HIS EMINENCE CHOGYE TRICHEN RINPOCHE

Sakya Pandita, the nephew of Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen, was born in the water tiger year of 1182. His birth was accompanied by clear light in the sky and marks on his body signified that he was one with great accumulation of merits. He is renowned for his scholarship and political achievements. It is believed that Sakya Pandita is the incarnation of Manjushri.

Sakya Pandita had written many influential works and was instrumental in making the ten sciences complete in Tibet. Some of this works include the Discrimination of the Three Vows (sDom-gsum rab-dbye), the Treasury of Knowledge Concerning Ideal Cognition (Tshad-ma rigs-pa'i gter) and the Treasury of Well Spoken Advice (Legs par bshad pa rin po che'I gter). He also defeated famous Hindu sages in philosophical debates and has miraculous powers. He was the first to succeed in proving the greatness of Buddhism outside Tibet.

In 1244, Sakya Pandita accepted an invitation to the Mongolia to the court of Mongol Prince Godan Khan for the purpose of negotiating the submission of Tibet to Mongolia. Prince Godan Khan was so impressed with Sakya Pandita's powers that he converted to Buddhism and made Sakya Pandita the religious preceptor.

At the age of 70, Sakya Pandita passed away to the spiritual land of Joy, having accomplished and traversed the five paths and the ten bodhisattva bhumis. He had become a Buddha, as confirmed by his nephew Choygal Phakpa.

Chogyal Phakpa, the nephew of Sakya Pandita was born in wood sheep year of 1235. Chogyal Phakpa was a great bodhisattva. He mastered all teachings known to Tibet during his time and many Tibetan masters of his time held him in the outmost regard.

Chogyal Phakpa continued to the preceptor to the Mongolia's court following his uncle's passing away. He invented the Mongol alphabet, which became the Mongol script. In China, he ordained thousands of monks each year and he continued to spread Dharma to benefit all beings. He was the first Tibetan monk who also ruled majority parts of Tibet, as prophesied by Lord Buddha in the Manjushri mula tantra.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin is the supreme head of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is a direct descendant of the Khon Lineage and is the 41st in an unbroken lineage of masters that dates back to 1073 AD. His Holiness is the emanation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom.

His Holiness was born in 1945 in Tibet. His Holiness's root guru is Ngor Khangsar Khenchen Dorje Chang Ngawang Lodoe Shenphen Nyingpo and he also studied under the guidance of many eminent scholars such as his own father, Great Sakyapa Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, Vajradhara, Lama Ngawang Lodoe Richchen, Khenchen Jamphal Sangpo, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Khenpo Appey and Khenpo Richen.

His Holiness is one of the prominent masters of the Vajrayana Buddhism who has complete knowledge on the Sutras and Tantras.

Owing to the change of circumstances in Tibet, in 1959, His Holiness left Tibet for India.His Holiness, his wife, Dagmo Kusho Tashi and his two sons, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and Gyana Vajra Rinpoche now resides in Rajpur, India.

There are about 25 Sakya monasteries, institutes and retreat centers under the guidance of His Holiness in Nepal and India. His Holiness also established the Sakya Centre and Sakya College in Rajpur, India, to preserve and promote religious studies, tradition and culture of Tibet. His Holiness, being well versed in English, also travels around the world to spread Buddha Dharma for the benefits of all.

His Eminence Jigdal Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche is the head of the Phuntshok Phodrang branch of the Khon dynasty of Sakya and the founder and principal guru of Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Seattle, United States.

His Eminence was born in 1929 in southwestern Tibet where he received teachings and initiations on Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism from eminent teachers including his father, His Holiness Trichen Ngawang Thutop Wangchuk. His Eminence also received the main teachings in the Sakya tradition being the unbroken Khon lineage transmission of the Sakya Vajrakilaya, Hevajra initiations and Lamdre.

After leaving Tibet in 1959 and since 1960, His Eminence, his wife, Dagmo Kusho and their five sons live in Seattle. His Eminence has not only given teachings and empowerments in United States but also Canada, European and Asian countries.

His Eminence Ludhing Khenchen Rinpoche is the head of the Ngor sub-sect of the Sakya tradition. His Eminence was born to the clan of Shang, Sharchen or Ludingpa in the female sheep year of 1931 near the great seat of Ngor Ewam monastery called Pangshal. The clan of Shang, Sharchen or Ludingpa is renowned for producing scholars and siddhas of different Buddhist sects.

Being the eldest in this family, His Eminence was ordained as a monk at the age of ten by the most gracious Khenchen Sarchen Jamyang Thupten Lungtok Gyaltsen Palsangpo. For the next thirteen years, His Eminence was blessed with pith instructions of Landre, several initiations, oral transmissions, advice, grammar, poetry and so on from Khenchen Sarchen. His Eminence other teachers include the two Khenchens of Ewam Khangsar Ladrang, His Holiness Sakya Trizin and His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.

For almost four continuous years from the age of seventeen, His Eminence was in a retreat, practicing mainly on sadhanas of Hevajra and other deities. In 1954 at the age of twenty-four, His Eminence was enthroned as the abbot of the Ngor Ewam Choedhe monastery.

In 1959, after the change of circumstances in Tibet, His Eminence left Tibet and fled to Darjeeling, India. In 1961, His Eminence established the Ngor center in Gangtok, Sikkim. In 1978, His Eminence also re-established the Ngor Monastery in Mandawala, North India.

His Eminence has contributed greatly to the Dharma by giving continuous teachings, empowerments, oral transmissions and re-establishing summer retreats in various Sakya monasteries in India, Nepal and other Sakya centers overseas. His Eminence have given the precious teaching of Lamdre fifteen times, initations and instructions mainly on the seven mandalas of Ngor tradition and other deities and have ordained ten thousand monks.