Sakya Trizin

Ngawang Kunga,the 41st Sakya Trizin

Sakya Trizin (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་ཁྲི་འཛིན།, ZYPY: Sa'gya Chizin, literally "Sakya Throne Holder"; Chinese: 萨迦法王 or 萨迦崔津) or Sa'gya Gongma Rinboqê (གོང་མ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ།) is the traditional title of the head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin (Ngawang Kunga Tekchen Palbar Sampel Wangi Gyalpo) Tib. ས་སྐྱ་ཁྲི་འཛིན་, sa skya khri 'dzin, (b. September 7th 1945, 1st day of the 8th lunar month of the Wood Bird year) (called by Tibetans ས་སྐྱ་གོང་མ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་, Wyl. sa skya gong ma rin po che) is the revered throne holder of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the 41st patriarch of the Khön lineage which dates back to 1073. He is renowned as an emanation of both Manjushri and Mahasiddha Virupa, the founder of the Lamdré teachings, and also as an incarnation of Apang Tertön. He is a brilliant master who manifests profound wisdom and compassion, and his excellent command of English render his teachings particularly beneficial to western students.

He was born in 1945 in Tibet and escaped with his family to India in 1959 where he continues to live and rebuild both the lay and monastic elements of the Sakya tradition. He has guided the establishment of over thirty monasteries in India and Nepal and has helped found Sakya centres around the world.

His elder sister is Jetsün Kushok Chimey Luding. He has two sons, Khonrig Ratna Vajra Sakya and Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche.

Teachings & Empowerments Given to the Rigpa Sangha

• 15 August-3 September 1978, Dzogchen Orgyen Chöling, London, UK—teaches on Mahayana and Vajrayana in the context of Lamdré. Gives Manjushri, Vajravarahi, Hevajra, Chenrezik from Thangtong Gyalpo & Vajrakilaya from Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö empowerments.
• October 1984—spends eight days at the London Rigpa centre; gives the empowerments of Manjushri and Vajrakilaya and teaches on 'The Triple Vision', 'The Teaching of Buddha in Everyday Life' and the 'Nature of Mind'.
• 28-30 March 1989—teaches at Cornwall retreat, UK; gives Vajrakilaya & Manjushri empowerments.
• 3-4 April 1989—teachings in Paris.
• October 1991—gives the Khön family lineage empowerment of Vajrakilaya in the London centre. His monks perform the sacred dances associated with the ritual at the Shaw Theatre.
• May 1995—H.H. Sakya Trizin and Jetsün Kushok Chimey Luding visit Rigpa London. Teachings on Parting from the Four Attachments are given. 21 May, H.H. Sakya Trizin gives a Vajrakilaya empowerment.
• 14-15 September 1996, Paris, Salle Adyar, 'The Healing Power of the Mind' event—teaches on healing in the context of the Four Noble Truths and gives a Vajrasattva empowerment.
• 28-29 September 1996, Lerab Ling, 'Wisdom and Compassion' event—teachings on the heart and essence of the Mahayana, and gives Chenrezik and Manjushri empowerments.
• 3-4 June 2000, London Rigpa—gives an empowerment.
• 22-23 June 2007, Lerab Ling—gives Khön family lineage empowerment of Vajrakilaya.
• 3-7 July 2010, Rigpa Berlin Centre.
• 3 September 2011, Lerab Ling, Chimé Pakmé Nyingtik and Thangyal Tsédrup long-life empowerments

Publications

• His Holiness Sakya Trizin, Freeing the Heart and Mind—Introduction to the Buddhist Path: Part 1, Wisdom Publications

Further Reading

• Sandra Penny-Dimri,'The Lineage of His Holiness Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga' in The Tibet Journal, Vol.20 No.4 Winter 1995

Internal Links

• Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness Sakya Trizin
• Three Wisdoms—An Interview with H.H. Sakya Trizin
• Throneholders of the Sakya school

External Links

• H.H. Sakya Trizin's Official website
• Longer Biography
• Video of the visit of His Holiness Sakya Trizin to Lerab Ling in June 2007

The Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism was founded in 1073, when Khon Konchog Gyalpo (a.k.a. Kön Gönqog Gyäbo), a member of Tibet’s noble Khön (Koin) family, established a monastery in the region of Sakya, Tibet, which became the headquarters of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Since that time, the leadership of the Sakya Order has descended within the Khön family.

Current Sakya Trizin

The current Sakya Trizin is the 41st Sakya Trizin. His legal name is "Sakya Trizin" and he is referred to as His Holiness Sakya Trizin. His religious name is Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo. H.H. Sakya Trizin is considered second only to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the spiritual hierarchy of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sakya Trizin was born on September 7, 1945 in Tsedong, near Shigatse, Tibet. From his father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, he received important initiations and teachings in the Sakya lineage. He began intensive religious study at the age of five. In 1952, he was officially designated as the next Sakya Trizin by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. He continued intensive training from his main teacher Ngawang Lodroe Shenpen Nyingpo and many other famous Tibetan scholars, studying extensively in both the esoteric and exoteric Buddhist traditions. In 1959, at the age of fourteen, he was formally enthroned as head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism. In the same year, due to the political situation in Tibet, the Sakya Trizin, his family, and many lamas and monks from the Sakya Monastery relocated to India.

To maintain the unbroken lineage of the Khon family, in 1974 Sakya Trizin consented to requests that he accept Tashi Lhakee, daughter of a noble family from Dege in Kham as his consort. In the same year his first son, H.E.Khondung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, was born. In 1979, a second son, H.E.Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche was born.

After leaving Tibet, in 1963, the Sakya Trizin re-established the seat of the Sakya Order in Rajpur, India, building a monastery known as Sakya Centre. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to preserve the thousand-year-old religious heritage of the Sakya Order and to transmit its teachings to succeeding generations. He founded and directly guides a number of institutions, including Sakya Monastery in Rajpur, Sakya Institute, Sakya College, Sakya Nunnery, Sakya College for Nuns, Sakya Tibetan Settlement, Sakya Hospital, dozens of other monasteries in Tibet, Nepal, and India, and numerous Dharma Centers in many countries.

Sakya Trizin is a highly accomplished Buddhist master respected by all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and teaches widely throughout the world. He has bestowed the extensive Lam Dre teaching cycle, which is the most important teaching of the Sakya Order over 18 times on various continents, and also transmitted major initiation cycles such as Collection of All the Tantras, and the Collection of all the Sadhanas, which contain almost all of the empowerments for the esoteric practices of the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism to hundreds of lineage holders in the next generation of Buddhist teachers. He has trained both of his sons, Khonrig Ratna Vajra Sakya and Khonrig Gyana Vajra Sakya as highly accomplished Buddhist masters, and they both travel widely, teaching Buddhism throughout the world.

The year 2009 marked the fiftieth anniversary of Sakya Trizin’s headship of the Sakya Order. The occasion was celebrated as a Golden Jubilee with extensive celebrations and tributes to his success in preserving and maintaining the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sakya Trizin lineage

Lharig, the divine generation

According to legend Ciring descended from the Rupadhatu (Realm of Clear Light) to earth.

• Ciring
• Yuse
• Yuring
• Masang Cije
• Togsa Pawo Tag
• Tagpo Ochen
• Yapang Kye

Khön family, the royal generation

Because the previous generations subjugated the rakshas (demons), the family became the Family of Conquerors (Khon gyi dung shortened to Khön) and therefore a royal family.

• Khön Bar Kye
• Khön Jekundag, minister of Trisong Detsen, student of Padmasambhava
• Khön Lu'i Wangpo Srungwa
• Khön Dorje Rinchen
• Khön Sherab Yontan
• Khön Yontan Jungne
• Khön Tsugtor Sherab
• Khön Gekyab
• Khön Getong
• Khön Balpo
• Khön Shakya Lodro
• Sherab Tsultrim

Sakya lineage, generations as Buddhist teachers.

Khon Konchog Gyalpo founded the monastery in Sakya in 1073, and therefore the lineage was renamed Sakya.

	Name	Biographical data	Tenure	Tibetan name
1.	Khon Konchog Gyalpo	1034–1102	1073–1102
2.	Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag	1040–1111	1103–1110
3.	Tsewa Chenpo Sachen Kunga Nyingpo	1092–1158	1111–1158
4.	Loppon Rinpoche Sonam Tsemo	1142–1182	1159–1171
5.	[[Jetsun Rinpoche Dragpa Gyaltsen	1147–1216	1172–1215
6.	Choeje Sakya Pandita	1182–1251	1216–1243
6a.	regent of Sakya Pandita		1243–1264
7.	Drogön Chögyal Phagpa	1235–1280	1265–1266 1276–1280
8.	Rinchen Gyaltsen	1238–1279	1267–1275
7a.	Drogön Chögyal Phagpa 2nd reign		1276–1280
9.	Dharmapala Rakshita<	1268–1287	1281–1287
10.	Sharpa Jamyang Rinchen Gyaltsen	1258–1306	1288–1297
11.	Sangpo Pal	1262–1324	1298–1324
12.	Namkha Legpa Gyaltsen	1305–1343	ca. 1324–1342
13.	Jamyang Donyö Gyaltsen	1310–1344	ca. 1342-1344
14.	Lama Dampa Sönam Gyaltsen	1312–1375	1344–1347
15.	Tawen Lodrö Gyaltsen	1332–1364	1347–1364
16.	Tawen Kunga Rinchen	1339–1399	ca. 1364-1399
17.	Lopön Chenpo Gushri Lodrö Gyaltsen	1366–1420	1399–1420
18.	Jamyang Namkha Gyaltsen	1398–1472	1421–1441
19.	Kunga Wangchuk	1418–1462	1442–1462
20.	Gyagar Sherab Gyaltsen	1436–1494	1463–1472
21.	Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen	1444–1495	1473–1495
22.	Kunga Sönam (22nd Sakya Trizin)|Kunga Sönam	1485–1533	1496–1533 }
23.	Ngagchang Kunga Rinchen	1517–1584	1534–1584
24.	Jamyang Sönam Sangpo	1519–1621	1584–1589
25.	Dragpa Lodrö	1563–1617	1589–1617
26.	Ngawang Kunga Wangyal	1592–1620	1618–1620
27.	Ngawang Kunga Sönam	1597–1659	1620–1659
28.	Ngawang Sönam Wangchuk	1638–1685	1659–1685
29.	Ngawang Kunga Tashi	1656–1711	1685–1711
30.	Sönam Rinchen	1705–1741	1711–1741
31.	Kunga Lodrö	1729–1783	1741–1783
32.	Wangdu Nyingpo	1763–1809	1783–1806
33.	Pema Dudul Wangchuk	1792–1853	1806–1843
34.	Dorje Rinchen	1819–1867	1843–1845
35.	Tashi Rinchen	1824–1865	1846–1865
36.	Kunga Sönam	1842–1882	1866–1882
37.	Kunga Nyingpo	1850–1899	1883–1899
38.	Dzamling Chegu Wangdu	1855–1919	1901–1915
39.	Dragshul Trinle Rinchen	1871–1936	1915–1936
40.	Ngawang Thutob Wangdrag	1900–1950	1937–1950
41.	Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar	* 1945	1951–

Source

Wikipedia:Sakya Trizin