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Sakya Institute Lineage
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A Brief History of the Sakya Lineage
"The Sakya Tradition originated in the eleventh century, and has been closely connected with one of the 'holy families' of Tibet, the Khon Family, since early times. One of the family members, Khon Lui Wangpo Sungwa, became a disciple of the great Indian saint Padmasambhava in the eighth century, being amoungst the first seven monks to be ordained in Tibet...[It] was Khon Konchok Gyalpo who, in 1073 built Sakya monastery and thereby established the foundations of the Sakya Tradition in Tibet."
(Taken from "A Brief History of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism” by H.H. Sakya Trizin, A Handbook of Tibetan Culture: A Guide to Tibetan Centres and Resources throughout the World)
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The Five Great Sakya Masters
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There are five great masters who hold a special place in Sakya history:
Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158)
The first Gongma, was the son of Khon Konchok Gyalpo. Through his efforts, hundreds of sutras and tantras, as well as oral instructions, were gathered and they became the basis for the Sakya canon.
Lobpon Sonam Tsemo (1142-1182)
Succeeded Sachen Kunga Nyingpo as the fourth patriarch of the Sakya School.
Jetsun Dakpa Gyaltsen (1174-1216)
The fifth patriarch of the Sakya School.
Sakya Pandita (1182-1251)
The Fourth Gongma and sixth patriarch of the Sakya order ... was the most famous of all. The fame of his knowledge and scholasticism spread as far as Mongolia and China.
Chogyal Phakpa (1235-1280)
The Fifth Gongma and seventh patriarch of the Sakya school. He was the nephew of Sakya Pandita. During his time, the Sakya Tradition reached its political zenith, with the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism into China and Mongolia.
These five masters - known as ‘Jetsun Gongma Nga’ - are regarded as the real founders of the Sakya Tradition.
(Taken from A Handbook of Tibetan Culture: A Guide to Tibetan Centres and Resources throughout the World)
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His Holiness Sakya Trizin
His Holiness Sakya Trizin was born in Tsedong near Shigatse (South Tibet) on the first of the eighth Tibetan month (September 7, 1945). "Sakya Trizin" means "The Throneholder of Sakya." His Holiness is the 41st Patriarch of the Sakya Sect, one of the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism, and is a direct descendent of the Khon Lineage.
His main Gurus were the Ngor Abbots Ngawang Lodro Shenpen Nyingpo, Khangsar Shabdrung, Lama Ngawang Lodro Rinchen, the Venerable Jamyang Kyhentse Rinpoche, the great Nyingmapa yogi Drupchen Rinpoche, Phende Khenpo, Sakya Khenpo Jampal Sangpo, His father, Dezhung Rinpoche and Chogye Rinpoche.
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H.H. Sakya Trizin
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He formally acceded to the Throne of Sakya in early 1959. Almost immediately after the coronation ceremony, he had to leave for India because of the Chinese Communist takeover of Tibet.
His Holiness has been ceaselessly serving the Dharma. He has many disciples in India and other countries and has made several journeys to the West where he has taught extensively and founded many Dharma centers.
(Taken from Visions - Volume 3, Manjushri Press)
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H.H. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche
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His Holiness Chogye Trichen Rinpoche is head of the Tsharpa sub-lineage of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the 26th patriarch of Phenpo Nalendra Monastary, founded by Rongton Sheja Kunrig (1367-1449). Born in 1920, His Eminence was recognized by the 13th Dalai Lama as 18th in the lineage of Chogye Trichens.
Since coming into exile, Chogye Trichen Rinpoche has built two monastaries: one in Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha and the other in Kathmandu. Rinpoche is regarded as a master of masters; most Tibetan Buddhist lineage holders are his disciples, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Sakya Trizin and the late Dudjom Rinpoche. Rinpoche has conducted a series of three and a half year solitary meditation retreats for senior Sakyapa monks over the past fifteen years. Presently living in Nepal, Rinpoche spends so much time in meditation retreat that he is regarded as a hidden master.
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H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche
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His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche is the 75th chief abbot of Ngor Monastery. He has held this post for over 40 years. His Eminence was born in 1931 in Tsang, Tibet.
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Khenpo Rinchen
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Khenpo Rinchen was born in Eastern Tibet where he taught at the famous Dzongsar Monastery. In 1959, he fled to India where he became the teacher of
H.H. Sakya Trizin. On several occasions, he was invited by H.H. the Dalai Lama to offer consultation on Buddhism. Khenpo Rinchen was the main Sakya Khenpo at the Tibetan Institute in Sarnath, Varanasi, India. He then became the Khenpo at the main Sakya monestary in Puruwala. Khenpo Rinchen passed away at Puruwala.
Khenpo Rinchen was praised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1974 during the Kalachakra Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India as a great teacher who had mastered all of the scholarship of the Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyud and Gelug Schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
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Lama Migmar Tseten
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Lama Migmar, a Buddhist Chaplain at Harvard University, received both a traditional and a contemporary education in India. He graduated with an Acharya degree in 1979, first in his class out of all students from the four schools. He was awarded a medal for academic excellence by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. He was also recognized as Khenpo for his scholarship and service to the Dharma by His Holiness Sakya Trizin.
Lama Migmar then served as the head of Sakya Center in Rajpur, India, and the Sakya Monastery in Puruwalla, India, from 1981 to 1989, taking care of the well being of several hundred monastic residents. During this time he reintroduced the original form of the geshe educational system of Tibet, with degrees from kazhipa up to the rabjampa degree, with a curriculum that included all of the eighteen major texts, which are known as the Dragchen Chogyed. Additionally, Lama Migmar supervised the editing and publication of over 50 rare volumes of Sakya literature including the 31 volumes of Sakya Lamdre and the rare Golden Manuscripts of the Five Founding Masters of Sakya.
He leads retreats at Buddhist centers throughout North America. He founded Sakya Institute in Cambridge, MA in 1989.
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