Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen is delighted to announce that His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin Ratna Vajra Rinpoche will be in residence at Tsechen Kunchab Ling from May 26 through June 1, to bestow a spiritually profound series of empowerments and teachings.
The door of Dharma will open with a grand welcome ceremony on the afternoon of May 26. This will be followed by a symposium on the life and works of Sakya Pandita, the fourth of the five great founding masters of the Sakya tradition. The event is a joint presentation with Wisdom Publications and will feature a mixture of recorded and live presentations by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trichen, His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin, and the translators of six books by and about Sakya Pandita. Students may attend the symposium either online or in person.
Following the symposium, His Holiness will bestow the profound Hevajra Cause and Path empowerments, which are central to the meditative practices of the Sakya tradition. These may be received from only the most highly qualified Sakypa lineage holders, and have been passed down in an unbroken lineage of practice and realization from the time of the Buddha Vajradhara until today. These profound ceremonies spiritually mature the body, voice and mind so that one’s meditation practice will lead to realization and enlightenment. Receiving them also bestows permission to undertake the Sakyapa preliminary practices.
His Holiness’ teachings will conclude with the Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga Blessing, as well as teachings on the related sadhana and how to undertake the retreat. Following the teachings, students are welcome to remain at the temple to undertake retreats on the Sakyapa preliminary practices or Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga practice.
Through the generosity of Patrons and Sponsors, the teachings are free of charge.
Key Information
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, May 25 | Travel Day for Students | |
| Monday, May 26 | 1:00 pm | Registration and Welcome Reception for Students |
| 4:00 pm | Arrival of His Holiness, Formal Welcome in the Temple, and Remarks by His Holiness | |
| Tuesday, May 27 | 10:00 am | Audiences with His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin |
| 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Sakya Pandita: A Symposium on His Life and Works. For more information click here | |
| Wednesday, May 28 | 3:00 pm | Hevajra Empowerment Preliminary Day (in person only) |
| Thursday, May 29 | 1:30 pm | Hevajra Empowerment Main Day (prerequisite: May 28 Preliminary Empowerment; in person only) |
| Friday, May 30 | 1:30 pm | Hevajra Path Empowerment (prerequisite: May 28 and 29 Cause Empowerment; in person only) |
| Saturday, May 31 | 9:00 am | Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga Blessing (in person only) |
| 2:00 pm | Teachings on the Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga Sadhana and Retreat Instructions (in person only) | |
| 4:00 pm | Offering of Appreciation | |
| 7:00 pm | Appreciation Dinner with His Holiness for Patrons and Sponsors | |
| Sunday, June 1 | 10:00 am | Formal Departure of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin and Request to Swiftly Return |
| Monday, June 2 | Travel Day for Students if not remaining for His Holiness’ programs hosted by other organizations in New York City, or for retreat | |
| Thursday, June 5 | Sakya Tsechen Association hosts His Holiness – (Program: Mahaguru Bumtsok, in Tibetan, held in NYC) for information, click here | |
| June 6 – June 8 |
North American Monlam for World Peace presided over by His Holiness – (Program: Recitation of Samantabadhra Prayers in Tibetan) for information, click here
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| Thursday, June 12 | Tsechen Kunchab Ling Retreat Rooms Open for Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga and/or Ngondros Retreats (June 12 is the beginning of the waning moon) |
PRE-REQUISITES
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin has explained that in order to receive the Hevajra Path Empowerment on May 30 and the Sakya Pandita/Manjushri Guru Yoga Blessing on May 31, one must have previously received the Hevajra Cause Empowerment from a Sakya lineage holder.
If you have not previously received the Cause Empowerment, this pre-requisite will be satisfied by attending the Hevajra Cause Empowerment on May 28 and 29.
COMMITMENTS
After receiving the empowerments, the commitment is to do the sadhana daily.
Following the empowerments and teachings, students are encouraged to undertake retreat in the Tsechen Kunchab Ling retreat cabins. Generally speaking, retreats should begin during the waning moon. In June, the moon begins to wane on June 12.
The temple is offering the teachings free of charge. Sponsors are gratefully appreciated and make it possible for the temple to offer the teachings to everyone. See below for sponsorship opportunities.
An undertaking of this size and cost is only possible with the generosity of devoted Dharma sponsors. All those with fortunate means and motivation are invited to share in the great merit of hosting these profound teachings. In addition to the virtuous karma of being a patron of the Dharma, sponsoring this profound teaching cycle is a very special way to strengthen one’s connection to these profound teachings.
Gold Patron – $5,000
Silver Patron – $2,500
Patrons’ generosity covers the considerable costs of hosting the teachings. In appreciation for patrons’ kindness in making the teachings possible for all, patrons receive special priority patron seating in the assembly, onsite parking passes, gifts of appreciation, and recognition. Patron seating is provided for the patron and one family member. Two people may join together to become a patron. All patrons are recognized as members of Tsechen Kunchab Ling for one year and are invited to attend the appreciation dinner on the evening of May 31st.
Publication Sponsor – $1,000
Publication Sponsors cover the cost of preparing, printing, and distributing the prayers, sadhanas, and other publications distributed during the teachings. Publication Sponsors are recognized during the teachings and acknowledged as the publications are distributed to the assembly. They also receive special priority seating in the assembly, and gifts of appreciation. All Publication Sponsors are recognized as members of Tsechen Kunchab Ling for one year and are invited to attend the appreciation dinner on the evening of May 31st.
After receiving Dharma teachings, it is very important to put them into practice through meditation and retreat. Retreat is fundamental to the accomplishment of realization.
In addition, those who wish to sponsor empowerments, meals for the sangha, tea, and flowers, may inquire onsite at the registration desk after you arrive.
This lovely evening on May 31st at 7:00 pm with His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trzin and the monastic sangha will include remarks by His Holiness, a special dinner, and gifts of appreciation. The event is an offering of deepest gratitude to His Holiness for the week of profound empowerments and teachings that he has bestowed upon us, and also a sincere appreciation for the Gold and Silver Patrons, Publications Sponsors, and Retreat Cabin Construction Sponsors that have made the event and ensuing meditation retreat possible.
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.
In addition, members receive the benefit of priority seating during large temple events. To qualify for membership priority seating, you must either: have already been a member for one full year, or choose the “Membership – Sakya Pandita/Hevajra 2025 Program – 1 year” membership option.
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 26 through May 31. Please note the jobs with which you would like to help on your registration form
A large number of people are expected to attend His Holiness’ teachings in Walden. As space in Tsechen Kunchab Ling’s shrine room is limited, seating in the shrine room will be prioritized for monks and nuns, gold and silver patrons, publication sponsors, retreat sponsors, and temple members. Depending on the number of attendees, people who are not monks, nuns, patrons, sponsors, or temple members may have to sit in the event room below the shrine hall, where they will be able to receive the empowerments and teachings via large-screen video monitor.
- 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.
- 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.
Because young children find it difficult to sit quietly for several hours to listen to teachings, children 10 years and under will be seated in a child-friendly space with a carpet, books, and toys in the event room immediately below the shrine hall. While in the children’s room, one parent must accompany their child/children at all times to ensure their behavior and safety. No temple supervision is provided.
As the children’s room may be noisy, parents may wish to bring an FM radio with headphones and plenty of batteries.
Please make your own arrangements. There are many restaurants nearby.
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:
- Click on the Google groups button:
- Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
- Click on the discussion category “Accommodation: Looking for roommate(s)”
- Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate
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.
- Click on the Google groups button:
- Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
- Click on the discussion category “Transportation: Looking for car ride”
- Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate
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.
The teachings will be simultaneously translated into Mandarin. Please bring an FM radio and earphones.