Christian Bernert
Teaching Focus: Buddhist theory and practice
Christian Bernert is a translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts, works at International Buddhist Academy in Nepal, and co-founded the Chödung Karmo Translation Group. He teaches classical Tibetan language and Buddhist theory and practice.
Christian was born in Vienna, Austria, and from an early age was more interested in foreign cultures than in the regular school curriculum. His interest in spirituality and search for truth led him to the path of Yoga, which he practiced with great enthusiasm for some time. Still lacking an authentic and realized teacher however, he quickly gravitated toward his spiritual home, which turned out to be Buddhism.
In 1999 he met his first teacher in the person of the wonderful Khenchen Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa Rinpoche, a senior master from the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. This encounter moved Christian so deeply that his whole life received a new direction. In 2001 Christian went to Nepal with the encouragement of Khenchen Amipa Rinpoche to engage in Higher Buddhist Studies at the International Buddhist Academy in Kathmandu. He would follow the IBA summer courses from then onward every year with few exceptions. In parallel he enrolled at the University of Vienna to study Religious and Tibetan Studies. He graduated in 2009.
During those years Christian had the great opportunity to study Buddhist philosophy and practice, as well as engage in numerous meditation retreats under the guidance of many great masters such as His Holiness Sakya Trizin, Khenchen Appey Rinpoche, Khenpo Jamyang Tenzin, Khenpo Ngawang Jorden and others from the Tibetan tradition, as well as teachers from the Theravada tradition, mainly Ven. Dhammadipa and Christoph Köck.
After his graduation, Christian was invited to join the IBA to coordinate the 2-year School of Translation Intensive Program, which he also joined as a student. In 2010 he co-founded the Chödung Karmo Translation Group with the aim of bringing together Tibetan scholars and Western academics to produce high quality translations of important Buddhist treatises, which is one of his biggest aspirations. Christian is also involved in translation projects for the 84000 project. Christian had the opportunity to translate for Khenchen Amipa Rinpoche several times, once for Khenpo Jorden, and also once served as assistant translator for His Holiness Sakya Trizin. He taught several weekend seminars on Buddhist theory and practice at Sakya Tsechen Changchub Ling in Bad Gams, Austria and recently guided a group of people in Buddhist meditation practices for a week in Chandolin, Switzerland.
Publications:
2013 The Meditator’s Nest – a Mahayana Meditation Manual. Kathmandu: International Buddhist Academy.
Translations:
2014 The Ākāśagarbha Sūtra, 84000 (www.84000.co).
2013 The Sūtra on Impermanence, 84000 (www.84000.co).
2012 Khenchen Appey Rinpoche: Cultivating a Heart of Wisdom. Oral Instructions on the Mind Training in Seven Points. Kathmandu: International Buddhist Academy.
2011 The Sūtra on Reliance upon a Spiritual Friend. 84000 (www.84000.co).