The Sakya Tradition has the distinction of having a close connection with the other three major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Vajrakila lineage, which the Sakyapas follow, originates from Guru Padmasambhava, the founding master of the Nyingma school. The Kagyu and the Sakya schools originated almost at the same time, and both received important lineages from Naropa.

This brief essay outlines the origins and development of the Sakya Tradition, which began in the eleventh century and has been closely associated with Tibet’s Khon family.