Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts Nurtures the Next Generation of Buddhist Translators

To continue the brilliant tradition of Buddhist translation that has flourished for centuries and to promote the exchange of Buddhist scholarship between East and West, the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts (DILA) held the 2026 Classical Buddhist Chinese Summer Program from July 26 to August 15. The 21-day program was jointly led by Associate Professor Matthew Orsborn (歐慧峰) of DILA and Dr. Thomas Newhall of the University of Tokyo, who guided 17 graduate students in strengthening their ability to interpret and translate Buddhist scriptures through hands-on practice.

Dr. Matthew Orsborn, who organized this unique program, explained that courses focusing on the Classical Buddhist Chinese are rare worldwide, while a summer program specifically designed for graduate students is particularly distinctive to DILA. The workshop has received strong recognition from scholars and students researching Buddhism and Classical Chinese, resulting in more enthusiastic enrollment than in the previous two years. This year’s readings focused primarily on selected works concerning bodhisattvas and Mahayana literature, as well as texts from the modern and contemporary periods related to monastic precepts and the functioning of Buddhist monasteries.


As part of the program, students explored DILA’s library and examined various editions of the Buddhist canon. They also became familiar with the use of Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association (CBETA) online resources. By integrating textual criticism and linguistics with small-group discussions, the program enhanced the students’ practical research and translation skills. Dr. Thomas Newhall mentioned that the students were all outstanding and that having the rare opportunity to focus together on reading and studying Buddhist texts was especially valuable. He offered his blessings that they would continue in the future to “delve deeply into the Buddhist scriptures and cultivate wisdom as vast as the sea.”

Ben, from New York, shared that he loves nature and will begin studying in DILA’s Department of Life Education after the summer. Inspired by the writings of Master Sheng Yen, he came to audit classes on campus last year. He found that studying Buddhism was not only deeply meaningful, but also can help others and help him to better understand himself. Humbly acknowledging that his Chinese is still at an intermediate level, he said that because he already has some familiarity with Chinese and a connection with Chinese Buddhism, he hopes to seek wisdom through the original language of Buddhist scriptures.

Zhang Long-Yu (張龍宇), a doctoral student at Ghent University in Belgium, said that because Ghent University and DILA are sister institutions, students enrolled in the dual-degree program recommended DILA as a place to study Buddhist texts. She felt that the DILA campus environment was especially conducive to focused academic research. She was particularly grateful to Professor Matthew Orsborn for organizing the program. As a linguistics researcher, she found the group discussions and exchanges especially valuable, while the tea meditation experience, campus tours, and visits to the National Palace Museum also provided her with many sources of inspiration.

Ling Zhi-Ling (凌芷玲), a master’s student in the Department of Buddhist Studies at DILA, demonstrated the warmth and hospitality characteristic of Taiwanese students by warmly caring for graduate students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, mainland China, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and other places. She said that both instructors were deeply committed to the program and made every effort to balance the participants’ areas of expertise within each group, resulting in lively and engaging discussions. The students greatly enjoyed the campus and were also full of praise for Taiwan’s delicious food.

DILA stated that it has now held the Classical Buddhist Chinese Summer Program for three consecutive years. The institute hopes to continue the great aspiration of the Buddhist translators of past generations by helping the profound teachings of wisdom and compassion to reach an ever-wider audience. Scholars from around the world who are interested in studying and promoting Chinese Chan Buddhism are warmly invited to study at DILA. For information about the comprehensive continuing-education programs offered by DILA’s Department of Buddhist Studies, please visit Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts：(https://www-en.dila.edu.tw/)。


◎ Photo: Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts
◎ Original text in Chinese: 張曜鐘
◎ Translation: Patricia Yang 
◎ Editing: Keith Brown