Khön Family

His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin, supreme head of the Sakya School, which is one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, was born in Tibet in 1945. He belongs to the ancient and distinguished Khön family, whose history extends back to the early days of Tibet, before the arrival of Buddhism.

The Khön family holds three supreme names. The first of these supreme names is Lha-Rig, which means 'the race of heavenly beings.' This name came about through the family's ancestor, Yapang Kye, who was the great-great grandson of the heavenly being Yuring. Yuring is said to have descended from the heavenly realm of Rupadhatu. Later on, the family received the second supreme name, Khön Gyi Dung, which means 'Clan of Khön.' This name derived from Yapang Kye's triumph in a conflict with the Rakshas, which in reality demonstrated his power to conquer ignorance. Many generations later, in the eleventh century, an illustrious master named Khön Konchog Gyalpo founded the glorious Sakya order by establishing a monastery in Sakya in 1073 AD. Thus the family received its third supreme name, Sakyapa.

Since that time, the generations of the Khön family have continued in an unbroken lineage, including many emanations of the Three Bodhisattvas. (The three Bodhisattvas are Manjushri, who embodies the wisdom of all the Buddhas, Avalokiteshvara, who embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas and Vajrapani, who embodies the power of all the Buddhas). Many famous masters have appeared in this illustrious lineage, including the Five Great Founders of the Sakyapa Order: the Great Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158), Loppon Rinpoche Sonam Tsemo (1142-1182), Jetsun Rinpoche Dragpa Gyaltsen, (1147-1216) Chöje Sakya Pandita (1182-1251) and Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235-1280).

Generations later, Pema Düdul Wangchuk of the Khön family founded the Shabten Lhakhang. His son, Thegchen Tashi Rinchen, founded Dolma Phunpal Phodrang (The Glorious Tara Palace). It was named after the nearby Turquoise Tara Shrine. Nowadays it is called Dolma Phodrang or Tara Palace.

His Holiness' Noble Father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen was born as an heir-apparent of Trichen Dragshul Thrinley Rinchen in the Dolma Palace to uphold and continue the divine lineage for the betterment of sentient beings. He was an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. Once, while he was meditating in his private room, the famous and holy Manjushri statue called Jamyang Tsödgyalma manifested in the form of the actual deity. While he prostrated to the deity, reciting the confession prayers to Manjushri, Manjushri spoke, telling him that rather than doing confession prayers, it would be better to practise the Guru Yoga of the owner of the hundred races, his great Noble Father Dragshul Thrinley Rinchen. He instructed him to do this while contemplating the ultimate view, which meant merging his mind and the primordial wisdom of his Noble Father into one taste.

As the Khön lineage is very precious, not only for the Sakya tradition, but also for the continuation of Buddha's doctrine in general, it was necessary for Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen to have an heir. Accordingly he wed Thrinley Paljor Sangmo, the sister of a renowned minister of the Tibetan government, who became his Dagmo (title of Consorts of Lineage Holders of the Khön family). After sixteen years, they still had not managed to have any children. Therefore he wed his Dagmo's younger sister, Sonam Drolker who is His Holiness' mother. Her first child was a Jetsunma (title of daughters of Lineage Holders of the Khön family), Chime Thrinley Luding (who now resides in Canada). Then she gave birth to a Dungsay (title of sons of Lineage Holders of the Khön Family) Jigdral Dutdul, another Jetsunma, Ayang, and then His Holiness.

{ page 2: The Birth of HH }