Sakya is one of four major school of thought in Tibetan Buddhism. It is important to know a little about Tibetan Culture and Tradition before Traveling to Tibet. So here we have wrote about the Sakya sect.
Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism is one of the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism. Other are Nyingmapa, Kugyu, and Gelug. The name is the sect derives from the Sakya Monastery, The principal monastery in Tsang near Mt Everest Basecamp in Tibet. The Word Skaya means the pale earth, derived from the unique grey earth of Ponpori Hill where the monastery is located.
History of Sakya
According to legend, Atisha foresaw the importance of the site to Tibetan Buddhism during his Journey to Tibet in 1040. He made a prostration towards the hill, while he was prostrating seven-syllable Dhi (seed Syllable of Manjushri, boddhisatva of wisdom) appear on the ground. He told his attendants it indicates that in future seven incarnations of Manjusri would manifest there along with Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani.
The Sakya monastery and the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism were found by Khunchok Gyalpo in the year 1073. He was a disciple of translator Drokmi, who traveled to India and Nepal. Drokmi studied in India with the greatest master of the Time and author the commentary on Hevajra Tantra. he brought many books to Tibet and Later translate those into Tibetan. Those books become the main text in the Sakya school.
The earliest master of Sakya especially the five Sakya Patriarchs, become so popular that it quickly develop into one of the main Tibetan Buddhist school. Later with the support of Chinese Yuan dynasty, the institution of Sakya has giant the political power in Tibet and ruled Tibet for approximately from 1270 to 1354.
Legend has it, that the origin of the Khon family can be traced to the gods to the Realm of Clear radiance in the form realm. Three brothers came from this realm to this world. Two return and the youngest, (Named U’se) stays back and became a ruler. One of his descendants killed a Demon and took the demon’s wife as his own. After that, the family names Khön.
In eight century the first Buddhist monkshood was established at Samye Monastery. One of the Khon family member(Khön Nagendrarakshita) was chosen as one of the first seven Tibetan to become the monk.
The family has been following Nyingmapa teaching unit 11th Century. Later the family observed corruption in some teaching of Nyingma and became interested in the teachings of New tantra. Kunchok Gyalpo was encouraging by his elder brother Khon Sherab Tsultrim to seek teaching from Drokmi. Later in the year, 1073 Kunchok Gyalpo found the Sakya monastery at the age of forty.
The Khön family has been the spiritual head of the sect until date.
Lamdre means the Path with the result. it is the most important teaching in the Sakya tradition. It is a series of meditation instruction and teaching the related to deity Hevajra. The teaching of Lamdre later developed into two lines of transmission; Lamdre Tsoshe is the one which is tough in the assemblies and Lamdre Loshe which is explained to the private disciple.
Lamdre
Lamdre means the Path with the result. it is the most important teaching in the Sakya tradition. It is a series of meditation instruction and teaching the related to deity Hevajra. The teaching of Lamdre later developed into two lines of transmission; Lamdre Tsoshe is the one which is tough in the assemblies and Lamdre Loshe which is explained to the private disciple.
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