HE Avikrita Vajra Sakya Rinpoche

His Eminence Sakya Dhungsey Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche was born into the illustrious Khön dynasty’s Sakya Phuntsog Phodrang in Seattle in 1993. At the tender age of six, he began his training in India to follow in the footsteps of his noble forebears. Since that time, he has received an uninterrupted stream of teachings and transmissions from his grand father, HH Jigdal Dagchen Sakya, as well as many high Lamas of the Sakya lineage.

Having mastered all the intricate rituals of the Sakya lineage, as well as completing intensive meditation retreats and presiding as Vajra Master of the annual Vajrakilaya ceremonies in Darjeeling, he enrolled at Dzongsar Institute of Higher Buddhist Philosophy and Research in 2010. There, he is successfully building on his extensive learning in Buddhadharma with a program of study and dialectics to gain proficiency in the classic treatises of the Sakya philosophical tradition.

Having successfully completed all the necessary ritual studies and memorizations of the Sakya tradition, H.E. Dhungsey Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche and Ven. Lama Kan Tsao Yangsi joined Dzongsar Institute in February of 2010, having just finished an intensive meditation retreat. The Institute is located near Bir in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. There are many Tibetan settlements and other Buddhist Institutes and schools in the near surroundings of the college. There are about six hundred students and several Khenpos and other senior teachers. It is well equipped with many study rooms above a vast temple, two great libraries, computer rooms and more facilities. The duration of the educational course at Institute ranges between seven and nine years. They have a vigorous and demanding schedule of classes, dialectics and personal study, with mid-term and final exams. Depending on circumstances, Dhungsey Rinpoche and Yangsi can then either complete just the Junior College (or “Kazhipa”) course of five years, the Shastri (or “Kachupa,” equivalent to a B.A.) course of seven years or the Acharya (or “Lobpon,” equivalent to an M.A.) course of nine years. They have midterm exams and final exams. In addition to the philosophical curriculum, they are continuing their studies in English and Mandarin.

This year all of the Tulkus, students and teachers went to Bodh Gaya for the Dzongsar Monlam (prayer festival). This is organized every three years by the Institute, and this time there were estimated to be over a thousand monks in attendance presided over by H.E. Dhungsey Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentese Rinpoche.

February 2011