| The Sakya school is one of four major schools | | | | and composed many important and influential |
| of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the | | | | texts on sutra and tantra, including, |
| Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the | | | | Clarifying the Thought of the Sage and |
| Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma and | | | | Discriminating the Three Vows. |
| Kagyu. | | | | |
| | | | The main difference with the other schools is |
| Origins | | | | that there are two distinct forms of |
| | | | teaching. One form is meant for a generic |
| The name Sakya (literally, Pale Earth) | | | | audience which is mainly based on sutra and |
| derives from the unique grey landscape of | | | | private education which is mainly tantric. |
| Ponpori Hills in southern Tibet near | | | | Many Tibetan masters from other schools have |
| Shigatse, where Sakya Monastery, the first | | | | received the private teaching of the Sakya in |
| monastery of this tradition, and the seat of | | | | addition to the teachings of their own |
| the Sakya School was built by Khon Konchog | | | | schools. Unlike monks of most Tibetan sects, |
| Gyalpo (1034-1102) in 1073. | | | | Sakya monks are allowed to marry. |
| | | | |
| The Sakya tradition developed during the | | | | Subschools |
| second period of translation of Buddhist | | | | |
| scripture from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the | | | | In due course, two subsects emerged from the |
| late eleventh century. It was founded by | | | | main Sakya lineage, |
| Drogmi, a famous scholar and translator who | | | | |
| had studied at the Vikramashila University in | | | | Ngor, founded by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo |
| India for some years, rejected the old | | | | (b.1382) |
| tantras and followed the teachings of Atisha. | | | | |
| Konchog Gyalpo, who had become dissatisfied | | | | Tshar, founded by Tsarchen Losal Gyamtso |
| with the lax discipline of the Nyingmapa | | | | (1496 - 1560) |
| teachers, became Drogmi's disciple. | | | | |
| | | | Feudal lordship over Tibet |
| The tradition was founded by the "Five | | | | |
| Venerable Supreme Masters" starting with the | | | | In 1264 the feudal lordship over Tibet was |
| grandson of Khonchog Gyalpo, Kunga Gyaltsen, | | | | given to Phagpa by the Mongolian emperor, |
| who became known as Sakya Pandita: | | | | Kublai Khan. Sakya lamas continued to serve |
| | | | as viceroys of Tibet on behalf of the Mongol |
| Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092 - 1158) | | | | emperors for nearly 75 years after |
| | | | Phagpa’s demise (1280), until the |
| Sonam Tsemo (1142 - 1182) | | | | Emperor of China subjugated the Mongols. |
| | | | |
| Drakpa Gyaltsen (1147 - 1216) | | | | Sakya today |
| | | | |
| Sakya Pandita (1182 - 1251) | | | | The head of the Sakya school, known as Sakya |
| | | | Trizin ("holder of the Sakya throne"), is |
| Chogyal Pakpa (1235 - 1280) | | | | always drawn from the male line of the |
| | | | Khön family. The present Sakya Trizin, His |
| Teachings | | | | Holiness Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Samphel |
| | | | Wanggi Gyalpo, born in Tsedong in 1945, is |
| Sachen, the first of the five supreme | | | | the forty-first to hold that office. He |
| Masters, received a wealth of tantric | | | | resides in Rajpur, India. |
| doctrines from numerous Tibetan translators | | | | |
| or "lotsawas" who had visited India, most | | | | The Rimé movement |
| importantly Drokmi Lotsawa, Bari Lotsawa and | | | | |
| Mal Lotsawa. From Drokmi comes the supreme | | | | During the 19th century the great Sakya |
| teaching of Sakya, the system of Lamdre (lam | | | | master and terton Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, |
| 'bras) or "Path and its Fruit", deriving from | | | | the famous Kagyu master Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro |
| the siddha Virupa (Birwapa/Birupa) and based | | | | Thaye and the important Nyingma terton Orgyen |
| upon the Hevajra Tantra. Mal Lotsawa | | | | Chokgyur Lingpa founded the Rime movement, an |
| introduced to Sakya the esoteric Vajrayogini | | | | ecumenical attempt to incorporate all |
| lineage known as "Naro Khachoma." From Bari | | | | teachings of all schools, to overcome the |
| Lotsawa came innumerable tantric practices, | | | | separation of Buddhist transmission in |
| foremost of which was the cycle of practices | | | | different traditions. |
| known as the One Hundred Sadhanas. Other key | | | | |
| transmissions that form part of the Sakya | | | | This movement still influences modern Tibetan |
| spiritual curriculum include the cycles of | | | | Buddhist practice through the "five great |
| Vajrakilaya, Mahakala and Guhyasamaja. | | | | treasures" of Jamgon Kongtrul and the |
| | | | treasure of rediscovered teachings (Rinchen |
| The fourth Sakya patriarch, Sakya Pandita, | | | | Terdzöd). |
| was notable for his exceptional scholarship | | | | |