A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF SAKYA PANDI TA KUN DGA RGYAL MTSHAN,

He was born in Sa skya in the water tiger year of the third rub byung, 1182, and passed away in the iron pig year of the fourth rab byung, 1251. His father was Dpal chen wolpo and his mother Ma chik garpu nyi khri .When Kung dga’s was crawling he used to repeat some words that the mother did not understand and over which she worried. She inquired of the boy’s uncle, the learned adept Reverend Grags pa Rgyal  mtshan, and asked, “ This boy says unclear words.  Does he not have a speech defect?” Hearing the boy was saying some Sanskrit words, he replied to the mother: “your son does not have a speech defect.”When he was eighteen years old, near the Glorious Sa skya A phyi bum, over the course of a month he dreamt of a slight though not emaciated, bluish-complexioned monk pandita who was” the second buddha,” Acarya Vasubandhu. In his dreams he studied Abhi-dharma with this monk, and when he awoke from sleep, He understood all the words and meanings of the Abhi dharma.” Later, when he studied this (same subject ) with the great Kashmiri Pandita (Sakyasribhadra) there much difference from the former. 

Till the age of twenty seven he remained a pious lay Upasaka, whereupon he became a monk under the abbotship of the Mahapandita Sakyasri. He had occasion to study with Sakyasri as well as many other learned Indian Buddhist monks who had escaped to Tibet from India as a result of the Muslim persecution there.  He composed many treatises, which have been collected in three volumes.       First the Mongolian army overran China and then north eastern Tibet. They are merciless to everyone, whether householder or monk. His ordination abbot, Mahapandita Sakyasribhadra, as well as his spiritual guide, his uncle, Reverend Grags pa Rgya mtshan, had both prophesied that in his later age Mongolians would invite him to come there. If he went, it would be helpful for the (spread of the) teaching of the Buddha and for sentient beings, and that he should go there. Prince Godan, grandson of Genghis Khan, invited him to Mongol China.                 

Although he was too old to travel, because of the reasons stated above without considering his difficulties, Sa skya Pandita commenced travel to Mongolia. He arrived in northern Mi nyag at the age sixty three. At the age of sixty-five in the fire male horse year (1246) he arrived Lang ju. Sa skya Pandita met Price Godan who had just returned from Mongolia.   The prince was very pleased with their discussion on many fields of religion and politics. Godan suffered from leprosy, When Sa skya Pandita performed a healing ritual for the Prince, He was free from the disease and thereby acquired great faith in the religion. He received numerous teachings for generating the spirit of enlightenment and the attaining of insight. He honoured Sa skya Pandita as head of the monks. Sa skya Pandita placed many faithful ones in the Great Vehicle. In short, he matured countless beings on the path of liberation and widely spread Buddha’s teaching.   Bilder News.