Brian Cutillo
Brian A. Cutillo (1945? - 2006) was an American scholar and translator in the field of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also an accomplished neuro-cognitive scientist, musician, anthropologist and textile weaver.
Education
Studies at MIT
Cutillo was a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology majoring in physics (1967).
While at MIT, Cutillo wrote the music for a 1967 production of At the Hawk’s Well by William Butler Yeats for An Evening of One Act Plays presented October 14–15, 1966.[1]
Cutillo provided the cultural background and translations for the recording "The Music of Tibet". The recordings were made by Huston Smith, then Professor of Philosophy at MIT, in 1964. Smith provided an interpretation. The recording was reviewed in the journal Ethnomusicology in 1972.[2]
Studies with Geshe Wangyal
Cutillo was introduced to Ngawang Wangyal while a student at MIT. He became one of his earliest American students. Ngawang Wangyal wrote the book The Door of Liberation published by Maurice Girodias Associates, Inc., (1973).
Translation projects
Sakya Pandita text
Cutillo and Ngawang Wangyal translated the Sakya Pandita's Clarifying the Sage's Intent.
- Geshe Wangyal and Brian Cutillo (trans.) Illuminations: A Guide to Essential Buddhist Practices, Novato: Lotsawa, 1988 (abridged). Archive version.
Milarepa translations
Cutillo's best known work includes two books of Milarepa poems translated with Kunga Rinpoche, Drinking the Mountain Stream and Miraculous Journey.[3]
The Turquoise Bee
Cutillo translated The Turquoise Bee with Rick Fields. These were the love songs of the 6th Dalai Lama.[4] The book includes Ume calligraphy by Cutillo and a drawing by Mayumi Oda.
Abhidharma texts
Cutillo translated Tibetan Buddhism Abhidharma texts that remained unpublished at his death. Some of these translations are now being completed for publication under the auspices, among others, of the Infinity Foundation. They were started some 35 years ago in collaboration with Robert Thurman.
The following texts in rough draft form needing further work for publication in the mid-future: [...] Abhidharma-samuccaya by Asanga (Thurman and Cutillo); Samdhinirmocana-sutra (Thurman and Cutillo).[5]
Notes
- ↑ Everingham, Joseph D.; Brumby, Helen B.; Darna, Edward S. (October 14–15, 1966). "One act Plays at MIT". MIT.edu. Archived from the original on 2004-12-21.
- ↑ Helffer, Mireille (January 1972). "The Music of Tibet: The Tantric Rituals by Huston Smith, Peter Crossley-Holland, Kenneth H. Stevens, Brian Cutillo, Nga Wang Lek Den". Ethnomusicology. 16 (1): 152–154.
- ↑ Jetsun Milarepa 2013.
- ↑ Sixth Dalai Lama (1994). The Turquoise Bee. Translated by Rick Fields and Brian Cutillo. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-250310-3.
- ↑ "Global Renaissance Institute/Tibet House". Infinity Foundation. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011.
Sources
- Jetsun Milarepa (2013). Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint, Milarepa. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 978-0-86171-837-5.
- sa skya paṇḍita kun dga' rgyal mtshan; Thupten Wangyal (1988). Illuminations: A Guide to Essential Buddhist Practices. Lotsawa. ISBN 978-0-932156-05-1.
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