1978)” in Unity and Diversity: Monastic and Non-monastic Traditions in Amdo, Tibet, edited by Yangdon Dhondup, Ulrich Pagel and Geoffrey Samuels (Brill: Leiden,2012/2013)). Submitted for publication, 2012.
• “Bod skad skad yig gnyis pa’i tshul du slob skabs kyi bya tshig ‘chad thabs” [Teaching Tibetan verbs as done in L2 languages] (Trace Foundation, New York, forthcoming). Submitted for publication, 2012.
• “‘Brel ba can gyi rjod pa e?” [Teaching Relative Clauses in the Tibetan Language], in Btsan byol bod mi’i mi lo lnga bcu’i dpayd rtsom gces btus [Selected articles of Exile Tibetan writers during the past 50 years] edited and published by Tibetan PEN Organization (http://tibetanpen.org.in), 2012. 108-116.
• Comp. and ed., Rnam thar dad pa’i mdzes rgyan [Biography of Dge ‘dun bstan ‘dzin](Dharamsala: Tibet times, 2005).
• Rtsom sgrig pa’i gtam [Editorials for Tibet Times] (Dharamsala: Tibet Times, 2001).
• Comp. and ed., Rgyal rabs deb ther dkar po’i kha skong mes blon gong ma’i zhal chems [Appendix to Dge ‘dun chos ‘phel’s Deb ther dkar po by Rak ra Thub bstan chos dar] (Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 2001).
• Co-editor, Snyan rtsom lhan bsdebs dad pa’i me tog gi ‘dab stong [A devotional flower with a thousand petals: An anthology of poems offered to His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje celebrating his escape to India, by Tibetan poets in exile.] (Dharamsala: Tibetan Young Buddhist Association, 2000).
• Co-editor, Kun gzigs Paṇ chen rin po che’i mdzad rnam rang mdangs gsal ba’i me long [A political biography of the 10th Paṇ chen rin po che] (Dharamsala: Mdo smad rtsom sgrig tshogs chung, 1999).
• Co-editor, Dad gdung nyi zla’i mchod phreng [Collection of poems in memory of the 10th Paṇ chen rin po che] (Dharamsala: Mdo smad rtsom sgrig tshogs chung, 1999).
• “A Note on the Dunhuang manuscript (P. T. 1045) on signs of a Raven’s voice,” in The Tibet Journal, no 4 (1998). 144-148
• “Shong ston Rdo rje rgyal mtshan dang khong gis bsgyur ba’i bstan bcos khag” [The life and works of Tibetan translator Shong ston Rdo rje rgyal mtshan 1235?-?] in Rtsam-pa magazine, no 2 (1998?): 45-46.
• “Skad cha dang bsam blo/ skad yig bcas kyi ‘brel ba’i skor” [The relationship of Tibetan language, the Tibetan way of thinking and Tibetan scripts] in Nor dze'u, no. 1 ( 1997): 15-34 and Nor dze'u, no. 3 ( 1998): 27-47.
• “Rtag tu ngu'i rtogs pa brjod pa snyan ngag dpag bsam ljon pa la tsod lta'i bskyar zhib” [A review of one of Tsongkhapa's famous works on Avadana] in Nor dze'u, no. 2 ( 1998): 77-101.
• “Snyan ngag gi skor gyi rtog ‘char ‘ga’” [Some thoughts on Tibetan poetics.] in Rtsam-pa Magazine, no 2 (1997): 50-52.
• Co-editor, Zam-gdong-rin-po-che’i-gsung-bshad-dang-gsung-rtsom-phyogs-bsgrigs [A collection of public talks and writings of Zam gdong rin po che on Tibetan Education.] (Varanasi: Jamtse Publication, 1996).
• Pho brang lhan dkar gyi dam pa’i chos ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag blta bder bsgrigs pa gna’ bo’i gtam la ’jug pa’i pho nya zhes bya ba [An easy-to-use edited version of the original list of Tibetan translations of sutras and tantras, prepared during the reign of the Emperor Khri srong lde btsan (790-845 A.D.).] (Varanasi: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 1996).
• “Tun hong yig cha’i lo tshigs skor ’ga’ zhig,” [A critical analysis of the dates of historical events mentioned in the Dunhuang manuscripts.] Ljang-gzhon, no. 8 (1995): 93-102.
• Comp. and ed., Rje btsun Chos kyi rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po’i rnam thar phyogs bsgrigs [A biography of Rje btsun Chos kyi rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po (1469-1544 A.D.)] (Varanasi: Rigjung Dongkhyer Publication, 1995).
• Tun hong yig rnying las byung ba’i bod kyi gna’ rabs smon lam dang de’i mchan ’grel [A commentary on ancient Tibetan prayers drawn from the Dunhuang manuscripts.] (New Delhi: Tibet House, 1995).
• Comp. and ed., Grub dbang Skal ldan rgya mtsho’i mgur ’bum [A collection of religious songs by Skal ldan rgya mtsho (1607-1677 A.D.)] (Varanasi: Rigjung Dongkhyer Publication, 1995).

Translations:

• Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea. English to Tibetan, (Dharamsala: Tibet Times, 2012).
• Mikel Dunham. Buddha's Warriors: The Story of the CIA-Backed Tibetan Freedom Fighters, the Chinese Communist Invasion, and the Ultimate Fall of Tibet, English to Tibetan. (Dharamsala: Tibet Times, 2008).
• Jamyang Norbu. “The Black Annals: Goldstein & The Negation Of Tibetan History (Part I-II),” English to Tibetan, 2008. Published in Tibet Times 2008 and Khabdha.org (Part I) http://www.khabdha.org/?p=851 (Part II)http://www.khabdha.org/?p=531
• Jamyang Norbu. “Karmapa and the cranes,” 2008. http://www.khabdha.org/?p=104
• Nicole Willock. “Rekindling the Ashes of the Dharma and the formation of Modern Tibetan Studies: The Busy life of Alak Tseten Zhabdrung,” English to Tibetan. Latse Library newsletter, Vol. 6 (2009-2010): 2-25.
• “The Structural Concepts for Reversing Language Shift: Patience, Prudence and Functional Specificity,” a conversation between Professor Joshua A. Fishman, Distinguished University Research Professor of Social Sciences at Yeshiva University, and Professor Elliot Sperling, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University, at the conference “On Reversing Language Shift,” Trace Foundation, New York City. English to Tibetan, 2012. Submitted to the Trace Foundation.
• Miklós Kontra. “Standardizing Hungarian and its Educational Consequences,” English to Tibetan, 2012. Submitted to the Trace Foundation.
• Luisa Maffi, “Biocultural Diversity: A Global Perspective,” English to Tibetan, 2012. Submitted to the Trace Foundation