Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling

	His Holiness Sakya Trizin: His Holiness Sakya Trizin is the revered throne holder of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the 41st patriach of the Khon lineage which dates back to 1073. He is reputed to be an emanation of both Manjushri and Mahasiddha Virupa, the founder of the Lamdre teachings. He is a brilliant religious master who manifests profound wisdom and compassion, and his excellent command of English render his teachings particularly beneficial to Western students. He was born in 1945 in Tibet and escaped with his family to India in 1959 where he continues to live and rebuild both the lay and monastic elements of the Sakya tradition. He has guided the establishment of over thirty monasteries in India and Nepal and has helped found Sakya centres around the world. His Holiness Sakya Trizin is the Spiritual Head of the Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling Centre in Vancouver, Canada.
	His Eminence Ratna Vajra Sakya Rinpoche: The elder son of His Holiness Sakya Trizin, was born in 1974 at Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh in India. He received his basic religious studies at the Sakya Centre, Rajpur. He then joined the Sakya College and finished his Kachupa degree. He has given many teachings and initiations in India and abroad and has also done many retreats on the principal deities of the Sakya order.
	His Eminence Gyana Vajra Rinpoche the younger son of His Holiness Sakya Trizin, was born in 1979. He studied alongside his brother and later joined Sakya Centre in Rajpur, to further his religious training. Following the completion of his studies and training at Sakya Centre he joined Sakya College to study Buddhist philosophy. At present he has taken the initiative of setting up Sakya Academy Project with the aim of providing young novices a good Buddhist and general education. He also travels abroad to teach the Dharma to non-Tibetan students.
	His Eminence Kyabje Dorje Chang Luding Khenchen Rinpoche is one of the most highly respected and learned teachers of the Sakya tradtion and of Tibetan Buddhism at large. He is believed to be the emanation of Vajrapani. His Eminence is the Head of the Ngor, one of the three sub-sects of the Sakya tradition. He was born to the clan of Shang, Sharchen or Ludingpa, which is renowned for producing great scholars and siddhas.
	His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche was enthroned on 16 March 2000 as the abbot of the Ngor Monastery of the Sakya order, and head of hundreds of other branch monasteries. He is one of the most important young lineage holders of the Sakya order.
	Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding Rinpoche frequently referred to as Jetsun Kushok or Jetsunma, is the spiritual director of Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling. She is also the sister of His Holiness Sakya Trizin. Both His Holiness and Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche were taught and guided by leading masters of the Sakya tradition. She started her training at six, began teaching at eleven and became a fully empowered lineage holder at eighteen. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition altogether Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche is one of only a few female lineage-holders and is one of three known female teachers to have transmitted the precious Lamdre (path and its results) teachings of the Sakya tradition. In 1971, Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche and her family moved to Canada where she worked and cared for her family. At the request of His Holiness she later began to give teachings and nowadays teaches at her Centre in Vancouver and at other centres around the world.