UPDATE: We wish to keep this letter of appreciation going for all who wish to sign it. We will send an updated letter to the Buddhist Literary Heritage Project for all the translators in the future. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche has set a goal to collect thousands of "signatures of appreciation" in support of Dharma translators worldwide. TOGETHER LET'S LET THE TRANSLATORS KNOW HOW VALUED THEY ARE! Send this to your local Sanghas and communities. --> For more on the Translating the Words of the Buddha conference, visit us at: http://www.facebook.com/group.phpgid=59296950597 --> For more on the conference sponsor, visit: http://khyentsefoundation.org/ TRANSLATING THE WORDS OF THE BUDDHA A Landmark Translation Conference Draws the World’s Leading Translators to Remote Himalayan Region Many of the world’s leading Tibetan-English translators are gathering March 15-20, 2009 in the tiny Indian village of Bir in northern India to map out the future of Dharma translation for generations to come. What they decide could help make Buddha Shakyamini’s core teachings available to millions worldwide. The Translating the Words of the Buddha Conference will be hosted by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the Khyentse Foundation at Deer Park Institute, a centre for study of classical Indian wisdom traditions. Leaders of all four Tibetan Buddhist lineages, including H.H the Dalai Lama, H.H the Karmapa, and H.H the Sakya Trizin have offered their blessings and supported to this landmark initiative. Participants include seven Rinpoches: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche Trulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche Doboom Trulku Rinpoche Trulku Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche Also attending are luminaries such as Gene Smith, Matthieu Ricard and Bob Thurman, and top translators from all four Tibetan Buddhist lineages, representatives from the major Tibetan-English translation houses around the world, and a number of publishers and patrons. The agenda includes topics such as initiating the full translation of the entire Buddhist canon, including the 108-volume Kangyur—the Buddha’s direct teachings that include many sutras never before translated into English. Translating those teachings from Sanskrit to Tibetan 1,000 years ago took nearly 100 years under Tibetan royal patronage. This gathering is intended to generate the collaboration among translators required to realize this vision in the west.