Biography of Khenchen Lama Sherab - The Founder of THUPTEN CHANGCHUP LING, Arosio

Venerable Khenchen Lama Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa Rinpoche was born in 1931 in the city of Sakya (Tibet) to a family with a long tradition of spiritual practice. His father was Dorje Amipa. Ven. Lama Sherab remembers him as a patient man who devoted a lot of his time to the spiritual practice, in particular the practice of Buddha Avalokiteshvara and Hevajra, as well as offerings to the family Dharmapalas and the main family protectress, Palden Lhamo. He died when Ven. Lama Sherab was only seven years old. Ven. Lama Sherab’s mother came from a family of farmers who lived in the vicinity of Sakya. She was a deeply compassionate woman, kind and sensitive. One of his uncles was a doctor. Patients would often come to see him at the Amipa family house, although he was also paying home visits to the patients from the nearby villages. The family owned a vast amount of land and cultivated most of its foods.
Ven. Lama Sherab’s older brother, Shedrub Tenzin, entered the Sakya Monastery at the age of eight. Ven. Lama Sherab joined him there at the age of seven. Upon receiving the novice monk vows, he was also given the monk name by which we know him today: Sherab Gyaltsen, the “Banner of Wisdom”. Having learned to read and write, he started memorising the religious texts used at the monastery. His main teacher for the first three years was Ven. Khenpo Sangye Rinchen. Soon he started leading morning prayers and other longer religious rituals.
His formal studies started with the Pramana, or the epistemological foundations of religious belief. At the age of thirteen, his studies focused on the Paramitas (the Perfections). In that period he also performed several retreats, during which he completed the preliminary practices (Ngondro) and perfected the calm abiding meditation (Skt. samatha/Tib. shinè), as well as the insight meditation (Skt. vipasyana/tib. lhagthong). After that he received the Lam Dre teachings and initiations from His Holiness the 40th Sakya Trizin Ngawang Thuthob Wangchug.
At the age of eighteen, Ven. Lama Sherab passed the Kachu exam which was the basis for advanced studies leading to the Geshe degree, the highest academic degree equalling a western PhD in Buddhist Philosophy, which he completed with honours and obtained the title of Geshe Rabjampa. These advanced studies included the Abidharma, the Madhyamika philosophy (the Middle Way philosophy), the Vinaya (rules of religious discipline) and the three sets of vows.
Ven. Lama Sherab became a fully ordained monk, a Bhikshu, at the age of twenty. Having obtained the Geshe degree, he started teaching at the main Sakya Monastery. He also received numerous tantric initiations (Manjushri, Mahakala, Green Tara, White Tara, Hevajra, Vajrayoghini, Vajrakilaya, and other) from his Root Guru, His Holiness the 40th Sakya Trizin Ngawang Thuthob Wangchug. Later on, he also received the complete Lam Dre series of teachings, Hevajra, Vajrakilaya, Vajrayoghini, as well as the “Thirteen Golden Dharmas” of Sakyapas’ from the current holder of the Sakya throne, His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin.
He left Tibet in 1959, and after a short stay at Kalimpong in 1960, he joined the monks at the Sakya Monastery in Darjeeling. After two years in Darjeeling, he was selected the Sakya representative to Dalhousie, where he first encountered the ‘West’, started studying foreign languages and western culture.
In 1967, following the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government in exile (Department of Religious Affairs) requested Ven. Lama Sherab to move to a newly established Tibet Institute at Rikon (near Zurich), Switzerland. Having consulted Ven. Lama Sherab, His Holiness Sakya Trizin gave the permission to Ven. Lama Sherab to move to Rikon. The main aim of the Tibet Institute was to support Tibetan refugees in Switzerland, helping them preserve their culture and religion in exile. Moreover, in this way, Dharma was brought to the western practitioners of Buddhism and bridges were built between the two cultures.
In that period, Ven. Lama Sherab received extensive commentaries on Bodhisattvacaryavatara and 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, as well as different tantric initiations, including the Kalachakra, from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Ven. Lama Sherab’s influence gradually spread across the Swiss boarders to different European countries where groups of practitioners wishing to learn and practice Dharma were established under his guidance.
In 1977, a Sakya Centre, Sakya Tsechen Ling, was founded in Strasburg, which established itself permanently at a nearby village of Kuttolsheim in 1978. The centre was inaugurated by His Holiness Sakya Trizin in September 1978. Later on, the Centre was transformed into a European Institute of Tibetan Buddhism. A Tibetan lama, Ven. Lama Dakpa Woeser, took residence in Kuttolsheim and Ven. Lama Sherab started to teach there three-day weekend courses on a monthly basis.
In 1982, the Institute was greatly honoured by the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his first visit to France. On this occasion, His Holiness imparted a teaching on the Sakya text “Zenpa Zidrel” (Parting from the Four Attachments) in Strasburg to a large gathering of Tibetans and Europeans.
His Holiness Sakya Trizin visited both the Rikon Institute and Sakya Tsechnen Ling on different occasions, when he also bestowed the most profound Lam Dre teachings and major initiations (Hevajra, Vajrakilaya, Vajrayoghini). His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen also visited Ven. Lama Sherab’s centres on various occasions, bestowing numerous teachings and initiations.
In 1988, Ven. Lama Sherab travelled to Sarnath, India, for a meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, His Holiness Sakya Trizin and other high Lamas of all traditions. Another such great event took place in 2000 in Dharamsala, India.
As the time passed by, Ven. Lama Sherab’s study groups developed into Dharma centres: in Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Ven. Lama Sherab has written many books on the Buddhist practice, history of the Sakya tradition, Mahamudra, and Tibetan language. His works were translated to English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, and Czech.
Out of a great respect for Buddha Shakyamuni and his profound teachings, as well as his great love and compassion towards all sentient beings, Ven. Lama Sherab offered a Buddha statue to the main Sakya Monastery in Dehra Dun, India. This marvellous statue of Buddha was made by the great artist Penpa Dorje and his students. It was consecrated on 6 March 1995.
In 1997, Ven. Lama Sherab launched a project of a Stupa construction which was completed three years later. The Stupa is located in Sarnath, India, near a place where Buddha Shakyamuni turned the wheel of Dharma for the first time, giving a teaching on ”The Four Noble Truths”. The stupa is dedicated to the world peace.
In 1999, as the first Lama ever, Ven. Lama Sherab imparted teachings of Tibetan Buddhism at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
He completed a six-month Hevajra retreat in 2004.
In 2010, during Lam Dre teachings in Kuttolsheim, France, His Holiness Sakya Trizin offered a special ceremony in honour of Ven. Lama Sherab, during which he bestowed upon him the tile of honour “Khenchen”, or the “Great Abbot”. The ceremony took place on the auspicious day of “Chökhor Düchen“, which commemorates Buddha Shakyamuni’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma. On that occasion, His Holiness Sakya Trizin expressed his deep appreciation and best wishes to Khenchen Lama Sherab, underlying Rinpoche’s ‘immense efforts which he has been investing here in the West for over half a century, establishing numerous Dharma centres in Europe, helping a great amount of people, supporting many monasteries in Tibet, India and Nepal, as well as helping individual monks, nuns and lay people.’ With a profound sense of gratitude, His Holiness Sakya Trizin invited all participants to join him in his word of thanks to Khenchen Lama Sherab, and with great joy he bestowed upon him the honorific title of “Khenchen”. Upon the conclusion of this ceremony, His Holiness performed a Long Life offering to Khenchen Lama Sherab, wishing him all the very best and a lot of success in all his activities in the future.

On 14 April 2014, Ven. Khenchen Lama Sherab left his body. His wisdom and compassion remain a profound source of inspiration for all disciples who had the great fortune of meeting him and benefiting from his presence for many years.     

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Biography of His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya

His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya, one of the most important Lamas of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, is a descendant from the great Sakya Lamas, who established close relations with Mongolian emperors in the 13th century. Namely, his predecessor, Sakya Pandita (1182 – 1251) befriended the Great Khan, and it is thanks to him that the Sakya Lamas governed Tibet for almost a century.
His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya was born into the Phuntsok branch of the Khön lineage of the Sakya school in 1929 in southwestern Tibet. He began his studies under the guidance of his father, H.H. Trichen Ngawang Thutop Wangchuk (the 40th throne holder of the Sakya school). From his father he also received the unbroken Khön lineage transmission of the Sakya Vajrakilaya and Hevajra empowerments, as well as the complete Lamdre, The Path and its Fruit.
After the passing of his father, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya travelled to East Tibet, where he studied with Dzongsar Khyentse Jamyang Chökyi Lodrö, master of all lineages, and Dilgo Khyentse Rabsel Dawa Rinpoche, master of the Nyigma school. He further studied the Lamdre texts and Rime teachings, combining the practices of Tibetan Buddhism common to all four main schools – Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug, and Sakya.
After the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya, holder of one of the two main Sakya lineages, had to flee his country. He was invited to the USA to participate in a University of Washington, Seattle, research project on Tibet sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation. He has remained in Seattle ever since. In 1974, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya and His Eminence Deshung Rinpoche established the Sakya Tegchen Choling, centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1984, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya bought a Presbyterian church (built in 1928) in order to transform it into a traditional Tibetan-style monastery. Not only did it become the main seat of the Sakya tradition in the USA, it also became an important centre of cultural and religious learning. In 1993, still in the process of refurbishment, the monastery was used as a film setting during the shooting of Bernardo Bertolucci’s ‘Little Buddha’.
With the renovation works still in progress, the monastery launched its first pedagogical activities. In 1997, the Virupa Ecumenical Institute devoted to the study of Tibetan Buddhism was established. The first courses were offered in the spring of 1998. In 2001, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya established the Sakya Heritage Society in New Delhi with the wish to preserve his tradition and lineage for the future generations and lineage holders. He has founded many other monasteries in East Asia.
He conferred numerous initiations and teachings in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Asia.
On April 29, 2016, H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya passed into a special state of meditation (Thukdam) and entered Parinirvana on May 5, 2016.

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Biography of His Holiness Sakya Trizin

His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin, the supreme head of the Sakya School, belongs to the ancient and distinguished Khön family, whose history extends back to the early days of Tibet, before the arrival of Buddhism. His Khön ancestors descended from the ‘Heavenly Realm of Clear Light’. That is why the family is spoken of as a ‘Lha-Rig’, which means ‘the race of heavenly beings.’ After their triumph over the Rakshas, the family got its second supreme name – ‘Khön Gyi Dung’, which means the ‘Clan of the Victorious Ones’. In late eleventh century, they founded the glorious Sakya order and received their third supreme name – the ‘Sakyapa’.

The Sakya tradition has produced many great and distinguished Masters. The lineage continues to be unbroken to this day; among these Masters are also the Five Patriarchs of the Sakya Tradition.

Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, the Patriarch of the Sakya Drolma Phodrang, and Sonam Drolkar, the sister of a renowned minister of the Tibetan government, had four children.

Their first child was Jetsun Chime Thrinley (who now resides and teaches in Canada). Then she gave birth to a son and a daughter, both of whom died when they were still children. Their youngest son, the 41st Sakya Trizin, was born at the Sakya Tsedon palace during the XVI Rabjong (the 60 year cycle) on 7 September 1945, the first day of the eighth lunar month of the year of the Wood Bird.

Immediately after his birth, in accordance with age old traditions to increase his wisdom, the syllable DHIH was traced on his tongue and profound rituals were performed. Many signs traditionally associated with auspiciousness were observed on this day: a rainbow-like canopy appeared above the Palace, the milk collected from a 100 different dris (female yaks), and a statue of the Guru Padmasambhava were miraculously offered to the Palace. Initially given the Sanskrit name Ayu Vajra, His Holiness was only later given his actual name – Ngawang Kunga Thegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo, when his father Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen gave him his first major initiation, that of the Nine Deities of Amitayus. A year later, upon the family’s return to the main Sakya Monastery, great feast was organised to celebrate His Holiness’s birthday. His father conferred upon Him the Vajrakilaya and many other profound teachings.

His Holiness lost both his mother and father when he was very young. His maternal aunt, Thinley Paljor Sangmo, then dedicated herself to raising His Holiness. She appointed Jamphel Ponlop Kunga Gyaltsen as his first tutor with whom His Holiness learned to read, write, memorize, and recite basic prayers. He also learned chanting, music, ritual dancing, mudras, and so forth from his junior tutor Kunga Tsewang. At the conclusion of these studies, a great celebration was held, in which His Holiness officially entered the Mahayana and Vajrayana Monasteries to perform the traditional Sakya ceremonies. He continued his studies at the Ngor Ewam Monastery. There, His root Guru, the great Ngor abbot Vajradhara Ngawang Lödro Shenphen Nyingpo bestowed upon him the common and uncommon Lamdre, and other profound teachings.

In 1951, at the age of six, His Holiness made a pilgrimage to Lhasa, where he was designated the Throne Holder of the Sakya Order by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Accordingly, the following year, a preliminary enthronement ceremony was held in which he accepted the official Sakya seals. The following year, His Holiness received the initiation and reading transmission of the ‘Collection of Sadhanas’ from Ngawang Tenzin Nyingpo, the regent of Vajradhara Ngawang Lodro Shenphen Nyingpo. He also received the initiation and profound oral instructions of the Three Red Deities, three Vajarayoginis and the two main Protectors of the Sakya Order from Lama Ngawang Lodro Rinpoche. At the age of eleven, His Holiness made another pilgrimage to Lhasa, where he received religious instructions at the Potala from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Before a large audience, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin gave an extensive explanation of the Mandala Offering, which caused his wisdom to be proclaimed throughout Tibet. On a pilgrimage to India he received many initiations and teachings of the Sakya Tradition, as well as the Great Perfection and Dzogchen Teachings form Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. In 1957, His Holiness received the Lamdre Teachings again, this time from the great abbot Vajradhara Khenchen Jampal Sangpo according to the Khön lineage transmission.

In 1959, at the age of 14, after a seven-day Mahakala ritual, His Holiness was formally enthroned as the Throne Holder of Sakya in an elaborate three day ceremony with the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in attendance. Due to political situation in Tibet, His Holiness was forced to flee the homeland and escape to India.

A year later, he established the Sakya Ghoom monastery in Darjeeling and Sa-Ngor Chotsog in Gangtok, beginning in this way to reassemble the Sakya community.

In Tibet and in India, he received numerous philosophical teachings on the topic of Logic, Abhidharma, Prajnaparamita, and the Clarification of the Three Vows from great scholars such as Khenpo Dosep Thubten, Khenpo Serjong Appey, and Khenpo Rinchen. From Khenpo Serjong Appey, he received a thorough and detailed explanation of the Hevajra Root Tantra, and many other related teachings.

From H.E. Phende Khen Rinpoche, who was also one of His Holiness’s root Gurus, he received the initiation and explanation of Yamantaka in the Ra Lotsawa’s tradition, as well as the collected writings of Ngorchen Konchok Lhundub.

In 1964, he set about to re-establish the main seat of the Sakya Order in nearby Rajpur, Utarpadesh. In 1968, he established the Sakya settlement in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh, for the lay members of the Sakya community.

During 1971 and 1972 Chogye Trichen Rinpoche Ngawang Khyenrab Leghsey Gyatso conferred upon him the ‘Collection of all Tantras’, the ‘Collection of Texts by Ngorchen Kunga Sangpo’, ‘Uncommon Lamdre according to the Tsarpa tradition’ and ‘One Hundred Teachings of the Jonang Traditon’.

In order to maintain the tradition of the Khön family lineage, His Holiness married Dagmo Kusho Tashi Lhakee, daughter of a minister of the king of Dege, in 1974. Within the year they celebrated the auspicious birth of their elder son Ratna Vajra. He received the transmission of the ‘Collection of all Works of the Five Jetsuns’, such as the tantric scriptures of the omniscient Master Gorampa. In 1979, his younger son Gyana Vajra was born. A year later, His Holiness inaugurated the Sakya Thubten Namgyal Ling monastery in Puruwala, Himachal Pradesh.

In order to promote higher education and extensive philosophical training, as well as to maintain the living transmission of the Sakya teachings, His Holiness requested his tutor, the great Khenpo Abbey Rinpoche to establish the Sakya College. Thanks to Rinpoche’s hard work and profound wisdom the Sakya College opened its doors in 1972.

Over the years, the Sakya College has produced many great scholars who arrived from different monasteries. Their studies comprise the profound teachings of Sutras, Tantras, and other common topics. Many of the Sakya College graduates return to their root monasteries, where they continue to work and transmit their knowledge according to the instructions and under the guidance of His Holiness. These graduates have been playing an important role in spreading the Sakya tradition. In this way, His Holiness revitalised the traditions of Sutra and Tantra, transmitting these traditions of learning to the next generations, thus training the Sakya teachers of the future.

His Holiness has performed numerous major and minor retreats on the twenty deities of the Sakya lineage. When still a child, he undertook many retreats and conferred various initiations, including the ‘Superior and Inferior Initiations of Vajrakilaya’. Since his escape from Tibet, he has been tirelessly bestowing the common and uncommon Lamdre and the Collection of Sadhanas in Asia and in the West, conferring numerous initiations from the Collection of Tantras.

For the benefit of those who wish to study the Buddha’s doctrine, His Holiness has been turning the wheel of Dharma all over the world. So far he has given teachings in America, Australia, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, England, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.

The works he has edited reveal the vastness of compassion and wisdom with which he guides disciples along the path. He has written two major works up to date. One is the list of all teachings received from different Masters. The other one is an account of all works ever written by the great Sakya Masters. He has also edited two volumes of an autobiography, as well as a shorter version of it. He has written a profound treatise on the Guru Yoga of Lama Virupa, as well as numerous other ritual texts, dedicational prayers and short poems. With the wish to preserve the uninterrupted transmission of the Khön lineage, he has overseen the education of his two sons, who have received an extensive and complete education in the field of Buddha-Dharma. Both of them have already been conferring initiations and teaching in Asia and in the West for several years.

Upon the request of the nuns who arrived from Tibet some years ago, His Holiness established a nunnery. Today, the nunnery is home to over 200 nuns who have dedicated their lives to the study and practice of Dharma. Furthermore, His Holiness has just recently inaugurated the Sakya Nuns’ College, which offers courses on advanced philosophical topics.

In this way, His Holiness has guaranteed the continuity of Buddhist doctrines in their integrity and their dissemination. He is an inexhaustible source of wisdom and compassion for all Dharma scholars and practitioners.

Among other important and numerous activities supported by His Holiness is also the Sakya Hospital located near the Sakya Centre in Rajpur, which offers medical care for poor Tibetans and Indians alike.

When he is not travelling and teaching around the globe, he resides at the Drolma Phodrang in Rajpur, Dehra Dun, sharing his limitless compassion and blessings with the countless persons who come to pay him a visit day after day.

His Holiness the 41^st Sakya Trizin, saw with his vast vision that in the current time it would be beneficial to change the throne holder succession system. Even though this diverges from the established Sakya tradition, it should give an increased stability in the continuation of the teachings and administration of the Sakya. On 8^th May 2014, the new throne holder succession system with a three-year rotation of the Sakya Trizin title was unanimously agreed by the Dolma Phodrang and the Phuntsok Phodrang.
On 9 March 2017 H. H. 41^st Sakya Trizin passed the leadership of the Sakya school to his eldest son, H. E. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, who thus became the 42^nd Sakya Trizin. 

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