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Sonam Spitz was born in 1984 in Germany. From 2006 - 09 he studied at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu/Nepal and graduated with a BA degree in Buddhist Studies with Himalayan Language. From 2009 he studied Classical Indology at the university of Hamburg/Germany and graduated there with another BA in 2012 and a MA in 2015. Since 2009 he is also working as an interpreter for Tibetan speaking Buddhist teachers and as translator of written texts of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Sonam Spitz speaks German, English and Tibetan and works to a considerable extend with Sanskrit sources. From 2016-17 he was employed as a lecturer for Tibetan and Sanskrit at the university of Copenhagen. Since 2015 he participates in the Vikramashila Translation Commitee under the guidance of Khenchen Nyima Gyaltsen. ([https://www.drikungtranslation.com/translators/#Sonam Source Accessed June 10, 2021]) +
Mr. Kazi, a Buddhist from Sikkim, was born in 1925. On finishing his studies in India in 1948, he was appointed by the Government of Sikkim as the Interpreter and Guide during the late His Holiness the XVI Karmapa's first visit to India on pilgrimage. In 1949, he joined the Indian Mission, Lhasa, and with H. E. Richardson, the then Officer-in-Charge, travelled to many important historical places and assisted him
in his translation of the ancient historical edicts of Tibet. Mr. Richardson has acknowledged his help in the Ancient Historical Edicts at Lhasa, published by The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1952. During his seven-year stay in Tibet (1949-56), Mr. Kazi had the unique occasion to meet and receive instructions from many highly realized Dzog-chen Gurus.
He returned to Sikkim in early 1956 and joined the Cultural Department of the Indian Political Office. In the same year, during the official visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to India, when India was celebrating the 2500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lord Buddha, Mr. Kazi acted as Chief Interpreter. When the Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959, Mr. Kazi joined the Indian officials who met him at the border. From then until 1972, he held the post of Official Interpreter, Government of India, attached to the Dalai Lama.
During this period, he was also the translator into English of His Holiness' memoir, My Land and My People (1963); as an art expert attached to Tibet House Museum, New Delhi, he produced three art catalogues for the museum and one for the Tibetan Art Exhibition in Tokyo; at the behest of His Holiness, he organized the editing and publishing of the 130-volume Encyclopedia Tibetica for Tibet House Library, New Delhi.
In 1969, he began publishing the Nga-gyur Nying-may Sung-rab Series on his own, consisting of over 100 volumes of rare books on Dzog-chen that were fast disappearing from Tibet. He also directed and helped produce six documentary films for the French Radio-Television on rare, secret Tantric performances by the highest ranking Tibetan Gurus from the four schools of Tibet.
He first visited the United States in 1967, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, under the Council on Leaders and Specialists of the Experiment in International Living. During that time, he attended the Twenty-Seventh Orientalists' Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as one of twenty-two invitees from India.
In 1968, when the late Father Thomas Merton visited India, Mr. Kazi was instrumental in introducing Dzog-chen to him, as recorded in Merton's Asian Journal.
His second visit to the United States was in 1969, at the invitation of the late Alan Watts, head of the Society for Comparative Philosophy, San Francisco, under the sponsorship of Douglas A. Campbell. He held joint conferences on meditation with Alan Watts and others at Esalen, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. He and his family, which included his daughter, Jetsün Rinpoche, the heart reincarnation of the late Most Reverend Shugseb Jetsün Lochen Rinpoche of Tibet, stayed for a week at the San Francisco Zen Center as guests of the late Suzuki-roshi. It was during this visit to the United States that he organized the Long-chen Nying-tig Buddhist Society, the first Dzog-chen meditation center in New York, sponsored by a group of Dharma seekers headed by Paul M. Postal.
In 1971, a second center was opened in Philadelphia, sponsored by Barry and Marilyn Peril. In the winter of that year, Mr. Kazi was able to invite the late His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche to New York for the first time to bless the students of these two centers. With the appreciable initial help of Allan and Roberta Ehrlich and later with the help of Marleen Pennison, Mr. Kazi continued to teach a group of students in New York for over thirty years.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered Dzog-chen teachings for the first time in this country, on October 8 and 9, 1989, in San Jose, he specially asked Mr. Kazi to attend in order to translate talks on Dzog-chen. On the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to London in September 1994, Mr. Kazi was also invited by His Holiness to attend a special reunion lunch with a small group of people who had had the privilege to live, visit, and work in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion of the country in 1950. Members exchanged their experiences and memories of that time and prepared an informal statement testifying to Tibet’s prior independence.
As founder of Diamond Lotus Publishing, Mr. Kazi translated several books as part of the Nga-gyur Nying-may Sung-rab English Translation Series. Kün-zang La-may Zhal-lung, Part One and Kün-zang La-may Zhal-lung, Part Two & Part Three, Volumes IV and V in the series, are the first volumes to be published. ([https://diamondlotusfoundation.com/the-translator.html Source Accessed April 18, 2025])
Sonam received his PhD (2002) from the University of Tasmania as well as the Acharya (MA equivalent) from the Central University of Tibetan Studies. This double qualification is unique in Australia. His traditional Tibetan research experience, and native fluency in the languages necessary for this research are essential to the demand of this type of project. He is also well established in Western philosophy and has the capability to bring his projects into dialogue with the West through his trans-cultural communication and interpretation skills. He is an experienced and productive scholar in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy with a good track record of research, including the preparation of scholarly translations, philosophical study of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, cross-cultural philosophy that brings together Indian, Tibetan and Western philosophy, and research in the Indian epistemology, ethics and logic. He has good experience in long-term scholarly projects, in team research, and on projects that involve collaboration with Western colleagues on translation and interpretation. He is also an experienced postgraduate research supervisor with a good completion record. He brings to this project research management skills, philological skills, philosophical skills and linguistic skills negotiating and crossing the boundaries between Indo-Tibetan and Western philosophical traditions. Sonam is one of very few Australasian scholars, and indeed, the only Tibetan philosopher, with experience in the study of Indo-Tibetan philosophy and in collaboration with Western colleagues.
Sonam is also involved with wide range of ecumenical and socially engaging services with the aims of strengthening the Asian philosophy Programs, and fostering a wider appreciation of Asian thought within the Tasmanian community through the school visits, public talks, and leading group discussion/reading groups. Sonam is also passionate about forging a closer connection between mindfulness-meditation, phenomenology and philosophy. ([https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/humanities/sonam-thakchoe Source Accessed May 12, 2021])
Songtsen Gampo was the first of Tibet's three great religious kings and was an emanation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It was during his reign that the first Buddhist temples in Tibet, the Rasa Trulnang (future Jokhang) and the Ramoche, were built. He married the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti and the Chinese princess Wencheng. (Source: [https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Songtsen_Gampo Rigpa Wiki]) +
Sonia Sikka is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Ottawa. Her primary areas of research are German philosophy, multiculturalism, secularism, religion, and race. Dr. Sikka's recent publications include ''Heidegger, Morality and Politics''
(in press, Cambridge University Press); "Heidegger's Argument for the Existence of God?" (''Sophia'', 2016); "On Translating Religious Reasons: Rawls, Habermas and the Quest for a Neutral Public Sphere" (''Review of Politics'', 2016); ''Living with Religious Diversity'', ed. with Bindu Puri and Lori Beaman (Routledge, 2015); and ''Multiculturalism & Religious Identity: Canada and India'', ed. with Lori Beaman (McGill-Queen's Press, 2014).
(Source: [https://research.tsadra.org/index.php/Ethics_without_Self,_Dharma_without_Atman Ethics without Self, Dharma without Atman]) +
Sophie Francis Kidd has worked as a lecturer in the English department of the University of Vienna. She has translated the work of Erich Frauwallner in ''Studies in Abhidharma Literature and the Origins of Buddhist Philosophical Systems'' (SUNY 1995). +
http://www.wcu.edu/academics/departments-schools-colleges/cas/casdepts/pardept/philosophy-and-religion-faculty/michelle-sorensen.asp +
Span Hanna began studying Modern Standard Chinese (Putonghua, or Mandarin) in 1983 at the University of Adelaide as part of a B.A. degree. He followed this up with private study and lived and worked in China on two occasions for a total of four years. The latter experience broadened his knowledge of the language and gave him a considerable understanding of its use in Chinese society and culture. Since returning to Australia in 1993 he has maintained an interest in Chinese matters while working primarily as a schoolteacher. ([https://www.linkedin.com/in/span-hanna-99804355/?originalSubdomain=au Adapted from Source Nov 29, 2023]) +
Sridhar Tripathi is a renowned academic and author, particularly known for his contributions to the fields of Buddhist studies, Indian history, and social sciences.
He served as the Ex Director of the Mithila Research Institute in Darbhanga, Bihar, and held various academic positions such as Lecturer, Reader, and Professor at the same institute.
Dr. Tripathi has a robust educational background, having completed degrees in B.A., B.Ed., M.A., M.Ed., Ph.D., and D.Litt. from various universities in India. He is the author of several books, including the ''Encyclopaedia of Pali Literature'' and ''Encyclopaedia on Ambedkar''. The ''Encyclopaedia of Pali Literature'' provides a comprehensive overview of Pali texts, both canonical and post-canonical, and is a significant resource for the study of early Buddhism and ancient Indian history.
Dr. Tripathi has also contributed extensively to Indian and foreign professional journals, showcasing his broad range of scholarly interests and expertise. +
Joan Stambaugh was an American philosopher and professor of philosophy at City University of New York. She was an interpreter and translator of Martin Heidegger's writings, specifically known for her translation of ''Being and Time'' into English. She is the author of several works dealing with Buddhist and Existentialist topics, including ''Impermanence is Buddha-Nature: Dogen’s Understanding of Temporality'' (1990), ''The Other Nietzsche'' (1994), and ''The Formless Self'' (1999). ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Stambaugh Source Accessed April 1, 2020]) +
Stanislaw Schayer (born May 8, 1899 in Sędziszów, Poland, died December 1, 1941 in Otwock, Poland) was a linguist, Indologist, philosopher, professor at the University of Warsaw. In 1922, he founded, and was the first director, of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the University of Warsaw. He was a member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Warsaw Scientific Society. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislaw_Schayer Source Accessed Aug 24, 2023]) +
Stanley Frye was a translator of Buddhist texts who is best known for his English translation of the ''Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish'' (Mongolian: ''Uliger-un dalai'' or "Ocean of Narratives"), which was published in 1981 by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala.
Frye translated this work from Mongolian, working with a text that had a complex transmission history—originally heard by Chinese monks in Khotan, translated into Chinese, then into Tibetan, and finally into Mongolian. ''The Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish'' is considered one of the great treasures of Buddhist literature, containing Jatakas (rebirth stories) that trace the causes of present tragedies in human lives to events in former lifetimes.
The text contains parables demonstrating the workings of cause and effect, tracing the source of present troubles to actions in former lives Vedic Books. For centuries, it has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration, instruction and pleasure for readers.
Frye's translation has been widely cited in Buddhist studies bibliographies and continues to be referenced by scholars and practitioners. His work made this important Buddhist scripture accessible to English-speaking audiences, contributing to the broader availability of Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhist literature in the West. +
Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah (16 January 1929– 19 January 2014) was a social anthropologist and Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor (Emeritus) of Anthropology at Harvard University. He specialised in studies of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tamils, as well as the anthropology of religion and politics. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Jeyaraja_Tambiah Source Accessed Apr 17, 2023]) +
Stanton Marlan, Ph.D., ABPP, FABP is an American clinical psychologist, Jungian psychoanalyst, author, and educator. Marlan has authored or edited scores of publications in Analytical Psychology (Jungian Psychology) and Archetypal Psychology. Three of his more well-known publications are ''The Black Sun''. ''The Alchemy and Art of Darkness'', ''C. G. Jung and the Alchemical Imagination'', and ''Jung's Alchemical Philosophy''. Marlan is also known for his polemics with German Jungian psychoanalyst Wolfgang Giegerich. Marlan co-founded the Pittsburgh Society of Jungian Analysts and was the first director and training coordinator of the C. G. Jung Institute Analyst Training Program of Pittsburgh. Currently, Marlan is in private practice and serves as adjunct professor of Clinical Psychology at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanton_Marlan Source Accessed June 14, 2023]) +
Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. She is the author or co-author of thirteen books, including ''The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess'' and the ecotopian novel ''The Fifth Sacred Thing'', and its sequel ''City of Refuge''.
Her most recent non-fiction book is ''The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups'', on group dynamics, power, conflict and communications.
Starhawk founded [http://www.earthactivisttraining.org/ Earth Activist Training], teaching permaculture design grounded in spirituality and with a focus on activism. She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism.
Her works have been translated into Spanish, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Japanese, and Burmese. Her essays are reprinted across the world, and have been included in numerous anthologies. Starhawk's writing is influential and has been quoted by hundreds of other authors, turning up in magazines, trade and academic press, and even inspirational calendars. Her books are often found in college curriculums. The Spiral Dance has been continuously in-print for over twenty-five years and revised twice; in 1999 HarperSanFrancisco published the Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery won the Media Alliance Meritorious Achievement Award for nonfiction in 1988. Starhawk's first novel, The Fifth Sacred Thing, won the Lambda award for best Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction in 1994. Many of Starhawk's best political essays--credited with helping the global justice movement find and define itself--were collected into her book Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising. At the Book Expo America, Webs of Power won a 2003 Nautilus Award from the trade association NAPRA. For more, please see [http://starhawk.org/about/biography/ personal website].
Stefan Anacker born in the USA of Swiss parents received his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin in Buddhist studies. He has also studied Sankrit and Old Kannada at the University of Mysore. At present he is a research scholar living in Lausanne Switzerland. ([https://www.namsebangdzo.com/Seven-Works-of-Vasubandhu-Anacker-p/11903.htm Source Accessed Feb 13, 2023]) +
Stefan Mang, a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 2004, has been studying Buddhist philosophy and literary Tibetan since 2010 at Rigpa Shedra East in Nepal. From 2011 until 2018 he studied at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, where he completed his BA and MA degrees. He works with Lhasey Lotsawa Translations and Publications, their Nekhor project, Lotsawa House, and 84000. (Source: [https://samyeinstitute.org/instructors/stefan-mang/ Samye Institute, Accessed August 28, 2023].) +
Laureata in Lingue Orientali e con Dottorato in Indo-tibetologia, studia e pratica discipline orientali da oltre vent’anni. Si e’ formata come insegnante di Yoga Evolutivo presso l’Associazione Mandala ed e’ istruttore Mindfulness accreditata dal Center For Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society dell¹Università Medica del Massachussets. Ha collaborato con i carceri di Regina Coeli e Rebibbia per la creazione di progetti di yoga e meditazione per i detenuti. Lavora stabilmente presso l’Associazione Mandala dove conduce corsi di Yoga Evolutivo e meditazione. ([https://mandala.it/chi-siamo/lo-staff/ Source Accessed July 11, 2023]) +
Stefano Zacchetti (1968 – April 29, 2020) was an Italian academic specialising in Buddhist studies. From 2012 until his death in 2020 he was Yehan Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Oxford and a professorial fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.
Born in 1968, Zacchetti studied Chinese and Sanskrit at Ca' Foscari University of Venice from 1986 to 1994, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree; this included two years of study abroad, at Sichuan University (1990–92). He then carried out doctoral studies at Venice and spent time studying at the Sinologisch Instituut and the Kern Institute at Leiden University. Ca' Foscari University of Venice awarded him a PhD in Asian Studies in 1999.
Zacchetti taught Sinology at University of Padua for the 1999–2000 academic year. In 2001, he was appointed an associate professor at the International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Sōka University in Tokyo. He returned to Ca' Foscari University of Venice in 2005 to take up a tenured lectureship in the Department of Asian and North African Studies. In the autumn of 2011 he was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2012, he was appointed Yehan Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Oxford and a professorial fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.
Zacchetti died on 29 April 2020 from COVID-19. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefano_Zacchetti Source Accessed Aug 11, 2023]) +
Sten Konow (17 April 1867 – 29 June 1948) was a Norwegian Indologist. He was professor of Indic philology at the Christiania University, Oslo, from 1910, moving to Hamburg University in 1914, where he was professor for Indian history and culture. He returned to Oslo as professor for Indian languages and history in 1919.
He translated Rajasekhara's ''Karpuramanjari'', which was published as volume 4 of the Harvard Oriental Series in 1901. ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sten_Konow Source Accessed Aug 17, 2021]) +
