Gethin, S.

Gethin, S. on the DRL

Stephen Gethin

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

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Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

Contact information

Website:	http://www.tsadra.org/stephen-gethin.html

About

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

Primary Affiliation (Workplace)

Padmakara Translation Group; Tsadra Foundation

Secondary Affiliation

Songtsen; Padmakara

Religious Affiliation

Nyingma; Tibetan Buddhism; Kagyu; Chanteloube, France

Current projects

Current Projects as a Tsadra Foundation Fellow
• Mahayana-Sutralankara, Maitreya-Asanga, commentary by Jamgön Mipham • Commentary on the Khandro Nyingthig Preliminaries, Dudjom Rinpoche • Garland of Views, Guru Rinpoche, commentary by Jamgön Mipham

Education

MA Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge University, England

Biographical Information

Stephen Gethin studied veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, where he was also awarded a choral exhibition. After a number of years in professional practice, he spent much of the 1980s undertaking two three-year retreats in France, where he now lives and, as a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group, continues to translate. He became a Tsadra Foundation Translation Fellow in 2005. His published translations include Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, Zurchungpa’s Testament, Dudjom Rinpoche’s A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom, and Jamgön Mipham’s commentaries on Padmasambhava’s Garland of Views and the Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra. He is currently working on a detailed preliminary practice commentary by Shechen Gyaltsap and on a volume of Jamgön Kongtrul’s Treasury of Precious Instructions. (Source Accessed Sept 18, 2020)

Links

Wiki Pages

• Gethin, S. on the DRL
• Gethin, S. on the LIB
• Gethin, S. 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

• Stephen's user page

The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century.

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.

Mahāyāna, or the Great Vehicle, refers to the system of Buddhist thought and practice which developed around the beginning of Common Era, focusing on the pursuit of the state of full enlightenment of the Buddha through the realization of the wisdom of emptiness and the cultivation of compassion.

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.