Tsechen Namdrol Ling of New Mexico
His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche
(The 41st Sakya Trizin)
Tsechen Namdrol Ling is the Newest Sakya Center
in the USA located in New Mexico
Inaugurated by H. H. Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche in May 2014
Incorporated in the State of New Mexico May 2015
Non-Profit Tax Deductible 501(c)(3) Status
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His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche is the spiritual guide of the Sakya lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His religious name is Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo. Praised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the “King of Vajrayana masters,” He is considered second only to the Dalai Lama in the spiritual hierarchy of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen has dedicated his life to preserving, practicing, and teaching the profound traditions of Vajrayana Buddhism in general and the Sakya lineage in particular. His Holiness belongs to the ancient and distinguished Khön family, whose history extends back to the early days of Tibet, before the arrival of Buddhism. He is fluent in English, teaches extensively, and has bestowed the complete Lamdre (the “Path and Fruit” teachings) many times. Officially enthroned as the 41st Sakya Trizin (or throne holder) in 1959, His Holiness served in that role until March 9, 2017, when his eldest son, H.H. Ratna Vajra Sakya, became the 42nd Sakya Trizin and his younger son, H.H. Gyana Vajra Sakya, became the 43rd Sakya Trizin in March, 2022.
His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche was born on September 7, 1945 in Tsedong, near Shigatse, Tibet. From his father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, he received important initiations and teachings in the Sakya lineage. He began intensive religious study at the age of five. In 1952, he was officially designated as the next Sakya Trizin by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. He continued intensive training from his main teacher Ngawang Lodroe Shenpen Nyingpo and many other famous Tibetan scholars, studying extensively in both the esoteric and exoteric Buddhist traditions. In 1959, at the age of fourteen, he was formally enthroned as head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism. In the same year, due to the political situation in Tibet, the Sakya Trizin, his family, and many lamas and monks from the Sakya Monastery relocated to India.
To maintain the unbroken lineage of the Khon family, in 1974 Sakya Trizin consented to requests that he accept Tashi Lhakee, daughter of a noble family from Dege in Kham as his consort. In the same year his first son, H.H. Khondung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, was born. In 1979, a second son, H.E. Khondung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche was born.
After leaving Tibet, in 1963, the Sakya Trichen re-established the seat of the Sakya Order in Rajpur, India, building a monastery known as Sakya Centre. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to preserve the thousand-year-old religious heritage of the Sakya Order and to transmit its teachings to succeeding generations. He founded and directly guides a number of institutions, including Sakya Monastery in Rajpur, Sakya Institute, Sakya College, Sakya Nunnery, Sakya College for Nuns, Sakya Tibetan Settlement, Sakya Hospital, dozens of other monasteries in Tibet, Nepal, and India, and numerous Dharma Centers in many countries, including Tsechen Namdrol Ling in New Mexico.
Our great Teacher, H.H. Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche is a highly accomplished Buddhist master respected by all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and teaches widely throughout the world. He has bestowed the extensive Lam Dre teaching cycle, which is the most important teaching of the Sakya Order over 18 times on various continents, and also transmitted major initiation cycles such as Collection of All the Tantras, and the Collection of all the Sādhanās, which contain almost all of the empowerments for the esoteric practices of the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism to hundreds of lineage holders in the next generation of Buddhist teachers. He has trained both of his sons, H.H. Khonrig Ratna Vajra Sakya, the 42nd Sakya Trizin, and H. H. Khonrig Gyana Vajra Sakya, the 43rd Sakya Trizin, as highly accomplished Buddhist masters, and they both travel widely, teaching Buddhism throughout the world.
The Sakya Tradition is one of the four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism; the three other lineages are the Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug. The name Sakya (“pale earth”) was derived from the unique, grey landscape of the Ponpori Hills in southern Tibet, near Shigatse. Sakya Monastery was built here in 1073, and remained the Seat for the Sakya Order for 886 years, until the 1959 invasion of Tibet. Tsechen Namdrol Ling is honored to ensure the continuity of the Dharma & carry forth this most noble lineage in the Land of Enchantment at Santa Fe / Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Your participation and ideas are welcomed.
Contact: santa.fe_sakya@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TsechenNamdrolLing
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Tsechen Namdrol Ling 