And then..? KVP Podcast

KVP podcast “And then..?” continues with Heidi Nevin, one of KVP's most prolific in-house translators. Heidi has been translating Tibetan texts into English for more than 26 years, following years of retreat and study in India, China, and Nepal under the guidance of Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche.

In this open-hearted conversation with Inna German, Heidi talks about growing up on an 86-acre off-grid homestead in Maryland as a second-generation Buddhist, a year in China that ended in obsession with meditation and a barely-passed exam, four years of solitary retreat, and the winding path through Nepal and Darjeeling that led her to Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche.

In the first episode of AND THEN?, our Executive Director Dolma Gunther sits down with Do Tulku Rinpoche, KVP's traditional expert scholar, translator and spiritual guide of Arya Tara’s Net—for a wide-ranging conversation about his life, his practice, and his work with Khyentse Vision Project.

Rinpoche reflects on growing up in a close-knit Tibetan refugee community in South India, the unexpected phone call that changed his life at seventeen, and eleven years of rigorous study at Dzongsar Monastery in Bir. He speaks candidly about the challenges of monastic life, the journey to Germany, and what it means to teach the Dharma to a meme-obsessed generation. The conversation also touches on his deep connection to the Khyentse lineage, the joys and frustrations of translation work, and his heartfelt advice for practitioners navigating the future of the Dharma.

Chapters:

00:00:12 Childhood in India
00:08:18 Recognition as a Tulku
00:16:22 Enrollment in Dzongsar
00:19:54 Challenges of Monastic Life
00:24:34 Moving to Germany
00:28:33 Teaching the Dharma
00:32:46 Involvement with Siddhartha's Intent Sangha
00:34:18 Discovering the Guru
00:35:27 Devotion and Change
00:37:06 Connection to KhyentseLineage
00:40:11 Khyentse Vision Project
00:43:46 Translation and Scholarly Work
00:46:11 Fascination with Khyentse Wangpo
00:49:07 Text Translation Challenges
00:53:11 Future of Dharma
00:57:30 Advice for Practitioners
00:59:39 Daily Life and Hobbies