Category: Academic Projects

Join us Live on Zoom and Facebook!

March 23, 2021: 3 PM Eastern Time

Professor Douglas Duckworth has received a distinguished research grant for his achievements in the field. Join with other scholars and translators in the field who will celebrate and discuss Shantideva’s classic text The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicaryāvatāra) and its Tibetan Commentaries.

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Join us for a roundtable discussion on one of the most important works of Buddhist literature that has now become one of the most popular western Buddhist books in translation, The Way of the Bodhisattva.

With Doulgas Duckworth, José Cabezón, Jonathan Gold, and Wulstan Fletcher.

3 PM Eastern Time, 12 Pacific, Tuesday, March 23rd. 

You can join anytime here on Facebook Live, or REGISTER FOR ZOOM ACCESS HERE.

Douglas Duckworth will present his ongoing work on Künzang Sönam’s commentary on The Way of the Bodhisattva and then we will have a roundtable discussion and responses from José Cabezón, Jonathan Gold, and Wulstan Fletcher.

Awarding the Tsadra Foundation Distinguished Research Grant in Tibetan Buddhist Studies

Recommended Reading:

Readings of Śāntideva’s Guide to Bodhisattva Practice. Edited by Jonathan Gold and Douglas Duckworth. Columbia University Press, 2019.

Śāntideva’s eighth-century work, the Guide to Bodhisattva Practice (Bodhicaryāvatāra), is known for its eminently practical instructions and its psychologically vivid articulations of the Mahāyāna path. It is a powerful, succinct poem into which are woven diverse Buddhist traditions of moral transformation, meditative cultivation, and philosophical insight. Since its composition, it has seen continuous use as a ritual, contemplative, and philosophical manual, making it one of the crucial texts of the Buddhist ethical and philosophical tradition.

This book serves as a companion to this Indian Buddhist classic. The fifteen essays contained here illuminate the Guide’s many philosophical, literary, ritual, and ethical dimensions. Distinguished scholars discuss the historical significance of the text as an innovative piece of Indian literature, illuminate the important roles it played in shaping Buddhism in Tibet, and bring to light its contemporary significance for philosophy and psychology. Whether experienced or first-time students of Buddhist literature, readers will find compelling new approaches to this resonant masterpiece. (Source)

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The Way of the Bodhisattva. Translated by Wulstan Fletcher and Helena Blankleder of the Padmakara Translation Group. Boulder: Shambhala Publications, 2006.

Often recommended as the best and most readable version of the text in English, Padmakara’s Way of the Bodhisattva is a joy to read and can also be listened to and studied with materials online from Shambhala Publications.

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The Nectar of Manjushri’s Speech: A Detailed Commentary on Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva by Kunzang Peldan. In this commentary, Kunzang Pelden has compiled the pith instructions of his teacher Patrul Rinpoche, the celebrated author of The Words of My Perfect Teacher.

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Tsadra Foundation
Dissertation Fellowship for
Tibetan Buddhist Studies

Announcement!

We are happy to announce the recipients of our new grant for graduate students engaged in Tibetan Buddhist Studies at North American universities.

The recipients of the 2021 fellowship are:

Annie Heckman (University of Toronto)

Khenpo Yeshi (University of California, Berkeley)

Miguel Sawaya (University of Virginia)    

This fellowship program provides one-year grants of $35,000 to graduate students at North American universities in order to support them in their pursuit of dissertation research focused specifically on Tibetan Buddhism. Dissertation research must include significant textual work on Tibetan Buddhist primary sources and include translation into English. 

The purpose of the grant is not only to encourage more research in the area of Tibetan Buddhism but also to encourage the sharing of academic research with the larger world. Within one year of finishing the grant term, recipients will be required to submit an essay aimed at sharing their dissertation research with a nonacademic audience, with the purpose of advancing Buddhist literacy in North America and connecting educated readers with the research of academics on topics in Tibetan Buddhist studies. 

The academic committee, composed of professors at major universities across North America who are leaders in the field, reviewed many detailed applications, deliberated and debated, and finally voted on these candidates from a shortlist of truly amazing scholars.

We wish to congratulate all of the applicants on their wonderful projects and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labors.

Learn More About the 2021 Dissertation Fellowship Recipients

Annie Heckman (University of Toronto)

Annie Heckman is a doctoral candidate in the University of Toronto’s Department for the Study of Religion and Book History and Print Culture collaborative program. Born in Chicago, Heckman studied in the arts (BFA University of Illinois at Chicago, 2002; MFA New York University, 2006), teaching at DePaul University before turning to Tibetan language and literature (University of Chicago Graham School, 2013–14; MA University of Toronto 2016). She contributes to Bird of Paradise Press in Virginia and reviews Dunhuang manuscripts at McMaster University, where she was an Ontario Visiting Graduate Student (2017– 2019). Her dissertation focuses on a Tibetan digest of narratives for nuns’ rules in the Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya.

Dissertation Topic: “Reassembling Discipline: A Study of Butön’s Compendium of Narratives for Nuns”

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Khenpo Yeshi (University of California, Berkeley)

Khenpo Yeshi was born in 1969 in Nakchu, Tibet, and walked across the Himalayas to India as a refugee at the age of 20. There, he pursued studies at several monasteries of the Geluk, Kagyu, and Nyingma schools. After completing a three-year retreat, he taught both monks and westerners at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2001, he moved to the United States and received a B.A. (2012) and an M.A. (2017) from UC Berkeley and is now a doctoral candidate. His research focuses on Tibetan Buddhism and the early development of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) Heart Essence (snying thig) tradition.

Dissertation Topic: “Seeing without Looking: The Eleven Topics and the Formation of Tibet’s Heart Essence”

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Miguel Fares Sawaya (University of Virginia)

Miguel Sawaya holds a BA in Jazz Performance from UCLA and an MA in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism with Tibetan Language from Naropa University. After completing the year-long Translator Training Program at Rangjung Yeshe Institute, Kathmandu University’s Centre for Buddhist Studies, he worked there for six years as a Tibetan language instructor and interpreter for Buddhist philosophy courses taught by monastic instructors. He translates for the 84000 project under the auspices of the Dharmachakra Translation Committee, interprets for several Tibetan Buddhist teachers in a variety of contexts, and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Buddhism at the University of Virginia.

Dissertation Topic: Tsele Natsok Rangrol’s contemplative practice material

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Tsadra Foundation Dissertation Fellowship for Tibetan Buddhist Studies

Description and Purpose

We are happy to announce a new grant for graduate students engaged in Tibetan Buddhist Studies at North American universities. Apply by September 1st for the 2021 fellowship.  

This fellowship program provides two, one-year grants to graduate students at North American universities in order to support them in their pursuit of dissertation research focused specifically on Tibetan Buddhism. Dissertation research must include significant textual work on Tibetan Buddhist primary sources and include translation into English. Two non-renewable grants of $35,000 are available each year beginning in 2021.  

The purpose of the grant is not only to encourage more research in the area of Tibetan Buddhism but also to encourage the sharing of academic research with the larger world. Within one year of finishing the grant term, recipients will be required to submit an essay to the Foundation aimed at sharing their dissertation research with a nonacademic audience, with the purpose of advancing Buddhist literacy in North America and connecting educated readers with the research of academics on topics in Tibetan Buddhist studies. This essay may be published in a magazine or online publication by the recipient, or if no suitable venue is available, it will be published online on the Tsadra Foundation website. Recipients with exceptional research that is ready to be presented at academic venues may also apply for an additional small stipend to travel and present at conferences, meetings, or workshops. 

Eligibility

Graduate students in doctoral programs in North America who are engaged in the study of Tibetan Buddhist texts, practices, and related topics. 

A student is eligible to receive a fellowship if he or she: 

Is a graduate student in good standing at an institution of higher education in North America who, when the fellowship begins, is admitted to candidacy in a doctoral program at that institution–applicants need not be currently ABD, but must have achieved candidacy by the time the grant period begins;

Possesses adequate skills in the language(s) necessary to carry out the dissertation project (i.e., Tibetan and possibly also Sanskrit, Chinese, Pali, or Mongolian.)

Duration of the Grant:

12 Months. The fellowship may not be renewed. 

Terms and ConditionsA fellow shall:

Send a written report after six months and a final report to Tsadra Foundation detailing their progress;

Devote full time to research or writing on the approved dissertation topic;

Remain a student in good standing at his or her institution; and

Maintain satisfactory progress in the conduct of his or her research.

Grant recipients will also be expected to present their dissertation research in public at least once, as part of a workshop, conference, or event organized or supported by Tsadra Foundation. Additional funds will be made available for this, as needed. 

Finally, as described above, recipients will be required to submit an essay aimed at sharing their dissertation work with a nonacademic audience. This essay may be published in a magazine or online publication by the recipient, or if no suitable venue is available, it will be published on the Tsadra Foundation website. 

Applicant Information

Current Grant Applications for summer/fall 2021:

Application deadline: September 1st, 2020 – Notices will be sent by February 1st, 2021. 

To receive this grant, applicants must complete requirements for candidacy in their PhD program by August 31st, 2021, or the start of their grant period, whichever is earlier. 

The application review committee is composed of scholars in the field of Tibetan Buddhist studies with positions at major universities in North America. 

Application Instructions

Interested persons should email the following items to the committee (buddhiststudiesgrant@tsadra.org): 

• A cover letter of no more than 1000 words explaining their dissertation research and the state of their dissertation work
• Academic writing sample 
• Curriculum vitae
• One letter of reference 

No funding may be used for overhead at university institutions and programs. This grant may be held concurrently with other fellowships and grants and any academic appointments. There is no additional financial support for dependents.

Tsadra Foundation is in no way obligated to award any of the candidates who apply for this grant and a decision will be made by the members of the search committee after a thorough review of the submitted documents.

Selection Criteria

• Significance of the topic and its potential contribution to Tibetan Buddhist studies
• Potential for advancing the objective of public Buddhist literacy
• Feasibility and clarity of work plan and likelihood of completing dissertation
• Academic track record
• Writing Quality

Application Contact

Email your complete application to buddhiststudiesgrant@tsadra.org

This email will be viewable by the entire academic committee that will choose the grant recipients. If you have a simple question, please direct it to:  

Marcus Perman
Executive Director
Tsadra Foundation
research@tsadra.org