• About H.H. Sakya Trizin

At 2.30 pm on Monday 21 April His Holiness Sakya Trizin arrived at Perth International Airport for the commencement of his 2003 Australian Tour and his third visit to Australia. His Holiness was welcomed by the Dalai Lama's Australian representative, Atisha-la, tour initiator Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe and national tour coordinator Jack Heath. His Holiness' arrival marked the culmination of many months of planning stretching back to when the invitation was first formally issued to His Holiness in Vancouver in August 2000.

Delayed by a few days due to visa difficulties in New Delhi, the Perth programme was readjusted at the last minute to a one day programme mid-week but this didn't prevent more than 600 people turning out. Despite suffering from a serious bout of food poisoning, and against doctor's advice, His Holiness very generously gave both a public talk and Medicine Buddha empowerment at the University of Western Australia before taking a day's rest to recover. This led to a shortening of the Adelaide programme where His Holiness bestowed the White Tara and Green Tara empowerments as well as giving a teaching on the Four Common Foundations.

Meanwhile, His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, whose visit was also delayed due to the vagaries of Australian visa processing system, arrived in Perth on ANZAC Day together with his wife Dagmo Kusho-la who was making her first visit to Australia. They took in a whirlwind tour of Perth and Fremantle and then flew for a brief stopover in Adelaide before joining His Holiness and the entourage in Whyalla. From there, the visit proceeded without significant hitch giving truth to the old Tibetan saying "Many obstacles at the beginning leads to great success at the end."

In Whyalla people came from all over Australia and some from overseas to receive the teachings and empowerments. His Holiness gave the Cause Hevajra empowerment in the Lam Dre tradition as well as an uncommon Medicine Buddha Empowerment, a public talk and the Vajrayogini Blessing and Sadhana teaching. His Eminence also gave his first teaching of the tour on the Four Noble Truths as well as a Manjushri Empowerment.

From Whyalla it was off to Melbourne for more public talks, 1000-armed Chenrezig, Medicine Buddha and Vajrakilaya empowerments - the latter involving the participation of Lama Choedak and Lama Dawa who had come especially from Bir Monastery in northern India to assist. As part of the Victorian programme His Holiness travelled to Bendigo to lay the foundation stone for the Great Stupa that will be completed in the next few years and then be blessed His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his next visit to Australia.

Without a days rest, His Holiness flew to Canberra for the consecration of the new Virupa Retreat Centre at Captain's Flat just out of Queenbeyan. There His Holiness also gave a teaching on "Parting from the Four Attachment's" as well as the Cakrasamvara Empowerment and Vajrayogini Blessing and teachings which also included the very precious "Lord of Cemetery" initiation which was the first occasion His Holiness had bestowed this empowerment in Australia.

From the cold nights of Canberra the entourage headed to sunny Brisbane for a weekend programme of teachings ("Gift of Dharma" and "Finding Peace in a Troubled World") and empowerments (Medicine Buddha and White Tara) before His Holiness took in two days rest on the Gold Coast. These rest days were to be the only two rest days for His Holiness' entire visit - a very clear sign of His Holiness great generosity and desire to benefit countless sentient beings.

It was then to Sydney for the final and longest leg of the tour and the bestowing of the very precious 13 Golden Dharmas at the Balmain Town Hall where only two years earlier His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche had given teachings and empowerments. This was to be the first time His Holiness had bestowed the 13 Golden Dharmas in their entirety in the West and they were given over a six day period. A rest day planned at the start of the Sydney visit was cancelled when His Holiness agreed to travel up to the Gosford to bless the Central Coast Meditation Centre and that set the tone for the remainder of the visit. His Holiness bestowed a very special consecration of the new Shrine at Sakya Tharpa Ling and expressed his appreciation for the enormous amount of quality work and the generosity of people who had made it all possible.

The Sydney programme also included teachings on "Finding Peace in a Troubled World", "the Gift of Dharma", "an Introduction to the Four Schools of Tantra", "Wisdom and Compassion", Dream Yoga and the Chenrezig and Vajrakilaya Sadhanas as well as a whole host of empowerments including White Tara, Red Tara, Amitabha Phowa, Cause Hevajra, Medicine Buddha, Guru Yoga and the Bodhisattva vows. His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche also gave a very clear and concise teaching on Guru Yoga and bestowed the Manjushri Empowerment at Balmain Town Hall. Near the end of the visit more than fifty people took refuge with His Holiness at Sakya Tharpa Ling. His Holiness also spent days with sister Sakya centres in Sydney including Sakya Dolma Choe Ling and the Kyegu Buddhist Institute who arranged the public talk at the NSW Parliament.

The visit concluded with a teaching of the Vajrakilaya Sadhana and a celebration Tsog at Balmain Town Hall. Sakya Tharpa Ling President and National Visit Chairman Jack Heath formally thanked His Holiness on behalf of all who had benefited from His Holiness' great generosity in completing such an exhaustive programme. He also expressed appreciation for His Holiness' decision of a decade ago to send Khenpo to Australia. It was now up to the students to repay His Holiness' great kindness through the strength of our practices both as individual practitioners and as a collective sangha. He concluded by requesting His Holiness to visit Australia again soon and to keep turning the wheel of Dharma until the end of samsara.

In response, His Holiness said he was very pleased with the tour and commented he had received a lot of very positive feedback both on the way the tour was organised and the way people had conducted themselves. He expressed his deep appreciation for the excellent work of Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe and all the Sakya centres around Australia who had made the visit such a success. His Holiness mentioned that prior to the tour members of his office had been concerned that the schedule was too hectic but that it had all gone so well and so quickly. His Holiness stressed how it important it was that that we continue our practice, honour our commitments and keep the samayas while continuing to benefit sentient beings in whatever capacity we could. He also indicated his acceptance of Sakya Tharpa Ling's invitation for him to visit Australia again in the near future.

So, on the morning of Monday 9 June His Holiness and the entourage departed Australia for yet another extensive programme this time in the United States. He was farewelled by an immensely grateful group of more that fifty people at the airport. After all the difficulties in getting His Holiness to Australia he departed in such fine spirits and full of energy. We all rejoice in our good fortune that His Holiness gave so much to so many people in such a short period of time - it certainly reinforces a belief in reincarnation because it is difficult to fathom how we could have possibly accumulated enough positive karma in this current lifetime to be blessed with the opportunity of so many precious teachings and empowerments from such a great Buddhist master who is no different from Buddha Vajradhara.

Of course, the visit did not happen without an extraordinary amount of tireless, skilled and generous work by people right around Australia, people to whom everyone associated with the tour is extremely grateful. We also thank Khenpo for his sure and guiding hand that contributed so much to such a wonderful visit. We pray for the long life of His Holiness Sakya Trizin and His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and resolve to continue to draw inspiration from their great kindness, compassion and wisdom so that we continue the spread of the precious Buddha Dharma and the flourishing of the great Sakya tradition. May all beings be happy.