Tibetan Tra- Ditions As a Citadel of Learning and Excellence
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BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY 14851 Permit No. 746 Deliver to current resident ORDER FROM OUR NEW SNOW LION TOLL FREE NUMBER 1-800-950-0313 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS PO BOX 6483, ITHACA, NY 14851, (607)-273-8506 VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1 H.H. SAKYA TRIZIN VISITS AMERICA In the Dehra Dun valley nestled between the Himalaya and Shiva- lik mountain ranges below the small Indian town of Rajpur, one finds a modest house surrounded by fruit trees. Here is the home of His Holi- ness Sakya Trizin, the crown-lama of the Sakya Order, His Consort, Damo Kushola, and their two sons, Ratna Vajra and Jnana Vajra. A far cry from the 80-room Dolma Palace of Sakya in Tibet, it nonetheless serves as His Holiness' main resi- dence and office as He guides the Sakya Order in both spiritual and temporal matters through the un- certain years of exile. A small way further down the treelined avenue of the Fajpur Road, one will often see red-robed monks waiting for a bus or busy with activities at the Sakya Center, the first Sakya monastery estab- lished in India. In the foothills over- looking Rajpur, one will find the advanced teacher-training facility, the Sakya College, which has won H.H. THE DALAI LAMA TO renown among all four Tibetan tra- ditions as a citadel of learning and excellence. A two-hour bus trip GIVE DZOGCHEN TEACHINGS from nearby Dehra Dun will bring one to the Sakya settlement of AND EMPOWERMENT OF Puruwalla, where refugee lay people form and make handicrafts, preserv- H.H. Sakya Trizin PADMASAMBHAVA IN USA ing their unique Tibetan cultural life. At the invitation of Sogyal Rin- of the great King of Tibet Trisong- a member of the Khon family has has given the collection of "All the poche and Rigpa Fellowship, His detsen, the chief disciple of Pad- In 1959, when His Holiness fled held the throne of Sakya, provid- Practices" in Ladakh, and is in the Holiness the Dalai Lama will give masambhava, and was thus Tibet at the age of 14 with His fa- ing the main thread of continuity process of transmitting the collec- teachings on Dzogchen and grant the empowered to reveal the profound mily and a few close retainers, who within the Order; from His birth tion of "All the Tantras" at the Empowerment of Padmasambhava Pure Vision teachings of the could have imagined that the Sakya in 1945 His Holiness Ngawang newly-refounded Ngor monastery and his Eight Manifestations in Santa "Gyachen Nyer Nga", as prophe- Order would be reborn in India and Kunga was groomed for the posi- in Manduwalla, near Dehra Dun. Cruz on October 8 and 9. This will sied by Padmasambhava himself. within 30 years have more than tion of Sakya Trizin, or "Throne His Holiness' efforts to preserve be a unique and historic occasion, His "Collected Works" ate divided 2000 monks living in 28 monaster- Holder." Receiving from His father, the dharma heritage of the Sakya as His Holiness has never given such into Outer, Inner and Extremely ies, with seven colleges of higher Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, the long Order for future generations has teachings in the United Sates before. Secret teachings, the last including studies, six retreat centers and sever- life empowerment of Amitayus also born fruit in another way; in Padmasambhava introduced Budd- the Extremely Secret Visionary al lay settlements? His Holiness almost as soon as He was born, His 1974 His Holiness married, and He hism into Tibet, and is regarded as Teachings, which comprise twenty- Sakya Trizin working in close as- Holiness began His training under and His wife now have two sons a "second Buddha". The human em- five texts and their compiled means sociation with other Sakya masters His father's tutelage. Unfortunately to carry on the special Khon line- bodiment of Dzogchen, he is the en- of accomplishment (sadhana), the who escaped the Chinese invasion, Kunga Rinchen passed away when age. His Holiness' elder son, Rat- lightened principle whose powerful "Gyachen Nyer Nga". These are such as H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche, His Holiness was five years old, na Vajra—like His father an upasaka energy is invoked as a source of pro- classified as a cycle belonging to the H.E. Chogye Rinpoche, and H.E. having transmitted primarily the layman—was vajramaster at the Vaj- tection amidst the confusion and tur- Ancient Tradition of Nyingma, and Ludhing Rinpoche, and many other teachings of Vajrakila to His son. rakila Ritual last year and led the moil of this age. For today's world, in particular the category known as teachers, monks, and lay people His Holiness' aunt, Dagmo Kusho- lama dances this year after Losar the practice and mantra of Pad- Zabmo Daknang, "Profound Pure succeeded in renewing the Sakya la Tinley Wangmo, a great yogini, at the Sakya Center in Rajpur. His masambhava are treasured as being Visions". This empowerment of the Order outside of Tibet and even assumed the direction of His Holiness' second son, Jnana Vaj- particularly effective in creating peace Eight Manifestations of Guru Rin- establishing the Sakyapa training. ra, is adorned with monk's robes world-wide. and harmony. poche from the "Gyachen Nyer His Holiness' training in medi- and is being prepared to continue This Empowerment of Pad- Nga", known as Tukdrup Yang Ny- His Holiness is a descendant of tation began at the age of five when the renunciate lineage of Sakya masambhava and his Eight ing, is the Sadhana of the Guru the holy Khon family lineage and He performed the retreat of Pandita. Manifestations is one of the vision- (Ladrup). is recognized as an emanation of Amitayus, in the next year accom- His Holiness Sakya Trizin will ary revelations of the "Great Fifth" For registration and further details, Manjushri Bodhisattva in the form plishing a month long retreat of Vaj- be coming to America in April Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang please contact: RIGPA, PO Box of an Upasaka layman, being a rapani. 1989, visiting the following cities. Gyatso (1627-82), who was the in- 7866, Berkeley, CA 94707. Tel (415) direct descendant of Sachen Kunga In 1959, His Holiness sat upon April 17-30, New York (212) carnation of the enlightened activity 644 3922.B Nyingpo, the founder of the Sakya the spiritual throne of Sakya Pan- 459-4122; May 1-31, Cambridge Order. For more than 900 years, dita in the courtyard of the tantric (617) 492-5370; June 1-12, monastery at Sakya and was en- Washington, DC. (301) 589-3111; throned as the 41st Sakya Trizin. June 17-18, Minneapolis (612) Catalog Contents Shortly after His enthronement His 738-2738; June 22-29, Los Angeles Holiness left for the Sikkimese bord- (213) 876-9245; June 30-July 12, Dharma Items 17 Books by the Dalai Lama 24 Health, History, & Politics ... 29 er, and eventually exile in India. Berkeley (415) 527-7363; July Snow Lion Tibet Cards 19 Kalachakra 25 Language 30 His Holiness continued to study 13-18, Los Angeles; July 19-26, and practice amidst His responsi- Seattle (206) 789-2573; July Cards, Prints, Poster 20 Adventure, Travel, Maps 26 Women's Studies 30 bilities of rebuilding the Sakya Ord- 27—August 16, Vancouver (604) Video Dharma 21 Art & Philosophy 27 Zen 30 er. Since 1967, His Holiness has 271-2651 and Victoria (604) bestowed the heart of the Sakya 358-4828; and August 17-27, Audio Tapes 22 Biography 28 Religion & Philosophy 31 teachings, the Lam Dre, four times Honolulu and The Big Island, in India and twice abroad. He also Hawaii, (808) 966-8843. ■ SNOW LION SPRING 89 NEWSLETTER AND CATALOG NEWS & PROFILES SUMMER TIBETAN TULKU CONFERENCE IN SARNATH DECEMBER 5-8, 1988 AT THE UNIV. OF VA By Tsenten Samdup This summer for the second vides a probing yet structured at- consecutive year, the nine-week mosphere in which to explore Sarnath, a small Indian town, 11 about ordaining Westerners into the Dalai Lama, appealing him to course, Literary and Spoken Tibe- Tibetan Buddhist topics in ontol- kilometers outside Varnasi, in ear- the sangha order, as many de-robe continue as the Tibetan leader and tan, will be offered at the Univer- ogy, epistemology, and path ly December witnessed the largest after a year or so. reconfirming their confidence in sity of Virginia Summer Session. structure. ever gathering of Tibetan reincar- A long life prayer offering was his leadership. Shamar Rinpoche, This course will provide an inten- The course also includes read- nated lamas. Over 350 reincarnat- made to His Holiness, lead by one of the present highest lamas sive introduction to the Tibetan ing Dzong-ka-ba's "Three Prin- ed lamas, abbots and ex-abbots of Sakya Dagtri Rinpoche the head of the Karma Kagyu said, "There Language in its literary and col- cipal Aspects of the Path." This the four school of Tibetan Budd- of the Sakya School of Tibetan is not a single Tibetan more capa- loquial forms. It is the equivalent short poem in sixteen verses is a hism and the indigenous faith- Buddhism on the third morning. ble than the present Dalai Lama of a regular introductory year of fundamental text introducing Bon Religion— assembled to take That morning, after serious dis- to lead the Tibetans both political- Tibetan at the University of Stages of the Path teachings. A part in the Fourth Tulku cussions, the hall was suddenly ly and religiously at this point in Virginia. short commentary is also studied. Conference. filled with deep chanting prayers, Tibetan history." This popular course will be On the colloquial side, the class Tulkus, according to Tibetans, lead by the chant master from He said that the announcement taught by William Magee, a Tibe- will have the benefit of learning are highly realized lamas bound by Drepung Loseling from South In- of reincarnation of Karmapa tan Instructor in the Department the central Lhasan dialect with their bodhisattva vows not to rest dia.