Debbie Smith (USA)

I came to Sabine’s first class to review and also challenge myself with Warring States philosophers’ style of writing. My prior experience was 2 years training in classical medical Chinese texts which are my primary interest. I otherwise had little enthusiasm for this style of writing other than to expose myself to new translation and grammar challenges. I would even have frankly said that I didn’t enjoy what little Confucius, Mengzi, Zhuangzi I had read in translation and I was not capable of making meaningful sense of the literature directly, as it was too different and challenging, and I just didn’t “get it”.

Now I have a completely different opinion. I love these texts. Getting to experience them directly is so enjoyable and now I understand why one text can be translated in so many different ways by different authors. Reviewing my grammar skills and applying them to different material has built my confidence tremendously as I return to working with early medical literature. All of this is still really hard for me, but taking these classes has not only pushed my growing edge for understanding classical grammar, but broadened my view of classical literature enormously. Sabine is also an enthusiastic lecturer who is capable of and delights in providing historical context for each text. The online format that she uses is another very good tool in the community building that she is striving for. I’ve also met amazing people and have had access to excellent resources through her program.

(Debbie Smith, L.OM., Dipl. OM, M.A.O.M.

Acupuncturist, Feel Good Acupuncture, Bloomsburg, PA)