Friday and Saturday, January 12-13
Time: 6:00 pm each day
Location: The talk is in Taipei but will be Live Streamed to the Sakya Monastery Cultural Hall
Free, donations accepted; all are welcome
Maitreya is the future Buddha prophesied by Shakyamuni to be fifth of the thousand Buddhas of the fortunate era. Even now, Maitreya is said to reside in the celestial realm of Tushita as one of the eight closest sons of the Buddha and the embodiment of all the Buddhas’ immeasurable loving kindness, working to bring happiness to all sentient beings.
The Majestic Aspiration of Maitreya Part 1
Friday, January 12, 6pm
As a great Bodhisattva, Maitreya made a majestic aspiration before Shakyamuni Buddha to become a Buddha himself, which Shakyamuni then recounted in the Stack of Jewels Sutra. By reciting this aspiration ourselves, we recollect and evoke all the most important factors for living the Bodhisattva’s way of life and reaching Buddhahood. Moreover, the aspiration purifies all negativity and increases merits for a positive future for ourselves and all sentient beings.
The transmission of this sacred text has survived in an unbroken lineage from the Buddha down to Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche, who will not only bestow the transmission but explain the deep meaning of the prayer, especially how to practice the six transcendent perfections of the Mahayana path.
The Majestic Aspiration of Maitreya Part 2
Saturday, January 13, 6pm
Avikrita Vajra Rinpoche will complete his explanation of this precious teaching and conclude by bestowing the transmission of Maitreya’s Promise, another special text from the sutras that includes mantras to bring oneself as well as deceased loved ones and even animals a favourable future, and to be in Maitreya’s presence when he manifests enlightenment, as well as fulfilling our wishes and increasing wealth. He will also bestow the transmission of Maitreya’s Hundred and Eight Names, with its great dharani-mantra for world peace, which relieves all troubles, conflict, and negativity.
His Eminence Khöndung Avikrita Vajra Sakya, the Head Lama of the Sakya Phuntsok Phodrang, was born in Seattle on May 26, 1993, the elder son of H.E. Khöndung Zaya Vajra and Dagmo Lhanze Youden. At the age of six, he began his training in India to follow in the footsteps of his noble Khon forebears. Since that time, he has received an uninterrupted stream of transmissions and teachings from his grandfather His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya (1929-2016), including the Lamdre Tsogshay, from His Holiness Sakya Trizin including the Lamdre Lobshe, and from many high Lamas of the Sakya tradition.
Having mastered the intricate rituals of the Sakya lineage, completed meditation retreats, and presided as Vajra Master of the annual Vajrakilaya ceremony in Ghoom, Darjeeling, H.E. Avikrita Sakya enrolled in 2010 at Dzongsar Institute of Higher Buddhist Philosophy and Research. There he is successfully building on his extensive learning in the BuddhaDharma with a program of study and dialectics to gain proficiency in the classic treatises of the Sakya philosophical tradition. As well, since 2016, he has assumed the role of revision teacher (teaching assistant) at Dzongsar Institute.
For more than eight years, H.E. Avikrita Sakya has been sharing his rich Dharma teachings with warmth, clarity and wisdom around the world.