| 2000 | On January 1, 2000, the first day of the new millennium, the Shang Shung Institute Austria was founded and in 2001 launched a first simple but functional website. In this period two translators of the Dzogchen Community began work on Tibetan texts of two different projects, Adriano Clemente on the Complete Works of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Jim Valby on the Vairocana Translation Project. Both of these wonderful activities were compensated only with irregular donations and the translators never knew if they would receive payment in the coming month or have to find another way to pay the bills of daily life. It was not easy at all for them and this uncertainty hindered their work. Jim Valby obtained his own funding and Igor Legati assisted in the collection of funds for Adriano. |
| 2002 | Shang Shung Institute Austria received €100.000 donated anonymously in our bank account. Surprised and overwhelmed by this donation, Oliver Leick asked Rinpoche how we should use this sum. Rinpoche advised: “You take care of it. We will find a good use for it, but do your best so that this amount will not become less. Adriano Clemente, Elio Guarisco, and Oliver Leick had a meeting with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in Tashigar Norte during which how to use this donation for translation work was discussed. Each of us three had a different idea about how to name this new project, but Rinpoche was not happy with our ideas. He said to us, “Come back tomorrow, and I will give you a name.” On the next day, meeting Rinpoche again, he said, “This new project will be called Ka-Ter Translation Project. Ka-Ter comes from Kama, the Words of Buddha, and Terma are the hidden treasure texts. Now all of you do your best to make it fruitful.” This was the moment of birth of this new translation project. From then on the translators were freed of their worries about how to cover their simple needs, as from that point on I was able to offer them modest donations for their precious work on a regular monthly basis. |
| 2003 | In summer the first Training for Translators from Tibetan, one of the important activities of the Ka-Ter Project, was held in Merigar West under the guidance of Elio Guarisco. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu’s On Birth, Living and Dying was chosen as the text to be translated from Tibetan and fourteen translators from all over the world worked intensively on it for six weeks. As result of the first training, that book was published soon after. |
| 2004 | In summer the second Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Isla Margarita (Venezuela). A Dzogchen tantra of the Mind Series was indicated by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu as the text to be studied, offering a marvelous opportunity for twelve translators from ten nations to come in contact with one of the most ancient Dzogchen tantras, the Mejung, the title of which can be translated as the Wonderful Primordial State. The training lasted for forty-four days and the participants showed considerable progress over that period in their knowledge of the Tibetan language. During this training the translators experienced how difficult it is to translate an ancient Dzogchen tantra in all its arcane complexity. Rinpoche suggested that it would be more fruitful if a small team of qualified translators took over the responsibility for these special translations and asked Elio, Jim, and Adriano to be in charge of that project. Rinpoche himself was the first sponsor of the Ka-Ter Project, as during the retreat in July 2004 Rinpoche himself offered a beautifully carved stone for auction and said: “I want to give this for the translation project.” |
| 2005 | The third Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Elio Guarisco. |
| 2006 | The fourth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Elio Guarisco. Oliver Leick established a pension and life insurance fund for Adriano Clemente and Elio Guarisco, payable at the age of sixty-eight. Thanks to this fund the family of Elio received his life insurance in 2020 when Elio passed away. The insurance company did not accept Jim Valby due to his age, but when Jim became sixty-eight, he also received a donation for all the work done until then. Still now, Jim receives every now and again donations from the Ka-Ter Translation Project. Igor Legati who had been the main coordinator of the translation project Complete Works of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu (CW) passed on this responsibility to Oliver Leick and from that point it has been part of the Ka-Ter Translation Project. |
| 2007 | The fifth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. The Shang Shung Institute Austria held the first fund-raising campaign for Ka-Ter in the form of a raffle with thirty wonderful prizes. |
| 2008 | The sixth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. The Shang Shung Institute Austria started a new endeavor, The Public Books Project within Shang Shung Publications. Today, books for the general public are an important activity of Shang Shung Publications. The publication of this category of books is still co-financed by the Ka-Ter Project. |
| 2009 | The seventh Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. The Shang Shung Institute Austria held the second fund-raising campaign for Ka-Ter in the form of a raffle with ten wonderful prizes. |
| 2010 | The eighth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. Fabian Sanders started a first course on the precise pronunciation of Tibetan with many such courses following in subsequent years. |
| 2011 | The ninth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. |
| 2012 | The tenth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. |
| 2013 | The eleventh Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. |
| 2014 | The twelfth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. |
| 2015 | The thirteenth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu gave the transmission of the lung of the Dra Thalgyur Tantra. Afterward Jim Valby started the first translation of the root text of this important and ancient tantra which explains all aspects of Dzogchen. This first translation of Jim was then transferred to Elio Guarisco who was to complete it. As Elio was very busy in this period translating and compiling many texts, he planned to continue this huge work after he finished his earlier commitments. It took him four years until he could begin this work, but never finished it as he passed away in 2020. It was known that the translation of the root text and its commentaries would take several years, as it is written in an ancient style and its content is difficult to understand. |
| 2016 | The fourteenth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. |
| 2017 | The fifteenth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu asked Oliver Leick to become the director of the International Shang Shung Foundation and due to this new responsibility his work for the Ka-Ter Project intensified. |
| 2018 | The sixteenth Training for Translators from Tibetan was held at Merigar West under the guidance of Fabian Sanders. From then on the Shang Shung Institute Austria was no longer involved in the organization of the Trainingfor Translators from Tibetan, as this activity became the responsibility of the School of Tibetan Language team with Fabian Sanders as its director. The Shang Shung Institute Austria began a collaboration with the Shang Shung Institute USA and in particular with the School of Tibetan Medicine. As part of the Ka-Ter Translation Project, SSI Austria supports the transcription and translation work of the teachings of Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo given by her during several four-year trainings to become a qualified and certified Tibetan doctor. A large donation given this project supports the work of Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo and a small yearly donation that of her main assistant. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu founded the International Atiyoga Foundation and soon afterward Rinpoche passed away. |
| 2019 | Oliver Leick became the vice-director of the Atiyoga Foundation, and thus the Ka-Ter Translation Project became part of the Atiyoga Foundation. The Ka-Ter Translation Project assumed the continuing support of the work of Nancy Simmons, editor of English books published by Shang Shung Publication. |
| 2020 | All activities of the Shang Shung Institutes and the International Dzogchen Community due to the worldwide Corona pandemic was carried out online. Tragically, this year Elio fell fatal victim of this terrible disease. |
| 2021 | After the passing of Elio, his family received the funds accumulated in his life-insurance policy. Shang Shung Publication became an autonomous and independent department of the Atiyoga Foundation. Oliver Leick also became a member of the new Board of Directors of Shang Shung Publications which guarantees a fruitful collaboration between the translators, the editors, the publishing team, and the Ka-Ter Project. Made possible by its successful system of donation, the Ka-Ter Project began collaboration with Charles Jamyang Oliphant of Rossie as editor of English texts translated from the Tibetan. |
| 2022 | Through a fruitful collaboration with Shang Shung Publications, several new books will be published in high quality format. The collaboration with Jamyang as editor was renewed. |
See also: Time line of activities of the Shang Shung Institute Austria