Julia Stenzel

Julia Stenzel earned a MA in Buddhist Studies from the University of the West, Los Angeles, and a PhD from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She received a monastic contemplative education in the Tibetan Karma Kagyü tradition from the late Lama Gendun Rinpoche, a Mahāmudrā master from Eastern Tibet, who established several monasteries and retreat centers in France. She spent a decade in three consecutive three year retreats at Dhagpo Kundrol Ling.

Her research areas include Buddhist ethics, Buddhist contemplative traditions, and the Buddhism-science dialogue in the context of compassion cultivation. She has taught academic and Dharma classes on these and related topics. In addition, she regularly participates in translation projects and is a member of the Sakya Pandita Translation Group, the Chödung Karmo Translation Group, and the Subhashita Translation Group.

She supervised research activities at Rangjung Yeshe Institute on Losar, the Tibetan New Year and on Buddhist meditation traditions.

Selected Publications

 “The Sciencization of Compassion.” (Journal of Dharma Studies. Springer, 2020).

“The Four Joys in the Teaching of Nāropa and Maitrīpa.” (International Indian Journal of Buddhist Studies 16, 2015)

“The Mahāmudrā of Sakya Paṇḍita.” (International Indian Journal of Buddhist Studies 15, 2014)

 “Buddhist Monasteries of the Thai Forest Tradition in Ontario.” (In Consecrated Life in Canada, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2015)

“Saraha’s Dohakośa Mahāmudrā Upadeśa as an Example of Early Mahāmudrā Literature.” (In Buddhism, Buddhists and Buddhist Studies, Buddhist World Press, 2012)

Translations and Participation in Translations

The Birth of a Bodhisattva. Commentary by Khenchen Appey Rinpoche on the Bodhicaryāvatāra. Chödung Karmo Translation Publishing. Forthcoming 2021.

Pith Instructions of Tokmé Zangpo (thogs med kyi zhal gdam) by Khenchen Appey Rinpoche. (Chödung Karmo Translation Publishing, 2018)

The Questions of Tokden Gyan (Rtogs ldan rgyan)

The Noble Ākāśagarbha Mahāyāna Sūtra and The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra entitled The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhavati.  (Sakya Paṇḍita Translation Group for84000 Translating the Words of the Buddha: http://read.84000.co )

See also

“Teaching Wisdom (?)” Presentation at the conference New Paths in Teaching Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto and Ho Center of Buddhist Studies, 2020.

“Up Close with a Translator: Julia Stenzel” Interview on the translation of the The Noble Ākāśagarbha Mahāyāna Sūtra by the Sakya Paṇḍita Translation Group for84000.