Matthew Akester

Short description

I am a translator and researcher based in Boudhanath. Basically I work on history, and have specialised in literature related to holy places and monuments. My major work is an extensive commentary on 'Jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse's Guide to Central Tibet, which I hope to get published soon.

The very few published translations include gTer ston Zhig po gling pa's inventory for a 'Vajra temple' in lHa sa (Tibet Journal 2001) Descriptions of bSam yas mChims phu by Rig 'dzin 'Jigs med gling pa and Ka thog Si tu Chos kyi rgya mtsho (Chengdu 2003?) The 5th and 13th Dalai Lama-s' inventories for the lHa sa gtsug lag khang, and other short texts on the history of lHa sa (Temples of Lhasa by A. Alexander, Serindia publications 2005.

Out of historical interest in the life of mKhyen brtse'i dbang po (rather than any religious qualification) I have recently completed a translation of his "U dum ba ra'i dga' tshal" biography by 'Jam mgon kong sprul. I have gone for a literal rendering, preserving the flavour of the original, although this is slightly heavygoing in English. I am still trying to elaborate the context as much as I can in brief annotations, and welcome input or comments from anyone familiar with the material. Again I hope to publish soon.

There are a variety of unpublished translations, the most substantial being a book-length life story, related to my work on recent Tibetan history. MA

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