invitation letter

invitation letter

Dear Dharma friends and co-lotsawas

Over the last couple of decades we have seen a tremendous development in the translation of Buddhist literature from the Tibetan language. A dominant portion has come through practitioners with close links to the living lineage. With a very particular plan in mind, I have begun to compile a list these yogi-scholars from recently published works and emails lists - you seem to be among them. It's a small world; I've either met, corresponded with or am a close friend to most of you. We share similar aims and activities and are already a virtual circle of translators, scholars and practitioners, similarly involved in bringing the Dharma into European languages.

Besides printed books for teachings, the Internet has become the main venue for communicating current teachers, who is who, teaching schedules, texts, etc., what has and has yet to be translated. We have access to millions of fragments.

On a trip across the US, coincidence would have it that I happened to sit next to Kent Sandvik who was playing around with an idea for a Dharmapedia, a more private area of the Wikipedia type of program, just for Dharma people. In a "Wiki" you can post-and-edit while you surf and others can instantly see the new material. We discussed the idea of expanding this to include a Tibetan English online dictionary, as well, which will grow while we use it and add to it and improve it. Later the same month, after meeting separately with Gene Smith and Eric Colombel in New York, the idea hatched and there is now an official www.dharmadictionary.net slowly and gradually making its way onto your screen. I sense there is a lot of goodwill and a wonderful spirit of sharing. Several experts - Eric, Gerry, Kent and Peter - are working selflessly so all of us can benefit from this. Moreover, the Wiki format has a short learning curve and the benefits are many, as you will notice.

Here is the plan: I feel there is a real need to have one common database for lineage histories, short biographies of our teachers and their teachers, descriptions of texts, what has been and has yet to be translated, the locations and descriptions of sacred places, indices, notes and other back matter from you published books that you want to share. We have a tremendous amount we could be sharing with each other, lying around on our hard disks, waiting for the next crash.

Such a "circle of lotsawas" is also in tune with the times we live in, especially while there is no King of Dharma to issue a final decree for all of us to follow. Consensus will come naturally and as we exchange more and share more together - the Wiki on www.dharmadictionary.net has plenty of room for discussion pages, plus there is an easy way to email each other.

The "first round" is to post a brief description of yourself. Your name should be on the "Translators", "Editors/content" or "Technical development" page. If not, please add it in - inside double square brackets. There is a sample page for Gyurme Dorje. If your name is already there, simply click on it, and then paste in the text you copied from the sample page (in edit mode). Next, please give short biography of your main teachers, if they are missing. There is a sample page for "Chatral Rinpoche" and "Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche" and Cortland is posting several others as we speak. Remember, you can create links to your own websites. See the syntax on page for "Gyurme Dorje".

I am sending this email out to about 120 of you, and I expect that you will pass it on to the rest of our good lotsawa-friends who you feel have valuable resources and goodwill for us all in the bodhisattva spirit.

Warm wishes
Yours in the Dharma,
Erik Pema Kunsang

This list is only what I had at hand. Please add to it as you see fit.
The info below will be removed as soon as the invitation goes out, so to protect people's email. Erik

invitees for Lotsawas

Adam Pearcey <adam.pearcey@gmail.com>
Alan Wallace <alanwallace@earthlink.net>
Alan Wallace <maitri@gte.net>
Albrecht Frasch <albrecht.frasch@gmx.de>
Alejandro Bennardis <abennardis@yahoo.com>
Alex Chapin <AChapin@jaguar.middlebury.edu>
Andreas K <Kretnet@aol.com>
Ani Isabelle <aniisabelle@hotmail.com>
Ani Jinpa <Anijinpa@cs.com>
Ani Lodro Palmo <lodropalmo@yahoo.com>
Ani Tenzin Palmo <eliz_palmo@hotmail.com>
Ann Helm <ann.helm@colorado.edu>
Ann Helm <annhelm123@gmail.com>,
Anne B <archardi@vip.cybercity.dk>
Anne Klein <ack@Rice.edu>
Catherine Dalton <catherinebdalton@yahoo.com>
Christian Bruyat <cbruyat@wanadoo.fr>
Christian Charrier <christchar@wanadoo.fr>
David Christensen <odiyana@ozemail.com.au>
David Curtis <dcurtis@TIBETANLANGUAGE.org>
David Fuqua <karmachoephel@yahoo.com>
David Germano <dfg9w@virginia.edu>
Douglas Duckworth <dsd8g@virginia.edu>
Douglas Duckworth <duckworth@virginia.edu>
Edward Henning <edwardhenning@india.com>
Elio Guarisco <eguarisco2000@yahoo.com>
Elizabeth Callahan <emcallahan@attglobal.net>
Erik/Rangjung <erik@rangjung.com>
Francesca Fremantle <fmfremantle@clara.co.uk>
Gene Smith <gsmith@tbrc.org>
Georges Dreyfus <georges.b.dreyfus@williams.edu>
Gerardo Abboud <gabboud@arnet.com.ar>
Gerardo Abboud <gabboud@sinectis.com.ar>
Guillaume Avertin <guillaumeavertin@hotmail.com>
Heidrun Ingeborg Köppl <heidrun@mac.com>
Helena <hbwf@wanadoo.fr>
Ives Waldo <rime@plinet.com>
Jakob Leschly <jakob@mangala.dk>
Jim Valby <jimvalby@dzogchen.ru>
Joanne Larson <joannelarsonok@hotmail.com>
Joel Ho < jaho@wlink.com.np>
John Canti <Canti@imaginet.fr>
John R <vajranatha@hotmail.com >
John Rockwell <rockwell@shambhala.org>
John William Pettit <jwp@hvi.net>
Jules B. Levinson <jblevinson@gmail.com>
Jules Levinson <juleslevinson@earthlink.net>
Justin <lagepo@hotmail.com>
Keith Dowman<kdowman@compuserve.com>
Ken McLeod <ken@unfetteredmind.org>
Klause Mathes <KlausDMathes@aol.com>br> Konchog Norbu <konchog@radix.net>
Kurt Keutzer <keutzer@eecs.berkeley.edu>
Kurt Keutzer <kkeutzer@yahoo.com>
Lama Chokyi Nyima <lotsawa@starband.net>
Lama Denys <l.denys@imaginet.fr>
Lama Tashi Namgyal <ltashi.shenpenosel@verizon.net>
Lame Ngawang <ngawang@earthlink.net>
Lodermeier Markus <marku_colum@hotmail.com>
Lydie R <thoukje@rimay.net>
Mariano Morera <marianomorera@cetepso.com.ar>
Mark Mancall <mmancall@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Mark Nowakowski <mnowakowski@shambhala.org>
Mark Seibold <mseibold@virginia.edu>
Mathieu Ricard <shechen@gmx.net>
Mauricio Salinas <dondupdondup@yahoo.com>
Melvyn C. Goldstein <mcg2@po.cwru.edu>
Michael Sheehy <mspadma@msn.com>
Mike Dickman <crowspeaks@gmail.com>
Murray Altheim <altheim@mehitabel.eng.Sun.COM>
Paloma Lopez <palomataco@hotmail.com>
Patrick Carré <fanglong@free.fr>
Paul Jeffrey Hopkins <jhopkins@virginia.edu>
Peter Roberts <peter.roberts@harris-manchester.oxford.ac.uk>
Peter Roberts <peter.roberts@oriental-studies.oxford.ac.uk>
Peter Roberts <peteralanroberts@mac.com>
Philippe Cornu <philippecornu@free.fr>
Pierre Kellerson <pierredemolenes@kagyunet.net>
Ponlop Rinpoche <dzogchen@compuserve.com>
Ray Kreisel <raykreisel@yahoo.com>
Richard Babcock <roo-1@adelphia.net>
Rick Woodbury <rick@commutercars.com>
Robert Thurman <tbt7@columbia.edu>
Ron Garry <ron.garry@sbcglobal.net>
Sangye Khandro <sangyekhandro@msn.com>
Sarah Harding <sarahharding@worldnet.att.net>
Sean Price <seanprice99@yahoo.com>
Shakya Dorje <shakyadorje@home.com>
Sherab Posel <lsdorje@verizon.net>
Stefan Eckel <stefaneast@rediffmail.com>
Stephan Borremans <dorje_d@hotmail.com>
Susanna Schefczyk <SusanneSchefczyk@t-online.de>
Thomas Doctor <HT@doctor.wlink.com.np>
Thomas Roth <th.roth@comlink.org>
Tingdzin <Ting@shambhala.org>
Tom Meyer <tom@phoam.com>
Tulku Dhondup Rinpoche <tulkudhondup@yahoo.com>
Tulku Thondup <ttlodon@yahoo.com>
Vidyadhara Institute <shedra@gampoabbey.org>
Windsor Viney gzhanstong <viney@enso.ca>
Wulstan <wfletcher@wanadoo.fr>
Wulstan Fletcher <Wulstan.Fletcher@wanadoo.fr>
Yeshe Gyamtso <yg@kagyu.org>
Zachary Beer <zzzack@gmail.com>
Zachary Larson <zpariah29@yahoo.com>

extras lotsawa invitees

invitees for Editors/content

Alex Wilding <alex@chagchen.org>
Benny Friis Gunnø <gunnoe@mail.dk>
Bruce Newman <brucejaynewman@msn.com>
Christina Monson <christinamonson@yahoo.com>
Claude Herail <ClaudeHL@aol.com>
Damchoe Wongmo <aangmo@yahoo.ca>
David Cowey <ktas@ktas.de>
David Cowey <ktasla@yahoo.co.uk>
Erik Meier Carlsen <meier.carlsen@mail.tele.dk>
Jeanne Allen <skydancr@hal-pc.org>
John Deweese <johndeweeseok@hotmail.com>
John Tute <johntute@hotmail.com>
John Tute <johntute@sympatico.ca>
JRigzin <jrigzintute@gmail.com>
Kerry Moran kerrymoran@earthlink.net
Lee Weingrad <surgate@bigfoot.com>
Lyle Weinstein <LyleWeinstein@compuserve.com>
Matthew Pistono <pistono@gmail.com>
Mette Harboe <mette.harboe@webspeed.dk>
Michael Essex <mgessex@yahoo.com>
Michael Tweed <mt@pensum.ca>
Shenpen Lhamo <shenpen@mail.com.np>
Steven Goodman <Stevendgoodman@cs.com>
Taylor <taylorcaron@yahoo.com>
Tina Lang <tlang@ccsl.com.np>

invitees for technical development

Andres Montano <amontano@virginia.edu>
bod_x_gl <gribaudo@inwind.it>
Carles Blas <carlesblas@yahoo.co.uk>
Chris G <namtok@gmx.net>
Charles Muller <acmuller@human.toyogakuen-u.ac.jp>
Christopher J Fynn <cfynn@gmx.net>
Edgar M. Cooke <cooke@sra.co.jp>
EM Cooke <cooke@tokyo.email.ne.jp>
Jong Bok Yi <jby2y@cms.mail.virginia.edu>
Leonardo Gribaudo <gribaudo@inwind.it>
Leonardo Gribaudo <mail@leonardo-gribaudo.it>
Michael Kim <mdkim-java@sbcglobal.net>
Paul Zisman <yourpal41@aol.com>
Michael Erlewine <merlewine@ameritech.net>