Ngawang Kunga, the 41st Sakya Trizin
Full name	Ngawang Kunga, the 41st Sakya Trizin
Born	September 7, 1945 Shigatse, Tibet
Region	Tibetan Buddhism
School	Sakya

Sakya Trizin means "Sakya Throne Holder" in the Tibetan language. It is the traditional title of the head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism.^[1]

The Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism was founded in 1073, when Khon Konchog Gyalpo, a member of Tibet’s noble Khön family, established a monastery in the region of Sakya, Tibet, which became the headquarters of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism.^[2] Since that time, the leadership of the Sakya Order has descended within the Khön family.

Contents 1 Current Sakya Trizin 2 Sakya Trizin lineage 3 Footnotes 4 References 5 External links

[edit] 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 Wanggi Gyalpo.

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.^[3] 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.^[3]

In order 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, Khonrig Ratna Vajra Sakya, was born. In 1979, a second son, Khonrig Gyana Vajra Sakya 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. Major institutions which he has founded and which are under his direct guidance include 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.^[4]

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.

[edit] Sakya Trizin lineage

Lharig, the divine generation

According to legend Ciring descended from the Rupadhatu (Realm of Clear Light) to earth.^[5]

• 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)^[6] 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.

Khön Konchog Gyalpo founded the monastery in Sakya in 1073, and therefore the lineage was renamed Sakya.^[5]

1. Khön Konchog Gyalpo
2. Rinchen Drag
3. Kunga Nyingpo
4. Sonam Tsemo
5. Trakpa Gyaltsen
6. Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen
7. Lodro Gyaltsen
8. Rinchen Gyaltsen
9. Dharmapala Rakshita
10. Sharpa Jamyang Chenpo
11. Zangpo Pal
12. Namkha Legpa
13. Jamyang Donyo Gyaltsen
14. Sonam Gyaltsen
15. Tawen Lodro Gyaltsen
16. Kunga Rinchen
17. Kushri Lodro Gyaltsen
18. Jamyang Namkha Gyaltsen
19. Kunga Wangchug
20. Sherab Gyaltsen
21. Lodro Gyaltsen
22. Kunga Sonam
23. Ngakchang Kunga Rinchen
24. Sonam Wangpo
25. Dhagpa Lodro
26. Kunga Wangyal
27. Ngawang Kunga Sonam
28. Sonam Wangchug
29. Kunga Tashi
30. Sonam Rinchen
31. Sachen Kunga Lodro
32. Wangdu Nyingpo
33. Pema Dudul Wangchug
34. Dorje Rinchen
35. Tashi Rinchen
36. Kunga Sonam
37. Kunga Nyingpo
38. Dzamling Chegu Wangchug
39. Dragshul Thinley Rinchen
40. Ngawang Thutob Wangchug
41. Ngawang Kunga (the current Sakya Trizin)

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Penny-Dimri, Sandra. (1995). "The Lineage of His Holiness Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga." The Tibet Journal. Vol. XX, No. 4 Winter 1995, pp. 64-92. ISBN 0970-5368.

[edit] External links

• His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s official website
• Biography of Sakya Trizin
• Hungarian website of His Holiness Sakya Trizin including some information about Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding see last section
• The Kalyanamitra Fund