About Dechen Dechen is an international association of Sakya and Karma Kagyu Buddhist Centres. The first centre was established in 1975 by Karma Thinley Rinpoche and Lama Jampa Thaye. Over the past four decades the centres have hosted many major visits from the heads of the Sakya and Karma-Kagyu traditions, including H.H. Sakya Trichen and H.H. Karmapa. Dechen maintains an extensive schedule of courses, Buddhist meditation and teaching under the direction of Lama Jampa Thaye and provides support to Karma Thinley Rinpoche’s nunnery Tekchen Lekshay Ling in Bouda Nepal and the Sakya Nun’s College.