Words of Wisdom

... a work in progress

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How Does Vajra Become Benza

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In a recent class, we were learning the Vajrasattva mantra. During the break, somebody asked how the Sanskrit word vajra  becomes benza  in Tibetan pronunciation. I typed these notes on the screen. Notes about Vajra > Benza Vajra in Tibetan script, i.e., Badzra. Va jra – V is not really V. It’s usually a W or a B. Nepalese and Tibetan people understand it to be a B in this context. Ba jra – J is not really J. In the Tibetan alphabet there is a Ch row and a Ts row of consonants. This Sanskrit J is spelled with the Tibetan letter that we write (in Roman letters) as DZ (which is in the TS row – TS TSH DZ NY). Ba dzra – so, badzra is a completely legitimate spelling
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B-V-W Confusion

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My friends who are trying to decide how to spell mantras that are coming to us from Sanskrit through Tibetan script are frustrated about when to use the letters B, V, and W. Here are the troublesome letters: Chart by Drimay. Part of the issue is Tibetan and Indian pronunciation , but another related issue is the evolution of our alphabets .
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Declaration of Interdependence

What if someone from Santa Cruz had written that letter to King George in 1776? Declaration of Interdependence Dear King George, There are some things we need to discuss. But before we get into that, we just want you to know that we love you and we will continue to love you even if our relationship changes.
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