RYI STUDENT BLOG

Congratulations to  Cyntia Font Zorrilla,  who successfully  defended her MA thesis.  The dissertation is entitled:  A Treasure Revealer’s Inner Life A Study and Translation of Lochen Dharmaśrī’s “Inner” Biography of Chögyal Rigdzin Terdak Lingpa The thesis supervisor was Dr. Philippe Turenne and the External Reader was Dr. Abraham Zablocki, Agnes Scott College, USA.  Before coming to study in RYI's Translator Training Program, Cynthia completed a  B.A in Archaeology and a M.A. in Archaeology and Art History Specialized in Art History from the  Université Paris IV Sorbonne, where she wrote her master’s thesis on the iconography of the Dakinis. Cynthia who has her roots in Mexico, lived in many different countries and speaks more than six languages fluently. Now she has added another one: Tibetan.  Finishing the Translator Training Program, Cynthia started teaching colloqui...

Congratulations to Anna Zilman! Anna successfully defended her thesis:   'Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and the Nonsectarian Movement: A Critical Look at  Representations of 19th Century Tibetan Buddhism'. The thesis supervisor was Dr. Philippe Turenne and the External Reader was Prof. Dr. Dorji Wangchuk from the University of Hamburg, Germany.  Anna, from Russia came in 2007 to the Rangjung Yeshe Institute to study Tibetan Language. After completing one year in the Bachelor's program, Anna joined the intensive one-year-long Translator Training program which was launched at that time. Successfully completing that, she continued with the B.A. and later Master of Arts program. Anna has managed the Translator Training program since 2010 and translates at various occasions at  the Rangjung Yeshe Institute.   We congratulate this bright and energetic lady and hope she will keep inspiring us.  ...

This semester is my last in the MA program, so I decided to spend most of my time at Nagi, our nunnery, so that I could write in a relaxed way and hopefully digest the information more thoroughly from having few distractions.  Although I miss our shedra sangha and especially the opportunity to talk about the dharma with such kind and learned students and teachers, it has been extremely helpful to have more mental space for contemplation and less activity to take my mind away from the material I’m writing about.   Since I haven’t enjoyed writing until now, much of what I have learned so far this spring is how this can be a creative and artistic project, something both fun and meaningful which hopefully will clarify my many doubts, partial understandings, and misunderstandings regarding “the path” and how all the different levels of teachings fit together for the individuals who travel it.   In my past years of study writing papers was always something...

Andreas Kilchmann has successfully defended his Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies dissertation. Big congratulations !  The title of his dissertation is:  "THE INDIAN MAHĀSIDDHA TILOPA  AND THE FORMATION OF  THE TIBETAN KAGYU TRADITION". His supervisor was  Dr. Karin L. Meyers and the External Reader was  Roger Jackson,  Professor of Asian Studies and Religion at Carleton College. Andreas Kilchmann  from Switzerland  traveled the world  extensively  for leisure and business   before he started his studies at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in 2006. He graduated from RYI's Bachelor of Arts program in Buddhist Studies with Himalayan Language in spring 2011. Later in the fall,  Andreas  continued his studies by enrolling in RYI's Masters program. While studying diligently during the term, he enjoyed exploring Nepal by motorbike during the term breaks.  We wish you al...

Congratulations to Adam Kane, who successfully defended his MA thesis.     The dissertation is entitled:  'THE WAY INSIGHT ACTUALLY ARISES: PEMA KARPO’S EXPLANATION OF THE FOUR YOGAS OF MAHĀMUDRĀ'. The thesis supervisor was Dr. Philippe Turenne and the External Reader was Dr. Lara Braitstein, Associate Professor at  McGill University. Adam graduated from  Duke University and had been working for the Pundarika Foundation before joining RYI's Translator Training Program in 2009. After completing the 12 month long intensive course, Adam enrolled in the Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies program at RYI. Adam is a gifted translator and instructor and has joined RYI's faculty as translator in 2011. Since then he is translating for the philosophy classes and the Buddhist Studies Summer course. He  is  also teaching in the Translator Training Program.  We wish him all the best for the futur...

The Rangjung Yeshe Institute is delighted to congratulate Ishwor Shrestha on the occasion of successfully defending his MA thesis.  "The Politics of Devotion." The thesis supervisor was Dr. Philippe Turenne and the External Reader was Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, Ph.D.  Director of IBA in Kathmandu.  Ishwor Shrestha  is from Nepal and previously completed a Bachelors degree in Philosophy and Sociology at Tribhuvan University before he began his studies at RYI. Ishwor joined the Centre for Buddhist Studies at RYI in 2005 when he enrolled in the Bachelors program later graduating in 2008. Before commencing graduate studies he attended classes at Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Institute in Chauntra, India. In 2010 Ishwor enrolled in the  Master of Arts program in Buddhist Studies at RYI. T o financially support his studies,  Ishwor worked as a library assistant and he also received the  Khyent...

Congratulations to Gwenaelle Witt-Doerring , who successfully defended her MA Thesis! " Slob dpon bson nam rste mo and his saintly death: Illuminating the 2nd Founding Father's Position within the Sakya Tradtion." The thesis supervisor was Dr. Karin L. Meyers and the External Reader was  Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, Ph.D. Director of IBA in Kathmandu .  Gwen started her Buddhist Studies career in her home town, at the  University of  Vienna where she studied  Tibetology.  In 2007 she transferred to  the Bachelor's program at the Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute.  Taking a break from the BA program studies, Gwen entered the one year Translator  Training program in 2009 and after successfully completing this intensive program, continued her BA studies and graduated in 2010.  In the same year she enrolled in the Master of Arts program in Buddhist Studies.  Gw...

We are delighted to share the news that Anders successfully defended his thesis and has now graduated from the Master of Arts program in Buddhist Studies. The dissertation is entitled,  ' The Soteriological Epistemology of The Seventh Karmapa.'   His thesis supervisor was Dr. Karin Meyers and the external reader was Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes from the University of Vienna, Austria. Anders holds a Bachelors degree from Naropa University and joined the Centre for Buddhist Studies in 2006. At CBS Anders graduated with a BA in Buddhist Studies in 2010 and afterwards joined the MA program. Anders also secured a Tsadra foundation scholarship for his MA studies and recently took ordination. We wish you all the best for your future and are delighted that the world gained another "scholar-practitioner'.

Congratulations  to Alexander Yiannopoulos, who successfully defended his MA Thesis! " LUMINOSITY Reflexive Awareness in Ratnākaraśānti’s Pith Instructions for the Ornament of the Middle Way ". The thesis supervisor was Dr. Karin L. Meyers and the External Reader was Dr. John Makransky from Boston College, USA.  Alexander came to study at Centre for Buddhist Studies in 2005 as a visiting student from Boston College. After graduation he returned to Kathmandu as a Fulbright scholar in 2007 to research translation theory and Buddhist philosophy. In 2009 he started the Master of Arts program at the Centre for Buddhist Studies at RYI.  Our best wishes for you and we hope to see you again in Boudhanath!

John Pickens who we all know as 'Zim', successfully defended on Friday his Master of Arts thesis.  Zim's dissertation title is:  I Remember Seeing Blue: Reflexive Awareness and Memory in Dignāga Pramāṇasamuccaya . Zim's dissertation supervisor was Karin Meyers ( PhD, University of Chicago), and the external examiner was John Dunne ( PhD, Harvard University ) . Zim joined RYI in 2009. He is also an active member supporting Phakchok Rinpoche's activities.  Congratulations, Zim, we will miss you a lot! 

Congratulations Sophie! Today Sophie Pickens  successfully defended her Master of Arts thesis at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute.  Her thesis is titled:  Divine Blue Water: The Contamination Purifying Smoke Offering by the Great Master Padmasambhava .   Sophie's dissertation supervisor was Dr. Karin Meyers ( PhD, University of Chicago), and the external examiner was Dr. Abraham Zablocki ( PhD, Cornell University). Sophie is a well-loved teacher and talented translator at RYI. We are very happy for her success! Sophie will return to the States  this week, and we will greatly miss her.  We wish you all the best, Sophie, and hope that you will be back with us soon...

Congratulations go out to Joyadip (Dhammadipa), who successfully defended his Master of Arts Thesis! " A Study of the Vijñaptimātra Doctrine of Vasubandhu and Dharmapāla in the Context of Critiques Found in Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra". The thesis supervisor was Thomas H. Doctor and the External Reader was Dr. Douglas S.Duckworth from East Tennessee State University, USA.  Joyadip (Dhammadipa), a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk, studied at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, before joining the Master of Arts program at the Centre for Buddhist Studies at RYI.  After his MA graduation Joyadip started working for an E-learning program at a  Buddhist University in Thailand.  Our best wishes for you and we hope to see you again in Boudhanath!

Congratulations to Ryan Conlon ( Lungtok Rabsel ) for passing his Master of Arts (MA) thesis defense! The title of his thesis is: 'Waves on the Ocean:  Tracing the fault-lines of ontological commitments in the Madhyamaka conventional truth.' The thesis supervisor was Dr. Thomas H. Doctor and the External Reader was Dr. Douglas Duckworth.  Ryan Conlon from Canada is a monk at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery. He now completed his studies at the Centre for Buddhist Studies but continues to study in the monastic shedra together with the monks.

Congratulations to Leonard Brouwer, who successfully defended his Master of Arts Thesis on Friday, July 22. Leo's Dissertation Titel is: 'The Bodhicaryāvatāra-Ṭippaṇī A Study and Edition of a Commentary on the Bodhicaryāvatāra'. The Dissertation Supervisor was Dr. David V. Fiordalis and the external Examiner was Dr. Harunaga Isaacson from University of Hamburg, Germany.  What are your plans now Leo?

Congratulations go out to Benjamin Collet-Cassart, who successfully defended his Master of Arts Thesis! The Generic Commentaries on Development Stage in the 18th and 19th Centuries A.D. A Study and Translation of Kunkhyen Tenpe Nyima's "Compendium of Key Instructions". Benjamin's dissertation supervisor was Dr. Andreas Doctor (Ph.D., University of Calgary) and the external examiner was Dr. Cameron Warner from Aarhus University, Denmark. Benjamin is a faculty member at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute and will be teaching Classical Tibetan and Translation Project class in the 2011/12 term.

Congratulations go out to Zachary Beer, from the USA, who on October 7 defended his Master of Art thesis in front of a committee consisting of Dr. Andreas Doctor Ph.D. (University of Calgary) and Dr. David Fiordalis Ph.D. ( University of Michigan ). Zack's thesis title was:  'The Science of the Development Stage: A Study and Translation of Shechen Gyaltsab’s General Outline of the Development Stage' .   Many congratulations, Zack!