The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

, the others being the

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and trans ...

, Kagyu, and

Gelug 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).">Bodh_Gaya.html" ;"title="Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya">Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuou ...

. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.

Origins

Virūpa, 16th century. It depicts a famous episode in his hagiography when he stopped the sun in the sky. The name ''Sakya'' ("pale earth") derives from the unique grey landscape of the Ponpori Hills in southern

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

near Shigatse, where Sakya Monastery, the first monastery of this tradition, and the seat of the Sakya School was built by Khon Konchog Gyalpo (1034–1102) in 1073. The Sakya tradition developed during the second period of translation of Buddhist scripture from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

into Tibetan in the late 11th century. It was founded by Drogmi, a famous scholar and translator who had studied at the

Vikramashila Vikramashila (Sanskrit: विक्रमशिला, IAST: , Bengali:- বিক্রমশিলা, Romanisation:- Bikrômôśilā ) was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire, along wit ...

directly under

Naropa Nāropā ( Prakrit; sa, Nāropāda, Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) or Abhayakirti was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa ...

, Ratnākaraśānti, Vagishvakirti and other great panditas from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

for twelve years. Khon Konchog Gyalpo became Drogmi's disciple on the advice of his elder brother. The tradition was established by the "Five Venerable Supreme Masters" starting with the grandson of Khonchog Gyalpo,

Sachen Kunga Nyingpo Sachen Kunga Nyingpo () (1092–1158) was a Tibetan spiritual leader and the first of the Five Venerable Supreme Sakya Masters of Tibet. Sachen Kunga Nyinpo was the 3rd Sakya Trizin and son of Khon Konchok Gyalpo (1034–1102) who was the firs ...

, who became known as Sachen, or "Great Sakyapa": *

(1092–1158) *

Sonam Tsemo Sonam Tsemo (; 1142–1182) (or Lobpon Rinpoche Sonam Tsemo), an important Tibetan sprititual leader and Buddhist scholar, was the second of the so-called Five Venerable Supreme Sakya Masters of Tibet, the founding fathers of the Sakya traditio ...

(1142–1182) *

Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen () (1147–1216) was a Tibetan spiritual leader and the third of the Five Sakya Patriarchs (''sa skya gong ma rnam lnga'') of Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Pla ...

(1147–1216) * Sakya Pandita (1182–1251) *

Drogön Chögyal Phagpa Drogön Chogyal Phagpa (; ; 1235 – 15 December 1280), was the fifth leader of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also the first Imperial Preceptor of the Yuan dynasty, and was concurrently named the director of the Bureau of Buddhi ...

(1235–1280)

Buton Rinchen Drub Butön Rinchen Drup (), (1290–1364), 11th Abbot of Shalu Monastery, was a 14th-century Sakya master and Tibetan Buddhist leader. Shalu was the first of the major monasteries to be built by noble families of the Tsang dynasty during Tibet's gr ...

(1290–1364) was an important scholar and writer and one of Tibet's most celebrated historians. Other notable scholars of the Sakya tradition are the so-called "Six Ornaments of Tibet:" * Yaktuk Sangyey Pal * Rongton (1367–1449) * Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo * Zongpa Kunga Namgyel *

Gorampa Gorampa Sonam Senge (, 1429–1489Dreyfus (2003) p.301) was an important philosopher in the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the author of a vast collection of commentaries on sutra and tantra whose work was influential throughout Tibetan ...

(1429–1489) *

Sakya Chokden Serdok Penchen Sakya Chokden (gser mdog pan chen shakya mchog ldan, 1428–1507) (also transliterated as ''Shakya Chogden'') was one of the most important religious thinkers of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a student of Rongtön Sh ...

(1428–1507) The leadership of the Sakya School is passed down through a hereditary system between the male members of the Sakya branch of the Khon family.

Teachings

Sachen, the first of the five supreme masters, inherited a wealth of tantric doctrines from numerous

an translators or "

lotsawa Lotsawa () is a Tibetan word used as a title to refer to the native Tibetan translators, such as Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa Lotsawa, Tropu Lotsawa Jampa Pel and others, who worked alongside Indian scholars or panditas to translate Buddhi ...

s" who had visited

: most importantly Drokmi Lotsawa, Bari Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa. From Drokmi comes the supreme teaching of Sakya, the system of

Lamdre Lamdré is a meditative system in Tibetan Buddhism rooted in the view that the result of its practice is contained within the path. The name "lamdré" means the “path" () with its fruit ). In Tibet, the lamdré teachings are considered the ''summ ...

"Path and its Fruit" deriving from the mahasiddha Virūpa based upon the

Hevajra Hevajra (Tibetan: kye'i rdo rje / kye rdo rje; Chinese: 喜金剛 Xǐ jīngāng / 呼金剛 Hū jīngāng;) is one of the main yidams (enlightened beings) in Tantric, or Vajrayana Buddhism. Hevajra's consort is Nairātmyā (Tibetan: bdag me ...

Tantra. Mal Lotsawa introduced to Sakya the esoteric Vajrayogini lineage known as "Naro Khachoma." From Bari Lotsawa came innumerable tantric practices, foremost of which was the cycle of practices known as the ''One Hundred Sadhanas''. Other key transmissions that form part of the Sakya spiritual curriculum include the cycles of Vajrakilaya, Mahākāla and Guhyasamāja tantras. The fourth Sakya patriarch, Sakya Pandita, was notable for his exceptional scholarship and composed many important and influential texts on

sutra ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an ap ...

and tantra, including "Means of Valid Cognition: A Treasury of Reasoning" (), "Clarifying the Sage's Intent" () and "Discriminating the Three Vows" (). The main Dharma system of the Sakya school is the "Path with its Result" (), which is split into two main lineages, "Explanation for the Assembly" () and the "Explanation for Close Disciples" (). The other major system of the Sakya school is the "

Explanation For Disciples" (). Another important series of teachings is based on verses of Günga Nyingpo (1092–1158) called "separating from the four attachments" which is the subject of commentaries by numerous Sakya masters like Drakpa Gyeltsen, Sakya Pandita, Ngorchen Günga Sangpo, and

Sönam Senggé. The verses are:

If you cling to this life, then you are not a dharma practitioner.

If you cling to existence, then you do not have renunciation.

If you are attached to your own interests, then you do not have the mind of awakening.

If you hold to a position, then you do not have the correct view.

Subschools

In due course, two subsects emerged from the main Sakya lineage, *

Ngor Ngor or Ngor Éwam Chöden (, ) is the name of a monastery in the Ü-Tsang province of Tibet about southwest of Shigatse and is the Sakya school's second most important gompa. It is the main temple of the large Ngor school of Vajrayana Buddhi ...

, founded in Tsang by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (1382–1457). The Ngor school is centered on Ngor Evam Choden monastery. It represents 85% of the Sakyapa school and most if not all the monasteries in India are Ngorpa, apart from Sakya Trizin's monastery. * Tshar, founded by Tsarchen Losal Gyamtso (1496 - 1560 or 1502–1556). There were three "mother" monasteries of the Sakya school: Sakya Monastery, founded in 1073, Ngor Evam Choden, founded in 1429, and Phanyul Nalendra in Phanyul, north of Lhasa, founded in 1435 by Kuntchen Rongten. Nalendra became the home of the 'whispered-lineage' of the Tsar school. The Bodongpa tradition, founded by Bodong Panchen Chögle Namgyel 376 1451 is considered by some scholars to be a sub-sect of the Sakya tradition.

Feudal lordship over Tibet

The Mongol conquest of Tibet began after the foundation of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

in the early 13th century. In 1264, the feudal reign over Tibet was given to

Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of ...

, founder of the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fif ...

. Sakya lamas, along with Sakya Imperial Preceptors and dpon-chens continued to serve as viceroys or administrators of Tibet on behalf of Yuan emperors for nearly 75 years after Phagpa’s death in 1280, until the Yuan dynasty was greatly weakened by the Red Turban Rebellion in the 1350s, a decade before the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

founded by the

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive v ...

overthrew Mongol rule in China. The leaders of the Sakya regime were as follows. *

1253-1280 * Dharmapala Raksita 1280-1282, d. 1287 * Jamyang Rinchen Gyaltsen 1286-1303 *

Zangpo Pal Zangpo Pal (1261 - 1323), in full Danyi Chenpo Zangpo Pal (; ), was the ruler of Sakya, which held a precedence position in Tibet under the Yuan dynasty. He ruled nominally from 1298, in reality from 1306 to his death in 1323. Family and upbringin ...

1306-1323 * Khatsun Namkha Lekpa Gyaltsen 1325-1341 * Jamyang Donyo Gyaltsen 1341-1344 * Lama Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen 1344-1347 *

Lotro Gyaltsen Lotro Gyaltsen (1332 - 1365), in orthographic spelling ''bLo gros rgyal mts'an'', was a ruler of Sakya, which had a precedence position in Tibet under the Yuan dynasty. He reigned from 1347 to 1365; however, Sakya lost its influence in Central Tibet ...

1347-1365

Sakya today

The head of the Sakya school, known as Sakya Trizin ("holder of the Sakya throne"), is always drawn from the male line of the Khön family. The present Sakya Trizin, Gyana Vajra is the forty-third to hold that office. 41st Sakya Trizin is thought to be the reincarnation of two great Tibetan masters: a

Nyingmapa Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

lama known as Apong Terton (Orgyen Thrinley Lingpa), who is famous for his Red Tara cycle, and his grandfather, the 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen (1871–1936). Traditionally, hereditary succession has alternated between the two Sakya palaces, since Khon Könchok Gyelpo's (1034–1102) reign. The Ducho sub-dynasty of Sakya survives split into two palaces, the Dolma Phodrang and Phuntsok Phodrang. Sakya Trizin is head of the Dolma Phodrang. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya (1929–2016) was the head of the Phuntsok Phodrang, and lived in Seattle, Washington, where he co-founded Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism with Dezhung Rinpoche III, and constructed the first Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the United States. Dagchen Sakya's father was the previous Sakya Trizin, Trichen Ngawang Thutop Wangchuk, throne holder of Sakya, and his mother Dechen Drolma. Dagchen Sakya was married to Her Eminence Dagmo Jamyang Kusho Sakya; they have five sons, five grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

The Rimé movement

Having seen how the

institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's cultural life, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgön Kongtrül compiled together the teachings of the Sakya, Kagyu and

, including many near-extinct teachings. Without Khyentse and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of Buddhism by the Communists would have been much more final.Schaik, Sam van. ''Tibet: A History''. Yale University Press 2011, page 169.

Notes

References

*Davidson, Ronald (1992). "Preliminary Studies on Hevajra's Abhisamaya and the Lam 'bras Tshogs bshad." In Davidson, Ronald M. & Goodman, Steven D. ''Tibetan Buddhism: reason and revelation''. State University of New York Press: Albany, N.Y. pp. 107–132. * *Trichen, Chogyay. ''History of the Sakya Tradition'', Ganesha Press, 1993

External links

His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, Official Website.

The French Ngorpa temple.

Palden Sakya - Website of Sakya Trizin's Monastery in Rajpur, India

Tsechen Kunchab Ling - Sakya Trizin's seat in the United States

Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling - Canada

Sakya Foundation - Canada

Sakya Dechenling - Canada

Sakya Kachöd Chöling - Canada

International Buddhist Academy (IBA) in Kathmandu, Nepal

Sakya Foundation - USA

Sakya Monastery in Seattle, Washington

Chödung Karmo, Sakya Translation Group
* SAKYA TRADITION: DROGON CHOGYAL PHAGPA- ''Holy Biography of the Fifth Founder of the Sakya Order Synthesized from a biography written by Sakyapa Ngawang Kunga Sodnam'' {{Authority control Schools of Tibetan Buddhism