Christian Bernert was born in Vienna, Austria, where he received his school education at the Lycee Francais de Vienne. He was introduced to Buddhism by Khenchen Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa Rinpoche in 1999, and started his indepth studies at the International Buddhist Academy (IBA), Kathmandu, at its inception in 2001.
Christian studied Religious and Tibetan Studies at the University of Vienna, obtaining his MA in 2009 with a thesis on Rong-ston's interpretation of Buddha Nature. During this time, he was employed as tutor in classical Tibetan and worked on various projects related to Tibetan for both the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University.
He started working at IBA as Tibetan Language Program Coordinator in September 2009, in which he also teaches classical Tibetan. He has regularly organised talks by experts in Buddhist studies and renowned Buddhist teachers at the Academy. In 2010 he co-founded the Chödung Karmo Translation Group together with Khenpo Ngawang Jorden and Lama Rinchen Gyaltsen. In addition, he has worked as a translator of the Sakya Pandita Translation Group on three projects for the 84000 translation initiative. Although not a Sanskrit scholar himself, his deep admiration for the Sanskrit language led him to initiate what will hopefully become a series of recordings of selected classics of the Sanskrit Buddhist heritage recited by Prof. Kashinath Nyaupane.
2013 The Meditator’s Nest – a Mahayana Meditation Manual. Kathmandu: International Buddhist Academy.
2014 The Ākāśagarbha Sūtra, 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.
2013 For the love of the world - Why being vegetarian makes so much more sense. In: The Times of Lowo, Vol. 2, 2013, 53-58.