About the Apang Terton Treasure Teachings and Initiations

Venerable Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen is delighted to announce that from May 16-24, His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trichen will bestow the terma treasure initiations of the great mahasiddha Apang Terton at Tsechen Kunchab Ling. In addition, His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin will bestow additional teachings, transmissions, and practice instructions from Apang Terton as part of the program. 

During His Holiness’ immediately previous life as the great mahasiddha Apang Terton, (1895-1945), he was blessed and instructed by many deities, and discovered and revealed important terma treasure teachings. Many of these are part of this very special program. As an additional blessing, His Holiness’ granddaughter, Jetsunma Kunga Trinley Palter, who is recognized as the reincarnation of Apang Terton’s daughter and primary lineage holder Khandro Tare Lhamo, will also be in attendance at the teachings.

We are blessed that many members of the Sakya holy family, including Their Eminences Dungsei Akasha Vajra Rinpoche, Jetsunma Kunga Trinley Palter, Jetsunma Kunga Chimey Wangmo, and Their Eminences Gyalyum Chenmo and Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi will bless the event with their presence. His Eminence Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche will also be in attendance.

Over the course of this very special program, His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trichen and His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin will bestow the initiations, transmissions, teachings, and practice instructions listed below. 

Initiations Included in the Treasure Teachings

In accordance with traditional custom, the order of initiations and teachings is not specified in advance, but will be announced by the guru for tomorrow at the end of each day.

  • Guru Rinpoche Based on the Seven Line Prayer
  • Red Tara
  • Kurukulle
  • Citapati, Lord and Lady of the Cemetery
  • Vajrasattva
  • Three Roots Empowerment
  • Guru Sangdrup
  • Avalokiteshvara
  • Four Types of Manjushri: White, Red, Blue, and Black
  • Black Jambala
  • Initiation of the Secret Attainment of Long Life

Key Information

  • May 16 – Saturday – Grand Silver Jubilee Celebration
  • May 17 – 24  – Sunday through Sunday – Apang Terton Terma Treasures Program including: initiations, transmissions, teachings, and practice instructions, concluding with disciples’ offerings of appreciation and request for our Guru’s long life.

Initiations and teachings will begin each day at the following times:

  • Morning – 9:30 am
  • Afternoon – 2:30 pm

There is no charge for the teachings and initiations. However, as you may know, Tsechen Kunchab Ling suffered a recent fire in the shrine room of the temple. Everyone’s help is needed to fund the restoration and repair in time for the teachings to begin.  This year, we request those blessed with material resources to make offerings to the Fire Restoration Fund, instead of becoming a gold, silver, or publications sponsor of the teachings.

Support the Fire Restoration Fund

Membership Opportunities 

We welcome you as a member of Tsechen Kunchab Ling, the seat of the Sakya Dolma Phodrang in the Americas. As a temple member, you are an official part of His Holiness the Sakya Trichen’s temple Dharma family. Your membership offering makes the daily activities of the temple possible and supports the efforts of Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and the resident sangha as they strive to carry out His Holiness’ intentions for the growth of the Dharma in the West. Old members are treasured and new members are welcome.

There is no prerequisite for these initiations and teachings, and there is no commitment afterward other than to recite the Guru Rinpoche mantra whenever possible.

If your schedule does not permit you to attend the entire teaching, it is permissible to attend only the days that fit your schedule.

The temple welcomes those who wish to accumulate merit by offering service to the temple and sangha during their stay. Volunteers may help in various ways, including parking, cleaning, and resetting the shrine room each afternoon. A regular commitment of an hour a day is requested from those who wish to become official volunteers from May 16 – May 24.  Please note the jobs with which you would like to help on your registration form.

  • Bring your vajra and bell.
  • Bring your own masks.
  • Please do not bring audio or video recording equipment as no individual audio or video recording will be allowed. Students wishing to have a copy of the teachings will be able to purchase a professionally recorded copy of the teachings for a reasonable price at the end of the teaching cycle.
  • No pets are allowed on the temple property.

The program will be presented in English and translated into Mandarin.

Seating in the shrine room will be open seating with space reserved for monks and nuns.

Because young children find it difficult to sit quietly for several hours to listen to teachings, children 10 years and under will be seated behind glass in the foyer of the temple, where they can see and hear the teachings. While in the children’s foyer, one parent must accompany their child/children at all times to ensure their behavior and safety. No temple supervision is provided.

For information on how to  get to the temple from airports, click here.

Please arrange your own transportation. A car may be necessary for travel in the temple area as there is no local public transportation. Please keep in mind that there is limited parking lot space on site, so ride sharing is highly encouraged. If you would like to coordinate rides with other students, the Google Group linked to below is available as a resource.

  1. Click on the Google groups button:
  2. Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
  3. Click on the discussion category “Transportation: Looking for car ride”
  4. Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate

Please arrange your own housing. A list of local options is available on our website . A forum for students looking to share housing and transportation is available–please see below for more information. We regret that there are no accommodations available at the temple, and camping on the temple grounds is not allowed during the teachings and empowerments.

If you would like to coordinate housing arrangements with other students, this forum is available to use.  To use the forum:

  1. Click on the Google groups button:
  2. Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
  3. Click on the discussion category “Accommodation: Looking for roommate(s)”
  4. Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate

Please make your own arrangements. There are many restaurants nearby.

Some parking is available onsite. An overflow parking lot is also available nearby. At the request of the local police and our neighbors, please do not park on the streets.

In order to receive the teachings, disciples will be flying from many different countries and U.S. states to sit for hours in close quarters in the Tsechen Kunchab Ling shrine room, and spend a significant part of the time chanting together. These are ideal conditions for the transmission of communicable diseases.
With the strong aspiration to protect the health of our precious teachers, as well as the health of students who may be senior in age, or in fragile health, masks are strongly recommended.
The temple will take the following precautions to reduce the likelihood of the transmission of COVID and other communicable diseases:
  • Recommendation that everyone wears a mask indoors at all times.
  • Ventilation fans turned to the maximum in the shrine hall.
  • Windows opened at all times in the shrine hall. As this may make the room too hot or cold, students who are temperature sensitive should bring extra layers of clothing to warm themselves and/or a handheld personal fan to cool themselves.
  • Drinks and snacks served as part of traditional tea offerings will be distributed in sealed containers so that those who wish to do so can consume them later outside the building in an outdoor or private place.

Registration Form