Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism is a place to learn from highly qualified Tibetan lamas in a traditional setting. The Monastery occupies a beautiful renovated building, which houses a pristine example of a Tibetan Buddhist shrine that is one of only a few in North America. It is located in Seattle’s Greenwood district near the intersection of Greenwood Avenue North and North 85th Street. While called a monastery, it is primarily a lay community of practitioners, with various levels of experience in the Buddhist tradition. It is led by its founder, His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya (called Rinpoche,
meaning “Precious One” in Tibetan). He is a head lama of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism, one of Tibetan Buddhism’s four main Schools.
The term “Sakya” derives from Rinpoche’s family name and spiritual lineage, and ultimately from the original Sakya Monastery in Sakya, Tibet, built by one of Rinpoche’s ancestors in 1073. It received the name Sakya because it was constructed on a patch of earth (sa) that was pale (kya). The Monastery in Seattle is a seat of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism in North America. It is also a non-sectarian religious center, and hosts visits and teaching from leading lamas of all four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Virupa Educational Institute (VEI) was founded by the Monastery, and is its educational branch.
The purpose of the Monastery is to share and preserve Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture. It does this through the promotion of Buddhist teachings and practices and by upholding Tibetan customs and traditions. Since the purpose of the Buddha’s teaching, as practiced in Tibet, is to develop loving-kindness and compassion, the main meditation practices at the Monastery focus on the
cultivation of these qualities. In keeping with the emphasis in Buddhism
(and especially in the Sakya School) on education and learning, the Monastery and VEI offer a variety of educational programs to foster a better understanding of the teachings of the Buddha.
Sakya Monastery offers a variety of activities for its members and friends. Foremost are the public meditations: Chenrezi meditations for developing loving-kindness and compassion are held on Sunday morning at 10 am and Thursday evenings at 8 pm during daylight savings time (spring/summer) and 7:30pm during standard time (fall/winter). This is the main communal practice of Sakya Monastery. Calm Abiding meditations, which are useful for the development
of concentration and mental stability, are held on Friday nights at 7:00 pm.
Numerous other ceremonies and meditations are held at the Monastery:
– Buddhist holy days – such as the birth of the Buddha, and lama
memorials.
– Refuge ceremonies are regularly scheduled for people who wish to formally join the community of Buddhist practitioners and become a Buddhist.
– Initiatory ceremonies, called “empowerments”, are bestowed by Rinpoche and other lamas upon request. These are required as a basis for special meditation practices involving deities such as Chenrezi (the embodiment of compassion) or Green Tara (the grantor of protection).
– Monthly meditations are also held that have specific requirements for practicing – such as being a Buddhist, or having received a specific empowerment or level of empowerment.
Tel: (206) 789-2573
Fax: (206) 789-3994
Email: Monastery@Sakya.org
Website: www.sakya.org
