The Sakya Institute of Vajrayana (Sakya Institute) is located in Manduwala, Uttarakhand, Northern India.
His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche (Luding Khenpo) initiated the construction of Sakya Institute in 2004 as a precious gift for the learning of higher Vajrayana Buddhism under the guidance and encouragement of the Late and Most Venerable Khenchen Appey Rinpoche.
Khen Chen Appey Rinpoche inspired and guided Luding Khenpo in the establishment of Sakya Institute, its curriculum and activities until his entrance into parinirvana.
The inauguration took place in 2008 by His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, making it one of the most prestigious and highest Vajrayana institutes in India.
"The dialectic schools and monastic universities produce scholars of the Buddhist doctrine who possess many good qualities.
Without such schools, the Dharma cannot be studied and taught in this way, and there would be no more great scholars.
Without scholars well versed in the Dharma, the Buddha's doctrine will vanish, even though there may be many scriptures."
Most Venerable Khen Chen Appey Rinpoche
Sakya Institute is home to approximately 90 monks who each day attend sutra and tantra classes delivered by Sakya Institute’s main abbots (Khenpos) and teachers.
Sakya Institute's two Khenpos, Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen and Khenpo Palden Zangpo (Tsega), conduct two classes each per day. The classes span from 1.5 to 2 hours in duration. A monk's standard day at Sakya Institute will start at 04:30am and finish at 10:30pm. The day is divided between puja, classes, debating and homework/research.
The sutra curriculum consists of the following subjects:
- The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
- Madyamaka Avatara
- Abhidharma
- Vinaya sutras.
The tantra curriculum consists of the following subjects:
- General explanation about the tantras
- Common and uncommon explanations of the Hevajra root tantra.
During the afternoons, the monks studying who are studying the Vajrayana perform a Mahakala puja to dispel any obstacles for Sakya Institute, its monks and benefactors. Also in the afternoons, the monks studying the Sutrayana engage in traditional philosophical debates. The Buddha taught not to take his teachings on faith alone but to check them thoroughly through ones own contemplation and experience. Similarly, debating leads the monks to the proper understanding of the teachings through their own investigations, rather than just accepting what they have been taught.
Sakya Institute is home to a grand library contains many rare and precious sutra and tantra texts in a variety of languages.
Sakya Institute is currently undertaking the major activity of transcribing original printed texts into a digitalised form. The primary purpose of this activity is ensure the preservation and distribution of these texts for current and future generations of Vajrayana scholars.
During the evenings the monks recite an elaborate Prajnaparamita sutra in the shrine hall.
Following the Prajnaparamita recitation, revision classes are conducted for the junior monks. The purpose of the revision classes are to review the subjects taught during the day and provide the students with an opportunity to ask questions and clear any doubts.
Once the students graduate from the Sakya Institute they will receive the following qualifications:
Altogether 10 to 11 years of study needs to be completed at Sakya Institute. After concluding the studies, if the scholars choose to they can undertake a major retreat and upon completion completion of the retreat they will receive the Vajra Master qualification.
Reasons for establishing the Sakya Institute of Vajrayana
Khen Chen Appey Rinpoche provided three main reasons for establishing Sakya Institute:
1. According to the Vajrayana tradition it is said that during the Fortunate Aeon the 1,022 Buddhas, who had achieved up to the 10th Bhumi through the accumulation of merit over 3 to 36 kalpas (aeons), nonetheless had to achieve the 11th to the 13th Bhumis through the practice of Vajrayana to become a complete Buddha in the Akanishta realm. It is said in the sutras: "The genuine Buddha is Fully Enlightened in the Akanishta realm." Buddhas who have achieved complete Enlightenment in the Akanishta realm, out of compassion for the sake of sentient beings who are suffering in samsara, manifest themselves in various forms such as Buddha Shakyamuni as if he had just attained Enlightenment and benefited all by turning the wheel of the dharma. It has been recorded that all the Buddhas of the past, present and future achieved complete enlightenment solely through the Vajrayana path. In order to study and practice the vajrayana teachings it is necessary to build an institute.
2. The great master Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo was like a second Budddha, the second collector of the Buddha's teachings, particularly in the Vajrayana tradition. Out of the numerous empowerments and the explanations of the Vajrayana teachings, he had given the complete set of Lam Dre Teachings 83 times and the Vajra Rosary empowerment 64 times. To ensure that these teachings of the authentic tradition of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo are preserved and continued, the building on an institute is most important.
3. The purpose of the Buddha's teachings is to tame a wild mind. Whichever vehicle one uses for this purpose is equally useful as long as one puts effort into listening and contemplating to achieve Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. There are already a number of Sutrayana colleges/academies established worldwide, yet there is none so far for the Vajrayana/Tantra. To ensure that the Vajrayana Tradition be revived, preserved and continued, especially for students who already possess the basic knowledge of the sciences and sutras and those who have received important Vajrayana initiations, the construction of this institute will be useful for the practice of both the Sutrayana and, in particular, the Vajrayana. Although presently this institute is for monks only, it is hoped that it will develop to accommodate nuns as well as all other lay Buddhist practitioners.