I have for a number of years been involved in the ongoing translation project of the Pali canon into contemporary English. This is a language that is highly stylized, repetitive and situated within a paradigm of memorization and formal elements (rhyme, syllabic segregation) that is often translated literally, leading to complexity of understanding for English readers and listeners. This project applies a more holistic focus to the translation rather than one of the word- or paragraph-level, as previous projects have generally adopted, leading to a more poetic and comprehensible (while somewhat less academic in some senses) translation that better reflects the original, while admittedly sacrificing much of its Pali-specific poetic and cultural norms. There is also an ongoing project of which I am a part to write a contemporary translation-adaptation of the standardized Shinto Norito (祝詞) for English audiences.
- Tasting the Lotus (contemporary translation of and commentary on Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma, 2019-, expected publication spring 2023)
- Kami in Life (contemporary translation of and commentary on a collection of Shinto prayer and ritual, 2019-, expected publication winter 2023)
- Living Wisdom (contemporary translation of and commentary on Dhammapada, 2018-, expected publication summer 2023)
- Ideas (editor, chant & scripture collection for Spring Waters Zen Sangha including work from Japanese, Pali and Sanskrit originals, 2016-, publication of 5th edition expected fall 2023)
