Sakya Drogön Ling - Welcome to the Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies.

The God race descended over one thousand years ago. From that time until the present, in an unbroken lineage, many famous masters have appeared in the lineage including the five great founders of the Sakya Order. In more recent times, because one of their palaces was built next to the turquoise Tara shrine at the Sakya Monastery at Tibet, they became known as the "Drolma Phodrang" or "Tara Palace Lineage".

The previous head of the Sakya Drolma Phodrang lineage was Vajradhara Ngawang kunga Rinchen. He was the father of the present Sakya Trizin. The mother's name was Sonam Dolkar. She was the sister of a renowned minister of the Tibetan government. Their family name was Bonshod. Ngawang Kunga Rinchen and Sonam Drolkar had two sons and two daughters. The eldest child was a daughter whose name was Jetsun Chime Trinely, who currently lives in Canada. Next, a son and a daughter were born who passed away during childhood. The youngest son is the present Sakya Trizin.

His Holiness Sakya Trinzen was born in the sixteenth "rabjung" (60-year cycle), in the year of the wood-bird, on the first day of the eighth month, September 7th, 1945. He was born at the Sakya palace in Tesdong. Immediately after his birth, profound rituals were performed to increase his wisdom, including tracing the letter DHIH on his tongue. Many auspicious signs occurred. On the day of his birth, milk collected from 100 different Dri (female yaks) was offered to the palace, as well as a statue of Guru Padmasambhava.

While he was an infant, his name was Ayu Vajra. Later, when his father Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen gave him his first major initiation of the nine deities of Amitayus, his actual name was given as Ngawang Kunga Thegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wanggi Gyalpo.

In 1946, a great celebration of the first anniversary of his birth was performed at Tsedong Labrang. The next year, after he and his family returned to the main Sakya Monastery, there was extensive celebration of the anniversary of his birth. When he was four years old, he received the peaceful and wrathful aspects of the major initiation of Vajrakilaya and many other profound teachings from his father Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen.

The Sakya Trizin lost both his mother and father at a very early age. His mother passed away from this life in 1948, when he was only three years old. Two years later, his father, Lord Vajradhara, also passed from this life, as well as his older sister Ayang.

From her great kindness, his maternal aunt, Trinley Paljor Zangmo, took extremely good care of him. In the year of his father's passing, she appointed Genphel Ponlop Kunga Gyaltsen as his first tutor. From him, he learned the fundamentals of Tibetan reading and writing and the memorization and recitation of basic prayers. He also learned chanting, music, ritual dancing, madras and other subjects from his Junior Tutor Kunga Tsewang. From his tutors he learned in detail how to perform all of the rituals and prayers in the traditions of both he Northern and Southren Sakya Monasteries. After completing these studies, a great celebration was held, in which the Sakya Trizin officially entered both the Mahayana and Vajrayana Monasteries to perform the traditional Sakya ceremonies.

After studying at the Sakya Monasteries, he went to receive teachings at the Ngor Ewam Monastery. There, at the age of five, he received the Lam Dre and other profound teachings, bestowed upon him by his main Root Guru, the great Ngor Abbot Vajradhara Ngawang Lodoe Zhenpen Nyingpo.

In 1951, the Sakya Trizin made a pilgrimage to Lhasa. There, at the age of six, he was designated as the Throne Holder of the Sakya Order by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Accordingly, the next year, a preliminary enthronement ceremony was performed in which he accepted the official seals of the office of the Sakya Trizin.

Even at this early age, he was extremely intelligent and skilled in performing the rituals and executing the duties of his office. At the age of seven, he passed an extensive oral examination on the Hevajra root Tantra at the Sakya Monastery. Then, at the Ngor Monastery, the great Ngor Abbot Vajrahara Ngawang Lodoe Zhenpen Nyingpo, bestowed upon the Sakya Trizin both the common and uncommon Lam Dre teachings. At that time H.H. Sakya Trizin also began intensive study of the other main teachings of the Sakya tradition. In that same year, he attended the enthronement of the Panchem Lama in Shigatse, Tibet.

In 1953, his root Guru, the Ngor Abbot Vajradhara Ngawang Lodoe Zhenpen Nyingpo, expressed his intention to enter Mahaparinirvana in order to benefit other living beings. That year, at the age of eight, H.H. Sakya Trizin first performed the long-life Initiation of Amitayu at the Ngor Monastery, and undertook his first Hevajra meditation retreat in Sakya.

The next year, from Ngawang Lodoe Zhenpen Nyingpo's regent, Ngawang Tenzin Nyingpo, H.H. Sakya Trizin received the Initiation and reading transmission of the Collection of all the Sadhanas. From Lama Ngawang Lodru Rinpoche he received the initiations and profound oral instructions of the Three Red Deities and Two Main Protectors of the Sakya Order. He also presided over the elaborate Vajrakilaya Ritual in the main Sakya Monastery.

At the age of ten, he made a pilgrimage to Lhasa, where he received Dharma instruction in the Potala Palace from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There, before a large audience, he gave an extensive explanation of the Mandala offering which caused his wisdom to be proclaimed throughout Tibet.

The next year in 1956, the Sakya Trizin made a pilgrimage to India. From Vajradhara Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodoe, he received many Tantric initiations and teachings according to the Sakya Tradition, as well as the teachings and initiations of the Great Perfection, Dzogchen teachings.

In 1957, he received the Lam Dre teaching again, this time from the great Abbot Vajradhara Jampal Zangpo, according to the tradition of the Khon Lineage transmission.

In 1958, the preparatory ritual preceding enthronement as the Sakya Trizin was performed. In that year, he also performed the Blessing Pill and Local Deity Rituals, as well as the extensive Vajrakilaya Ritual.

In 1959, at the age of fourteen, he was formally enthroned as the Sakya Trizin, beginning with a seven-day Mahakala Ritual, which was followed by an elaborate three-day long enthronement ceremony. Many representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government were in attendance. On that occasion, he bestowed the Dharma teaching of Illumination of the Sage's Intent to the vast assembly of monks, honored guests and lay followers. Later that year, due to the changing situation in Tibet, it was necessary that he move to India.

The next year, H.H. Sakya Trizin established the Ghoom Monastery in Darjeeling and began his task of reassembling the Sangha.

On many different occasions, in Tibet as well as in India, H.H. Sakya Trizin received extensive philosophical teachings in Logic, Abhidharma, the Prajnaparamita and the Clarification of the Three Vows from such great scholars as the Abbot Dosep Thupten, Serjong Appey,and Tritso Rinchen. From Serjong Khenpo Appey, he received a thorough and detailed explanation of the Hevajra Root Tantra and many related teachings. From one of the four Ngor abbots Phende Khen Rinpoche, who was also one of H.H. Sakya Trizin's root Gurus, he received the initiation and explanation of Yamantaka in the Ra-Lotsawa Tradition, as well as the collected writings of Ngorchen Khonchog Lhundrup.

In 1962, at the age of seventeen, H.H. Sakya Trizin bestowed his first Hevajra in Kalimpong. That same year he made the acquaintance of Indian Prime Minister Nehru. In 1963, H.H. Sakya Trizin moved to Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh, where he resided for several years. In 1964, he undertook the task of re-establishing the main seat of the Sakya Order in Rajpur, Uttar Pradesh. In 1965, the assembly of Sakya monks relocated to the newly established Sakya Centre in Rajpur, where H.H. Sakya Trizin proceeded to bestow many profound teachings to the assembled Sangha.

At the age of twenty-two, H.H. Sakya Trizin bestowed the Lam Dre Tsokshey (common) teaching for the first time in Sarnath in 1962. The next year, in order to benefit the lay followers of the Sakya order, he established the Tibetan Settlement in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh, In 1969 officiated at its formal opening. During 1971 and 1972, H.H. Sakya Trizin received the initiations from the Collection of All the Tantras from Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Ngawang Kyenrab Lekshe Gyatso. In August of 1971, he consecrated the new temple building at the Sakya Centre in Rajpur.

In order to maintain the tradition of the Khon family lineage, in 1974 H.H. Sakya Trizin married Dagmo Kusho Tashi Lhakee, the daughter of the Minister of the King of Derge. That year was highlighted by the auspicious birth of the their elder son, Ratna Vajra. Before his birth, H.H. Sakya Trizin made his first teaching tour of Europe, America and Asia.

In 1975, he made a pilgrimage to Nepal. Upon his return, his maternal aunt, who had cared for him since childhood, passed away. Later that year, he gave his second Lam Dre Tsokshey teaching at the Sakya Centre at Rajpur. In 1976, H.H. Sakya Trizin traveled to Darjeeling and eastern India, giving Dharma teachings. At the request of Luding Khen Rinpoche, he taught the Collection of All the Sadhanas at Matho Monastery in Ladakh, and then traveled to Mysore giving further Dharma teachings. In 1977, he gave Dharma teachings throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. In 1978, he received the complete reading transmission of the collected works of the Five Great Founders of the Sakya Order and then the collected Tantric Works of the omniscient teacher Gorampa from Dezhung Rinpoche. En route back to India, the Sakya Trizin gave Dharma teachings in Europe and Asia. The next year, 1979, his younger son, Gyana Vajra, was born.

In 1980, H.H. Sakya Trizin performed the opening ceremony of the main Sakya Monastery, Thubten Namgyal Ling, in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh and bestowed his first Lam Dre Lobshey (uncommon) teaching.

In 1982, His Holiness the Dalai Lama paid an official visit to the main Sakya Monastery and bestowed many teachings. From Chogye Trizin Rinpoche, H.H. Sakya Trizin also received the uncommon Tsarpa Tradition of the Lam Dre and the Jonang Traditon of the Hundred Explanations. The next year, H.H. Sakya Trizin performed a special long-life ceremony to honor His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. In 1984, the Sakya Trizin once again traveled to Southesast Asia and Europe to give Dharma teachings. At Sakya Tsechen Ling in France, he gave the Lam Dre Lobshey Teaching for the second time. The next year, he went to Kathmandu to consecrate the Maitreya Temple at Chogye Trizin Rinpoche's Monastery, and bestowed many Dharma teachings. In 1986, for the third time, H.H. Sakya Trizin gave the Lam Dre Tsokshey at Sakya College at Rajpur to the assembly of monks and to many foreign disciples.

In 1988, at the request of Luding Khen Rinpoche, the Sakya Trizin consecrated the newly completed Ngor Monastery and presided over the opening ceremonies. He remained there for several months to bestow over thirty major initiations of the Sakya Tradition. Later that year, he traveled again to Southeast Asia; teaching in many centers and continued on to Australia, where he bestowed the Lam Dre Tsokshey for the fourth time. The next year, at the request of his many students in Europe, the United States and Canada, he traveled to each of the Sakya Dharma Centers in those countries, giving extensive Dharma teachings.

In this way, as water is poured from one vase to another, H.H. Sakya Trizin first received from many teachers, all of the profound teachings of the Sakya Order and many of the teachings and transmissions of the other lineage's of Tibetan Buddhism, and then passed on these teachings to his monks and followers around the world. Since 1953, at the age of eight, until the present, H.H. Sakya Trizin has performed innumerable major and minor retreats, including extensive Hevajra, Vajrakilaya and Maha Vairocana retreats, and shorter retreats of all of the major and minor deities of the Sakya Lineage.

For the benefit of those who desire to study the Lord Buddha's doctrine, H.H. Sakya Trizin has turned the Wheel of Dharma all over the world, in both the East and the West. He has given teachings in India, America, Canada, England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Australia, and Nepal on numerous occasions. To all of his fortunate disciples, he has extended his infinite compassion and profound wisdom.

In order to promote higher education and extensive philosophical training as well as to maintain the living transmission of the Sakya Teachings and Commentaries, Sakya Trizin has established the Sakya College in Rajpur. Appointed as Dean of the Sakya College, Venerable Khenpo Appey Rinpoche, under the direction of H.H. Sakya Trizin, completed the College's construction and established its educational program. There, exceptional monks from various monasteries receive high quality training in Tantra, Sutra and common subjects and after graduation return to their branch monasteries to serves as instructors, or are assigned to other positions of responsibility within the Sakya Order. Through the Sakya College, H.H. Sakya Trizin has revitalized both the Sutric and Tantric Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and has ensured the continuity of a new generation of well-trained teachers.

H.H. Sakya Trizin has benefited the Tibetan lay community through his establishment and support of Tibetan settlements and the bestowing of extensive Dharma Teachings and his highly respected advice. Also, to preserve the unbroken lineage and tradition of the Khon Family, he has ensured that his two sons are receiving an extensive education in the Buddha Dharma.

In short, Sakya Trizin upholds the entire Buddhist Doctrines and in particular the lineage of the glorious Sakyapa Tradition and has spread it far and wide throughout the world.

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His Holiness Sakya Trizin