Recovery Dharma Asian Language Translation Project
Draft 2
About the Project
Recovery Dharma is a community of people who support each other by using Buddhist principles and practices to ease the suffering of addiction.
Some of us are Buddhists and some of us are not, but we have found that the ancient practices of mindfulness meditation, ethical conduct, and compassionate self-reflection have improved our lives and supported our recovery.
The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path sit at the heart of our approach. By practicing mindfulness, cultivating ethical intentions and actions, and working to understand the nature of craving and suffering, many of us have begun to loosen the hold that addiction once had on our lives.
We are working to create clear, accurate, and culturally grounded translations that help people feel welcomed and understood in their own language. We recognize a simple truth: recovery becomes more accessible when teachings are offered in the languages people use every day.
We would be grateful for any opportunity to collaborate with sanghas, monastics, translators, and recovery practitioners across the globe. Our hope is that these translations will open new doorways for connection, healing, and shared practice.
The Translations
English Language Source
The English edition of the Recovery Dharma book is the foundation of the entire translation project. All translated versions begin here. This source expresses the core teachings, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the community principles, we use to guide people in recovery.
Audio Introductions
Listen to spoken introductions to the Recovery Dharma book in each translated language. These audio files provide an accessible entry point to the teachings and practices.
Translation Masters
Each language team works from a structured Translation Master. These pages are designed to support careful, human-guided translation by presenting the English source and the draft translation side by side. Volunteers can review, correct, and refine each paragraph, helping us ensure accuracy, clarity, and cultural sensitivity.
Translation Master Links
Print Masters
Each Print Master is a clean, accessible version of the translated text. These pages are designed to read well on the screen and also convert easily into a high-quality PDF.
Print Master Links
How You Can Participate
This translation project depends on the shared effort of translators, volunteers, sanghas, monastics, and supporters across the Recovery Dharma community. If you feel called to help, there are many ways to participate. Every contribution, large or small, helps someone gain access to teachings that may support them on their path of recovery.
For Translators
- Review and refine the translated text using the Translation Master pages.
- Offer suggestions for clarity, accuracy, and cultural understanding.
- Help shape the language used for Buddhist and recovery terms across the project.
For Buddhist Scholars and Teachers
- Provide guidance on how teachings and terminology resonate in your community.
- Review sections of the translation to ensure cultural and spiritual fit.
- Share insights about local needs and practices that may help refine our work.
For Partners
- Support the development of printed and digital materials for distribution.
- Help sustain the volunteer-driven translation process.
- Assist with outreach to communities and centers that would benefit from translated resources.
For Collaborators
- Connect us with community groups, temples, or recovery organizations in your region.
- Share stories, needs, or ideas that can inform future translations and offerings.
- Help test early versions of translated materials in meetings or practice groups.
A Final Word of Welcome
This translation project is an expression of community care. Every reviewed paragraph, every suggested correction, and every shared insight helps someone, somewhere, take a step toward healing and connection. By working together across languages and cultures, we strengthen the foundation of Recovery Dharma and open the door to people who may be encountering these teachings for the first time.
We are grateful for your interest, your time, and your willingness to help. Whether you are a translator, a monastic advisor, a community member, or a supporter, your presence makes this work possible. Thank you for joining us in creating a more inclusive and accessible Recovery Dharma community.
If you have questions, please contact scott@farclass.com