
John Canti
Senior Editor
- Senior Editor · Translation
Dr. John Canti was a founding member of 84000’s executive committee and editorial team and is now senior editor.
Dr. John Canti studied medicine and anthropology at Cambridge University (UK) and qualified as a doctor in 1975. While still a medical student, he met and began to study with some of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the older generation, especially Kangyur Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. After some years of medical work in northeastern Nepal in the late 1970s, he went to the Dordogne France to complete two three-year retreats at Chanteloube. He has remained primarily based there ever since.
Dr. Canti is a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group, a Tsadra Foundation Fellow from 2001-2012, and was awarded the 2016 Khyentse Foundation Fellowship. In 2009, when 84000 first started, he was appointed editorial chair of the new organization. In 2023, he become senior editor. John's interest in the Kangyur and Tengyur has continued to grow as the project has taken shape. He feels more and more fascinated by their origins and history, their range of content, and above all, by the significance of the extraordinary body of literature the two collections have preserved.
Articles by John Canti

Inside the Canon
Words Beyond Words: John Canti on the Prajñāpāramitā Literature
27 June 2026

Inside the Canon
From Oral Tradition to Global Preservation: Buddhist Canons Explained
10 May 2026

Buddhist Culture & Symbols
What’s That on Top of the Buddha’s Head?
5 May 2026

Inside the Canon
The Kangyur: Holy Relic, Time Capsule, or Goldmine?
30 April 2026

Buddhist Culture & Symbols
The Lost Buddhist Kingdom of Khotan
30 April 2026

Inside the Canon
General Sūtra Section
19 December 2025

Inside the Canon
Thirteen Late-Translated Sūtras
19 December 2025

Inside the Canon
Unexcelled Yoga Tantras
29 November 2025

Inside the Canon
Compendium of Dhāraṇīs
7 November 2025