This hand book titled Thonmi Sambhota: The Architect of Tibetan Script contains the life and works of Thonmi Sambhota prepared on the basis of authentic sources. He was the one who devised Tibetan written script and also was the first Lotsawa (Translator) who paved the system of translating Buddhist Sanskrit scriptures and treatises from Sanskrit to Tibetan language. In addition to his life story, a brief introduction to Tibetan alphabets and cardinal numbers, English translation of one of his root grammatical texts along with its root text, and the biography of Yangchen Drubpay Dorje, a direct disciple of Ngulchu Thogme, have also been included for the convenience of readers.

Thonmi Sambhota: The Architect of Tibetan Script, Sanjib Kumar Das, Buddhist World Press, Hardcover, 115 Pages, $22.00

Born in a middle class family in West Bengal, Professor (Dr.) Sanjib Kumar Das was educated at Chandpara Nimna Buniyadi Vidyalaya (Amtala) and then in Gobardanga Kh�ntura High School. Meanwhile, due to some family problems, he fled away from his home and worked as a waiter in several hotels and sweet shops for about two years in Kolkata. Later, he went to Darjeeling and took shelter in a Buddhist Monastery where he also worked as a helper of mason for about a year. In 1996, he was admitted in its branch school where he studied upto standard VIII. Subsequently, he was sent to Varanasi in 1989 in order to get admission in the CIHTS, Sarnath for higher studies. Getting admission, he obtained M.A., pursuing upon Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Language and other modern subjects. In 1998, he was awarded with the Kashi Naresh Gold Medal for being the best student of 1998. After completing M.A., he started doing his Ph.D. which he completed in 2002. In 1999, he was invited to Taiwan where he stayed for about five months working as a translator. In 2002, he got a temporary job in the Translation Department in the CIHTS, Sarnath and simultaneously a permanent in CIBS, Leh where he worked for about six years. In 2008, he got a new job in Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan where he is working now on the post of Professor in the Department of Indo-Tibetan Studies. In 2022, he was awarded with the 'Bharat Siksa Puraskar. Prof. Das translated, edited, restored, compiled and composed more than twenty-five books which have been published by different universities, institutions and publishers in India. Similarly, more than thirty research papers are published in different national and international journals as well as Bengali translations of more than hundred articles on Buddhist Studies are uploaded in a website (studybuddhism.com). He also completed three Translation Projects sponsored by FMT (USA) and 84000 (USA). Apart from translation, compilation, restoration and editing work, Dr. Das attended numbers of local, national and international seminars conferences, and presented papers.