The bio-graphy of Sakya Trizin with special reference to Khon (Celestial Race) lineage.

H.H. Sakya Trizin Rinpoche

I have been asked to speak few words by Mr. Tsultim Gyatso Ngabtak, the founder and director of the “Buddhistview” - a publication which explains all the holy places, monasteries their head lamas and other, so that travellers and tourists can easily find the places where they will get authentic explanations.  Then also I have been asked to speak something about the Sakyapa Lineage.  As you know Buddhism came from India and then spread to many countries but it is only in Tibet where we have all the different traditions: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, and our people have much knowledge of the ancient sciences.  This is all due to the great kindness of the ancient Tibetan Lama Kings, the translators and the Indian masters.  This has resulted in a very pure form of Buddhism where the Tibetans have been able to master the explanations of the Sutras and Tantras.  Also, through their practice they have reached a highly realized state.  And then, from Tibet, Dharma activities spread to many countries, especially towards the Himalayan regions and all the way from Ladakh and Nepal up to Arunachal Pradesh.  All these Dharma activities in the Himalayas spread from Tibetan Buddhism.  In Tibet, we have four major schools; namely: Nyingmapa, Sakyapa, Kagyupa and Gelugpa.  All schools in terms of the starting motivation up to enlightenment are the same, because all schools belong to the Mahayana Buddhism and all hold the Bodhichitta and the Shunyia Views, so that the ultimate goal is the same.  But, then at the same time it is a different.  Difference in the sense that the lineage is different.  For example, each lineage has a regional group in India and the translations and teachings have been passed down from one to the next master in different ways.  So, therefore, the pattern or the certain emphasis is somewhat different.  These different methods are suitable for different persons.  For example one disease cannot be cured by one kind of medicine.  Some diseases can be cured better by Tibetan medicine, some diseases can be cured better with allopathic medicine and some diseases can be cured better by Ayurvedic medicine.  So similarly, depending on one’s own individual Karma and Karmic connections, one chooses the one that it is a suitable.  So all the four major schools in Tibetan Buddhism are equally important for the whole of Tibet.  It is just like four precious jewels belonging to one family. 

The Sakyapas and Sakyas original guru in India is the Mahasidha Berupa, who was formerly a great abbot in Nalanda University and then in the later part of the life he achieved very high realizations and become a Mahasidha and also we revere a great Pundit Nagarjunna.  So, you can say that the Sakyapas have been fed an ocean of common and uncommon instructions, but the most important is the Lam-Dre teachings.  The Lam-Dre teachings are from the Mahasidha Berupa.  Then, it was passed down and the Sakya School itself was founded by the Khon lineage.  Khon lineages are believed to be the Direct Descendents of the Celestial Beings (Beings from the Buddha Realms). Due to the long gap in history, there are little records of their activities.  But in any case, they are Celestial Beings and they possess very special qualities.  Additionally, they are direct emanations of Manjushri, who is the manifestation of all the Buddha’s wisdom. We know that further down the lineage, the Khons settled in Tibet where they had a disagreement with the Rakshas. The name Khon originated from this disagreement.  On the surface, it was a geographic and cultural dissolution.  Examined more closely, the disagreement was more to do with the Khon people’s perceived ignorance of the Rakshas, who were seen as lower beings.  So the name Khon has come from that. 

The first Khon who was engaged in turning the wheel of the Dharma was Khon Nagendra Rakshdara.  He was in fact the first of seven the Tibetans to receive the whole Buddhist Bikshu ordination from the great Abbot Shandha Raksharatha.  This was intended as a trial to test whether the Tibetans will be able to keep the Buddhist Bikshu Vows or not.  And one of them was Khon Nagendra Rakshida and all of them were very successful so it was the very auspicious beginning of the great Tibetan monastery tradition and then also he is the direct disciple of Guru Padma Sambhava. 

So, speaking about all the earlier Khons for many generations: their main deity is Vajrakillaya, Heruka and they all are Nyingmapas right up to Khon Kunchok Gyalpo.  During his time of power, Khon Kunchok Gyalpo felt that the time had come to establish a separate school.  So, he started the Sakyas order and he received the teachings from Drogon Lotsawa, the Hevajva religion, Tantra teachings and he started the Sakya order, the first monastery being established in 1073.

And, although still from the ancient tradition, Vajrakillaya is one of the most important teachings.  But after establishing the Sakya order, then the main teaching is the Lam-Dre teachings.  Lam-Dre is actually a very special feed instruction coming from Mahasidha Berupa to the Khon Kunchok Gyalpo’s son: the great Sakyapa Lama Kunga Nyingpo, who received in long lineage. 

From Berupa onwards, to five Indian masters and then on to Drogon Lotsawa and through his disciples, Sakya Lama Kunga Nyingpo received Lam-Dre.  But then, later in his pure vision he received the short lineage directly from Mahasidha Berupa, himself.  The Mahasidha Berupa appeared in a vision and gave the Lam-Dre teachings.  Lam means path and Dre means result.  So, it means actually the base (path) and Dre (result) are together.  They are not separate and therefore it is difficult to make the connection after accomplishing the result.  Since they are all well connected, we as ordinary people can practice a path and through the practice, we can accomplish the final result.  So this particular teaching is like a precious jewel in the ocean of teaching that belongs to the Lama Sakyapa.  So there are five founders: Sachen Sonam Nyingpo; his two sons, Sonam Tsemo and Dakpa Gyaltsen; Dakpa Gyaltsen’s nephew is the Sakya Pandita who was the true representation of all the three emanations of Manjushri.  No other masters can compete with his wisdom and fame.  He became so famous that his fame had even reached India. Certain heretics could not bear his fame and came all the way from India to Tibet to challenge with Sakya Pandita.  Sakya Pandita won the debate and he was the first Tibetan to receive the full Mahapandita title.  Then Sakya Pandita’s nephew Drogon Choegyal Phakpa was the first Tibetan Lama who got the title of not only the religious head but also the temporal head and became the Lama King of Tibet and after that the Sakya Lamas have ruled Tibet for many years.  The Sakyapas speciality lies in the placing of emphasis both on study as well as meditation.  Emphasized equally is the specialty of the Sakya order.  The enormous amount of great masters that followed such as Ngagdor Kunchen Dorjee Chang Kunga Sangpo, Sachen Choekyi Gyalpo, Losang Gyatso, Phowa Ramjampa, Sonam Senge and Zonga Kunga Namgyal etc.  So many Masters.  And as a sign that the great masters appeared, the Sakyapas have the largest collection of the commentaries on the sutras and great Indian works; the great Indian Masters’ works.

And now we have our headquarters have in Rajpur and also we have our Sakya College here in Rajpur and then three main sub-schools: Sakya Ngorpa, Tsarpa and Zongpas.

Ngorpa’s have their headquarters still in Dehradun, where presently I am giving the initiation in the collection of Tantra.  The Head of the Zongpas is His eminence, Chogye Trizin Rinpoche, my personal Guru, from whom I have received many teachings and reciting. He has two monasteries, one in Lumbini and one in Boudha.  The Tsarpa’s headquarters are in Nepal.  So in this way we have many branch monasteries throughout India and Nepal.  We have many new centers throughout Asia, Europe, America, South America and Australia.  So that through these activities, we hope to continue the Sakya lineage and help it flourish for a very long time and benefit many sentient beings.

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