Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 3: The exile seat of Sakya marked the 80th birthday of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo with a customary long life ceremony, at the Sakya Monastery in Rajpur, Dehradun on Thursday.
In his address to the gathering, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin expressed his gratitude, “On my 80th birthday, I sincerely thank the Central Tibetan Administration, all Buddhist lineages, monasteries, organizations, and the general public for considering this important and offering an elaborate long life ceremony. During such ceremonies, we pray for the long life of enlightened masters, and the masters in turn promise to live long. Although I have a grand title, in reality, I am just an ordinary person. There is nothing special about me. Therefore, I cannot say that I will live for how many years.”
He continued, reflecting on the prayers and devotion shown toward him by the monastic community and the public alike “Many high lamas, khenpos, tulkus, and monks have performed long life prayers for me for many days. The public has shown sincere devotion. Similarly, I have received news of various activities from monasteries and Buddhist traditions inside Tibet. Many from foreign countries have also done the same.”
Despite his advancing age, His Holiness affirmed that the blessings of these prayers had uplifted him: “Through the merit of everyone performing extensive long life practices, I pray that His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all Buddhist masters of all traditions remain stable for eons, and may all their wishes be fulfilled effortlessly. Due to their blessings, although I am old, my spirit has not diminished at all.”
His Holiness also reflected on the nature of impermanence and the power of prayer “Since all phenomena depend on external and internal causes and conditions, I have strong confidence that I will live long due to the kindness of performing such extensive long life ceremonies. As stated in the liturgical text: ‘When it benefits the flourishing of the Dharma and sentient beings, may the gurus, buddhas, and bodhisattvas bless me with the power to live as long as possible, even for eight hundred years or more.’ I pray accordingly.”
The ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries from the Central Tibetan Administration and Tibetan Parliament in Exile including Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, and Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang. Other notable attendees included Tibetan Justice Commissioner Tenzin Lungtok, former Speaker Pema Jungney, various former Kalons, Public Service Commissioner Karma Yeshi, members of the 17th Tibetan Parliament’s standing committee, and Secretary Dhondul Dorjee of the Department of Religion and Culture.
His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche served as the 41st head of the Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhism until March 2017, when he handed over leadership to his successor. Born on September 7, 1945, he belongs to the noble Khon family, which founded the Sakya Order in the 11th-12th centuries and is known by three special names: the “Celestial Race,” the “Family of Conquerors,” and “The Sakyapa Lineage.” Recognized as a manifestation of the Buddha’s transcendent wisdom, he was enthroned as the Sakya Trizin in 1959 after receiving extensive training in Buddhist philosophy, rituals, and teachings from various masters. Following the Chinese invasion of Tibet that same year, he fled to India where he established the Sakya Guru monastery in Darjeeling and worked to reassemble the Sakya community in exile.
Throughout his life, His Holiness has been instrumental in preserving and propagating the Sakya tradition. He established several important institutions including the Sakya Centre in Rajpur, the Sakya College, and a nunnery in Dehradun for the education of monks and nuns. He married Dagmo Tashi Lhakee in 1974 and has two sons, Ratna Vajra and Gyana Vajra. Known for his brilliance, clarity of teachings, and fluency in English, he has travelled extensively worldwide to give teachings, initiations, and public talks. His efforts have been crucial in revitalizing both the Sutra and Tantric traditions of the Sakya Order and ensuring the continuity of Buddha Dharma in the world.
