“One thing we must recognize is that what we are doing here, translating these ancient yet timeless Tibetan Buddhist scriptures and treatises into western languages, and maintaining the unbroken golden lineage through study, reflection, meditation, and ritual arts—this is no different from the great enlightened deeds accomplished during the golden era in Tibet, where the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen, the Great Master Padmasambhava, and the Abbot Shantarakshita gathered in the land of snows to bring the heritage and tradition of Buddhism from India to Tibet…

The great translators and panditas worked together under the guidance of these great beings to accurately and unerringly translate the profound, sacred Sanskrit and Pali languages into the language of Tibet. With all of the auspicious interdependent conditions coming together in such a way, all the tools needed to bring the Buddha’s teachings into Tibet were already intact.

In the same way, when we are all gathered together under such auspicious circumstances, if we do not make use of this window of time to accomplish the immense task of bringing the sacred words of the great masters into the western tongue, we cannot expect these conditions to come together again in the future. We have all gathered together in this way due to many lifetimes of aspirations and positive karmic connections. The force of these aspirations has brought us together in this way, and now we have the capacity to accomplish this. If we do not accomplish this now, it will never be done, or if it is done, it will not be done with the pristine care and accuracy necessary to preserve it as an authentic source of benefit and happiness to all who encounter it.”

—Lama Chödak Gyatso Nubpa