Callahan, E.

Callahan, E. on the DRL

Translators • Authors of English Works

Elizabeth Callahan

English Phonetics	Elizabeth Callahan

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Contact information

Website:	http://www.tsadra.org/translators/elizabeth-callahan/

About

Primary Language:	English
Translates from:	Tibetan
Translates to:	English

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

Tsadra Foundation; Director of Study Scholarships

Secondary Affiliation

Marpa Foundation; Tsadra Advisory Board Member

Religious Affiliation

Kagyu; Tibetan Buddhism

Teachers

Gyamtso, Khenpo Tsultrim

Current projects

o Moonbeams: An Eloquent Elucidation of the Meditation Techniques of the Definitive Meaning, Mahāmudrā (Nges don phyag rgya chen po’i sgom rim gsal bar byed pa’i legs bshad zla ba’i ’od zer) by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Vajra Vidya edition, 530 pgs)

o Mahāmudrā: Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance (Phyag rgya chen po ma rig mun sel) by the ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (Rigpe Dorje Practice Series, volume 10, 38 pgs)

o Pointing Out the Dharmakāya With a Direct Gesture: Instructions on Connate Union, Mahāmudrā (Phyag rgya chen po lhan cig skyes sbyor gyi khrid chos sku mdzub tshugs su ngo sprod pa) by the ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje (Rigpe Dorje Practice Series, volume 10, 33 pgs)

o Clarifying the Suchness of the Innate State: A Major Commentary on the Definitive Meaning, Mahāmudrā (Nges don phyag rgya chen po’i khrid yig chen mo gnyug ma’i de nyid gsal ba) by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Rigpe Dorje Practice Series, volume 11, 52 pgs)

Biographical Information

Elizabeth M. Callahan is a Tibetan translator of the Kagyu tradition. She completed two three-year retreats in the Karma Kagyu tradition under the guidance of Kalu Rinpoche, is a student of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and has been a Tsadra Foundation Fellow since 2002. Her previous translations include The Treasury of Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy by Jamgön Kongtrul, The Profound Inner Reality by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, and Moonbeams of Mahāmudrā by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal.

Links

Wiki Pages

• Callahan, E. on the DRL
• Callahan, E. on the LIB
• Callahan, E. on the DNZ
• Callahan, E. on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
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All beings have Buddha-nature
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If "Qualified", explain:
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Which Wheel Turning
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Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
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Zhentong vs Rangtong
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Promotes how many vehicles?
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Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
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What is Buddha-nature?
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Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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Other Information

• Elizabeth's user page

The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa.

Mahāmudrā refers to an advanced meditation tradition in Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna forms of Into-Tibetan Buddhism that is focused on the realization of the empty and luminous nature of the mind. It also refers to the resultant state of buddhahood attained through such meditation practice. In Tibet, this tradition is particularly associated with the Kagyu school, although all other schools also profess this tradition. The term also appears as part of the four seals, alongside dharmamūdra, samayamudrā, and karmamudrā.

Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.