Biograpy of H.H. 42nd Sakya Trizin Ratna Vajra Sakya

Khöndung Ratna Vajra Sakya, born on November 19^th 1974, is the eldest son of His Holiness the 41^st Sakya Trizin. Enthroned on 9^th March 2017 as the 42^nd Sakya Trizin, he is one of the most important lineage holders of the Khön family, whose successive generations have provided an unbroken lineage of outstanding masters.

From birth, Rinpoche was the recipient of blessings, empowerments, initiations and teachings mainly from Root Guru Vajradhara His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin. Also from many of the foremost masters and scholars of this age, including His Holiness the XIV^th Dalai Lama, the late H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche and the late H.E. Dezhung Rinpoche.

Khöndung Ratna Vajra masters all the major rituals of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism, which he learned under the guidance of his father His Holiness the Sakya Trizin. Rinpoche is considered to be one of the most highly qualified lineage masters of both the esoteric and exoteric teachings of philosophy and meditation according to the Sakya School. He is renowned for his erudition and the clarity of his teaching.

Education:

In 1980 he began his formal education under the tutorship of Ven. Rinchen Sangpo.

Later in 1980/81 Ratna Vajra Rinpoche received for the first time the cycle of the precious uncommon Lam Dre teachings from His Holiness the Sakya Trizin.

On 8th October 1981 in the presence of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, his tutor, and prominent members of the Sakya Centre, he took his first oral examination on the Remembrance of the Triple Gem, The Three Heap Sutra, The Confession Sutra, the Extended Lineage Guru’s Prayers and several other texts.

He then embarked on the basic monastic curriculum of studies, consisting in Tibetan reading, writing, grammar, memorisation and recitation of basic prayers, and rituals. In 1986 he performed his first retreat on Vajrapani Butadramara together with his mother, Her Eminence Gyalyum Kushok.

15th of 7th Lunar Month, 7th September 1987, His Holiness 42nd Birthday, when Rinpoche was 12, he passed the challenging Vajrakilaya examination at the Sakya Centre, and spent the following years pursuing the study of rituals according to the Sakya Tradition.

Following this, Rinpoche joined the Sakya College, in 1990 where he spent years studying Buddhist Philosophy under notable teachers, including the late Khenpo Migmar Tsering. While at Sakya College, Rinpoche distinguished himself through his academic excellence and passed all his examinations with distinction. In 1998, he graduated with a Kachupa degree, the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree in Buddhist Philosophy.

During his early adulthood, Rinpoche sought and received numerous teachings from great Sakya scholars, including H.E. Khenchen Appey Rinpoche (1927-2010), Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk Rinpoche (1921-2008) and Khenpo Lungrik Senge. He also performed many retreats on the principal deities of the Sakya tradition, and presided over numerous ritual ceremonies in India, Nepal and abroad.

Rinpoche bestowed his first Lam Dre teachings at the Sakya Centre, Rajpur in 2005 and again at Ngor Monastery in 2006/2007. And in 2013, he gave his first foreign Lam Dre teachings in Singapore. He has accompanied His Holiness the Sakya Trizin on many international teaching tours and has himself also given many teachings and empowerments worldwide. Rinpoche’s teaching activities span across the globe, from Asia to Europe and North America, tirelessly expounding the Buddha Dharma so as to benefit as many students of the Dharma as possible.

Family:

In 2002, after a long search for a suitable wife, Her Eminence Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi, was chosen, in the age-old Sakya tradition of holy divination, to be the spiritual consort of His Holiness. They have three children together, who are also being brought up in accordance with the ancient Buddhist traditions of scholarship.

With wisdom and compassion, His Holiness continues to regularly transmit numerous empowerments and teachings at renowned Buddhist institutes such as the Sakya Institute, the Dzongsar Institute, Sakya College, Tantric College, International Buddhist Academy, and countless other schools, centres, and monasteries all over the world.

In 2017, His Holiness inherited the mantle of leadership from his esteemed father and Root Guru, in his new capacity as His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In doing so, he continues to guide and inspire Dharma students from all over the world with his wisdom, genuine qualities of unaffected simplicity, humility and complete honesty, by presenting the Buddha’s teachings in the most authentic way, while maintaining the purest of Buddhist traditions.

Source: http://palsakya.org/