JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL LIVE EVENT
SAKYA PAṆḌITA: A SYMPOSIUM ON HIS LIFE AND WORKS
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. EDT
A Joint Presentation of Wisdom Publications and Tsechen Kunchab Ling
The amazing life and timeless wisdom of one of Tibet’s greatest masters will be showcased in a combination of live and pre-recorded talks by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trichen, His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, and translators of five books by or about Sakya Paṇḍita. Hosted by Daniel Aitken, CEO and Publisher of Wisdom Publications, this live symposium will explore Sakya Paṇḍita’s life and work through discussion of several books by or about him: Wisdom’s just-released Sakya Paṇḍita, conceived and introduced by His Holiness the Sakya Trichen; Poetic Wisdom by Christopher Wilkinson; Ordinary Wisdom, translated by John Davenport; Clarifying the Sage’s Intent, translated by David Jackson; and A Clear Differentiation of the Three Codes, translated by Jared Douglas Rhoton.
Join us and our special guests for an inspiring afternoon live from Tsechen Kunchab Ling Temple in Walden, New York, on Tuesday, May 27 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT.
Register below to watch SAKYA PAṆḌITA: A SYMPOSIUM ON HIS LIFE AND WORKS live over Zoom.
Meet Our Guests:
HIS HOLINESS THE SAKYA TRICHEN is the revered forty-first throne holder of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, which dates back to 1073. A brilliant master, he manifests profound wisdom and compassion, and his command of English renders his teachings particularly beneficial to students in the West. He has guided the establishment of over thirty monasteries in India and Nepal and has helped found Sakya centers around the world. His seat in North America is Tsechen Kunchab Ling in Walden, New York.
HIS HOLINESS THE 42ND SAKYA TRIZIN, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, holds the esteemed position of the forty-second Sakya throne holder within the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is renowned for his profound knowledge and the clarity of his teachings, making him one of the most well-regarded lineage holders in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Embarking on meditation retreats from the age of twelve, including the Hevajra retreat, a key tantric practice within the Sakya school, with great humility he travels extensively to offer teachings and empowerments to students worldwide upon their request.
CHODRUNGMA DR. KUNGA CHODRON received a doctorate in Comparative Human Development and a master’s degree in Human Development from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has been a Buddhist nun for over twenty years and has received many teachings from eminent Sakya lineage holders, including His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, His Eminence Luding Khen Chen Rinpoche, and the Very Venerable Dezhung Rinpoche. In 2001, Kunga Chodron assisted in the founding of and has since continuously served as Secretary/Treasurer of Tsechen Kunchab Ling Temple.
KHENPO KALSANG GYALTSEN is Abbot and Vice President of Tsechen Kunchab Ling. He established the temple in 2001 at the advice of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin as His Holiness’ Temple Seat in the United States. He is also spiritual director of Sakya Phuntsok Ling Centers for Tibetan Buddhist Study and Meditation in Silver Spring, Maryland and several other branches of Tsechen Kunchab Ling throughout the country and he is a widely recognized and accomplished teacher and translator of Buddhism.
JONATHAN C. GOLD is a professor in the department of religion and director of the Center for Culture, Society and Religion. A scholar of Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, he is especially interested in Buddhist approaches to meaning, ethics, language and learning. He is the author of The Dharma’s Gatekeepers: Sakya Paṇḍita on Buddhist Scholarship in Tibet.
CHRISTOPHER WILKINSON started his career in the Dharma at the age of 15, taking refuge vows from his root teacher Dezhung Rinpoche. Pursuing a formal education in Tibetan and Sanskrit Languages, he graduated in 1980 with a BA in Asian Languages and Literature and another BA in Comparative Religion from the University of Washington. He has released many translations of Tibetan Literature, including thirty volumes of Great Perfection Tantras and the seven volumes of the Sakya Kongma Series, including Poetic Wisdom.
KHENPO NGAWANG JORDEN studied Buddhist Philosophy with the late Khenpo Lodro Zangpo. He attended Sakya College, Dehradun, India, where he studied the five branches of Buddhist philosophy under the late Khenchen Appey Rinpoche and he later taught at Sakya College before attending Harvard University where he completed his M.A. and then Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies. His Holiness the Sakya Trizin and Khenchen Appey Rinpoche invited Khenpo Jorden to take up the position of Principal of IBA in Kathmandu in 2009.
ELISABETH BENARD is professor emerita at University of Puget Sound and She is the author of several books, including The Sakya Jetsunmas. She is a longtime student of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin (now Trichen) and H.E. Jetsun Kushok.
KHENPO KHENROB WOSER is a graduate of Sakya College and the International Buddhist Academy and has served as a professor at Sakya College and a teacher at Rikon Institute in Switzerland. He is known for his expertise in the tradition and his ability to explain complex concepts clearly and for his traditional sutra readings.