Two of Tibetan Buddhism’s most senior living masters to visit London for rare Vajrayana Buddhist event

His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen and His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin will appear together at Kensington Town Hall in July 2026, in a major event for Buddhist practitioners and those wishing to enter the Buddhist path. A limited number of telephone interviews with Lama Jampa Thaye are available for media.

London, UK —
Two of the most senior figures in Tibetan Buddhism will visit London this summer for a rare weekend of Vajrayana Buddhist initiations at Kensington Town Hall.
His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen, the 41st Sakya Trizin, and His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin, the current 43rd Sakya Trizin, will be in London from Saturday 11th July to Sunday 12th July 2026. The event is being hosted by Sakya Dechen Ling London and Sakya Thinley Rinchen Ling Bristol, at the request of Lama Jampa Thaye.

The visit is significant because it brings together two throne holders of the Sakya tradition, one of the four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Sakya lineage traces its origins back to 11th-century Tibet and is known for its rigorous philosophical tradition, meditative practices and unbroken transmission of teachings from teacher to student.

All sessions during the weekend are Vajrayana Buddhist initiations. As such, the event is open to Buddhists and to those who sincerely wish to become Buddhists. It is not a general public mindfulness or wellbeing event, but a religious event within the living tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

For the media, the event offers a rare cultural and religious story: a major gathering of an ancient Buddhist tradition taking place in the heart of contemporary London. At a time when interest in Buddhism, meditation and the training of the mind continues to grow, this visit gives Buddhist practitioners and those drawn to the Buddhist path a direct encounter with one of Tibetan Buddhism’s oldest living lineages.

The presence of both His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen and His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin is especially unusual. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen served for many decades as the head of the Sakya tradition and is widely revered as one of the greatest living Vajrayana Buddhist masters. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin, the 43rd throne holder, represents the continuation of that same lineage for a new generation.

The weekend programme will include:

Saturday 11th July 2026, 2.00pm
Manjushri Arapatsana Initiation — bestowed by His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen

Sunday 12th July 2026, 10.30am
Vajrakilaya Torma Initiation — bestowed by His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin

Sunday 12th July 2026, 2.00pm
Initiation of Amitayus and Hayagriva — bestowed by His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen

The event will take place at Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX.

A spokesperson for Sakya Dechen Ling London said:
“This is a rare and precious occasion for London. To receive two Sakya throne holders together is extraordinary. For Buddhist practitioners, it is an opportunity to receive Vajrayana initiations directly from an unbroken lineage. For those who sincerely wish to enter the Buddhist path, it is also an opportunity to encounter a profound living tradition.”

A limited number of telephone interviews with Lama Jampa Thaye are available for media in advance of the event. Lama Jampa Thaye is a British Buddhist master and scholar who has taught internationally for decades in the Sakya and Karma Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Interviews can cover the significance of the visit, the Sakya tradition, Vajrayana Buddhism, and the place of Buddhist practice in contemporary Britain.
The organisers expect the event to attract Buddhist practitioners from across the UK and Europe, as well as those who sincerely wish to become Buddhists and receive authentic Vajrayana teachings within the traditional context.

Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Event: His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen and His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin in London
Date: Saturday 11th July - Sunday 12th July 2026
Venue: Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX
Organisers: Sakya Dechen Ling London and Sakya Thinley Rinchen Ling Bristol
Booking: Eventbrite
Eligibility: Open to Buddhists and those sincerely wishing to become Buddhists

Notes to editors
The Sakya tradition is one of the four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in Tibet in the 11th century and has preserved a vast body of Buddhist philosophy, meditation practice, ritual transmission and scholarship.

The title “Sakya Trizin” means “Holder of the Sakya Throne”. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen is the 41st Sakya Trizin and one of the most revered living masters of the Sakya tradition. His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin is the current 43rd Sakya Trizin.

Vajrayana initiations are formal Buddhist transmissions given by qualified teachers. They are traditionally received by Buddhists, or by those who wish to take refuge and enter the Buddhist path and are undertaken with respect for the commitments and meaning of the tradition.

Sakya Dechen Ling London is part of the Dechen community of Buddhist centres founded by Lama Jampa Thaye, offering teachings and practice in the Sakya traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

A limited number of telephone interviews with Lama Jampa Thaye are available for journalists by prior arrangement.


For press enquiries, interviews, images or further information, please contact:
Press contact: Georges Kesrouani
Email: georges.kesrouani@dechen.org
Phone: +447341842739
Website: www.dechen.org