The present Sakya Khon family is known by three special names. Because the family's ancestors were Gods of the Realm of Clear Light who descended to the human realm over one thousand years ago, the family became known as "Lharig" or "Celestial Race". Then, because they subjugated the rakshas, they were called the immaculate "Khon gyi dung" or "Family of Conquerors". Then, because they established the Sakya Order, they are called the Sakyapa lineage. In more recent times, because one of their palaces was built next to the turquoise Tara shrine at the Sakya Monastery in Tibet, they became known as the "Drolma Podrang" or "Tara Palace Lineage".
From the time they descended to the human realm until the present, in an unbroken lineage, many famous masters have appeared in the lineage, including the Five Great Founders of the Sakya Order.
Vajradhara Ngavvang Kunga Rinchen, the previous head of the Sakya Drolma Podrang, and Sonam Drolkar, the sister of a renowned minister of the Tibetan Government, had two sons and two daughters. The eldest child was a daughter whose name is Jetsun Chime Trinley, who currently lives in Canada. Next, a son and a daughter were born who passed away during childhood. The youngest son is the present Sakya Trizin.
His Holiness Sakya Trizin was born in the sixteenth "rabjong" (60-year cycle), in the year of the wood-bird, on the first day of the eighth month, September 7th, 1945. He was born at the Sakya palace in Tsedong. Immediately after his birth, profound rituals were performed to increase his wisdom, including tracing the letter DHIH on his tongue. Many auspicious signs occurred. On the day of his birth a rainbow tent appeared above the palace. Milk, collected from 100 different dri (female yaks), was offered to the palace, as well as a statue of Guru Padmasambhava.
While he was an infant, his name was Ayu Vajra. Later, when his father Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen gave him his first major initiation of the Nine Deities of Amitayus, his actual name - Ngavvang Kunga Thegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wanggi Gyalpo - was given.
In 1946, a great celebration of the first anniversary of his birth was performed at Tsedong Ladrang. The next year, after he and his family returned to the main Sakya Monastery, there was a second extensive celebration of the anniversary of his birth. When he was four years old, he received the major initiation of Vajrakilaya and many other profound teachings from his father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen.
The Sakya Trizin lost both his mother and father at a very early age. From her great kindness, his maternal aunt, Trinley Paljor Zangmo, took extremely good care of him. In the year of his father's passing, she appointed Genphel Ponlop Kunga Gyaltsen as his first tutor. From him, he learned the fundamentals of Tibetan reading and writing and the memorisation and recitation of basic prayers. He also learned chanting, music, ritual dancing, mudras, and other subjects from his junior tutor, Kunga Tsewang. After completing these studies, a great celebration was held, in which the Sakya Trizin officially entered both the Mahayana and Vajrayana Monasteries to perform the traditional Sakya ceremonies.
After studying at the Sakya Monasteries, he went to receive teachings at the Ngor Ewam Monastery. There, at the age of five, he received the Common and Uncommon Lam Dre and many other profound teachings, bestowed upon him by his main Root Guru, the great Ngor Abbot Vajradhara Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo.
In 1951, the Sakya Trizin made a pilgrimage to Lhasa. There, at the age of six, he was designated as the Throne Holder of the Sakya Order by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Accordingly, the next year, a preliminary enthronement ceremony was performed in which he accepted the official seals of the office of the Sakya Trizin.
Even at this early age, he was extremely intelligent and skilled in performing the rituals and executing the duties of his office. At the age of seven, he passed an extensive oral examination on the Hevajra Root Tantra at the Sakya Monastery.
At the age of eight, Sakya Trizin first performed the Long-Life Initiation of Amitayus at the Ngor Monastery, and undertook his first Hevajra meditation retreat in Sakya.
The next year, from Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo's regent Neawang Tenzin Nyingpo, Sakya Trizin received the initiation and reading transmission of the Collection of All the Sadhanas. From Lama Ngawang Lodro Rinpoche he received the initiations and profound oral instructions of the Three Red Deities, the Three Vajrayoginis and the Two Main Protectors of the Sakya Order. He also presided over the elaborate Vajrakilaya Ritual in the main Sakya Monastery.
At the age of eleven, he made a pilgrimage to Lhasa, where he received Dharma instruction in the Potala from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There, before a large audience, he gave an extensive explanation of the Mandala Offering which caused his wisdom to be proclaimed throughout Tibet.
From Vajradhara Jamyang Chokyi Lodro, he received many tantric initiations and teachings according to the Sakya Tradition, as well as the teachings and initiations of the Dzogchen Teachings. The next year, the Sakya Trizin made a pilgrimage to India.
In 1957, he received the Lam Dre teaching again, this time from the great Abbot Vajradhara Jampal Zangpo, according to the tradition of the Khon Lineage transmission.
In 1958, the preparatory ritual preceding his enthronement as the Sakya Trizin was performed.
In 1959, at the age of fourteen, he was formally enthroned as the Sakya Trizin, beginning with a seven-day Mahakala Ritual which was followed by an elaborate three-day enthronement ceremony. Many representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lania and the Tibetan Government were in attendance. On that occasion, he bestowed the Dharma teaching of Illumination of the Sage's Intent to the vast assembly of monks, honoured guests, and lay followers. Later that year, due to the changing situation in Tibet, it was necessary for him to move to India.
The next year, Sakya Trizin established the Ghoom Monastery in Darjeeling and began his task of reassembling the Sangha.
On many different occasions, in Tibet as well as in India, Sakya Trizin received extensive philosophical teachings in Logic, Abhidharma, the Prajnaparamita and the Clarification of the Three Vows from such great scholars as the Abbots Dosep Thupten, Serjong Appey, and Tritso Rinchen. From Khenpo Serjong Appey, he received a thorough and detailed explanation of the Hevajra Root Tantra and many related teachings. From one of the four Ngor abbots, Phende Khen Rinpoche, he received the initiation and explanation of Yamantaka in the Ra Lotsawa Tradition, as well as the collected writings of Ngorchen Khonchog Lhundrup.
In 1963, Sakya Trizin moved to Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh, where he lived for several years. In 1964, he undertook the task of re-establishing the main seat of the Sakya Order in Rajpur, Uttar Pradesh.
At the age of twenty-two, Sakya Trizin bestowed the Lam Dre Tsokshey (Common) teaching for the first time in Sarnath in 1967. He gave this teaching again in Sakya College in 1987, Australia in 1988 and Washington DC in 1991.
In 1968, in order to benefit the lay followers of the Sakya Order, he established the Tibetan Settlement in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh, and in 1969 officiated at its formal opening.
During 1971 and 1972, he received the initiations from The Collection of All the Tantras and The Collected Writings of Ngorchen KunRa Sangpo and The One Hundred Teachings of the Jonang Tradition from Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Ngawang Kyenrab Lekshe Gyatso.
In order to maintain the tradition of the Khon family lineage, in 1974, Sakya Trizin married Dagmo Kusho Tashi Lhakee, the daughter of the Minister of the King of Derge. That year was highlighted by the auspicious birth of their elder son, Ratna Vajra. Before his birth, Sakya Trizin made his first teaching tour of Europe, America and Asia.
At the request of Luding Khen Rinpoche, he taught The Collection of All the Sadhanas at Matho Monastery in Ladakh, then travelled to Mysore giving further Dharma teachings. In 1977, he gave Dharma teachings throughout Asia, Europe and the United States.
In 1978, he received the complete reading transmission of The Collected Works of the Five Great Founders of Sakya. and The Collected Tantric Works of the Omniscient Teacher Gorampa. from the Lord of Refuge, Deschung Rinpoche. En route back to India, the Sakya Trizin gave Dharma teachings in Europe and Asia. The next year, 1979, his younger son, Gyana Vajra, was born.
In 1980, Sakya Trizin performed the opening ceremony of the main Sakya Monastery, Thupten Namgyal Ling, in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh, and bestowed his first Lam Dre Lobshey (Uncommon) Teaching. His second bestowal of this teaching was in France in 1984.
In 1982, His Holiness the Dalai Lama paid an official visit to the main Sakya Monastery and bestowed many teachings. From Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin also received the uncommon Tsarpa Tradition of the Lam Dre and the Jonang Tradition of The Hundred Explanations. The next year, Sakya Trizin performed a special long life ceremony to honour His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.
In 1984, the Sakya Trizin once again travelled to Asia and Europe to give Dharma teachings. The next year, he went to Kathmandu to consecrate the Maitreya Bodhisattva Temple at Chogye Trichen Rinpoche's Monastery, and bestowed many initiations and Dharma teachings.
In 1988, at the request of Luding Khen Rinpoche, the Sakya Trizin consecrated the newly completed Ngor Monastery and presided over the Opening Ceremonies. He remained there for several months to bestow over thirty major initiations of the Sakya Tradition. Later that year, he travelled again to Asia, teaching in many centres, and continued on to Australia. The next year, at the request of his many students in Europe, the United States and Canada, he travelled to each of the Sakya Centres in those countries, giving extensive Dharma teachings.
In order to promote higher education and extensive philosophical training as well as to maintain the living transmission of Ihc Sakya Teachings and Commentaries, Sakya Trizin has requested his own tutor most Venerable Khenpo Appey Rinpoche to establish Sakya College and to be the Dean of the College. Through his skilful means and vast wisdom Sakya College was established in 1972 and produced exceptional monks from various monasteries who received high quality training in Tantra, Sutra and common subjects. After their graduation they return to their branch monasteries to serve as instructors, or are assigned to other positions of responsibility within the Sakya Order. Through Sakya College, the Sakya Trizin has revitalized both the Sutric and Tantric Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and has ensured the continuity of a new generation of well-trained teachers.
In this way, as water is poured from one vase to anothci. Sakya Trizin first received from many teachers of all the profound teachings of tin.. Sakya.Order and many of the teachings and transmissions of other lineages of Tibcum Buddhism, and then passed on these teachings to his Sangha and followers around the world.
Since 1953, at the age of eight, until the present, Sakya Trizin has performed major and minor retreats of twenty deities of the Sakya Lineage.
For the benefit of those who desire to study the Lord Buddha's doctrine, Sakya Trizin has turned the Wheel of Dharma all over'the world, in both the East and the West. He has given teachings in India, America, Canada, England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Australia and Nepal on numerous occasions.
To all of his fortunate disciples, he has extended his infinite compassion and profound wisdom. This is also evident in the books Sakya Trizin has written. He has written two volumes containing detailed lists of all the teachings he has received from various masters who have mainly come from the Sakya Order. He has written a volume containing a list of the writings of the great masters of the Sakyapa Order. He has also written an autobiography in two volumes as well as a short autobiography. His other writings include Birwapa's Guru Yoga Puja, etc., many ritual texts, dedication prayers, long life prayers, many different types of prayers, as well as many short verses.
Sakya Trizin has benefited the Tibetan lay community through his establishment and support of Tibetan settlements and through bestowing extensive Dharma teachings and his highly respected advice. Also, to preserve an unbroken lineage and tradition of the Khon Family, he has ensured that his two sons are receiving an extensive education in the Buddha Dharma.
In short, Sakya Trizin upholds the entire Buddhist Doctrine, and in particular the lineage of the glorious Sakya Tradition, spreading it far and wide throughout the world.