Tai Situ (; from ) is one of the oldest lineages of

tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is an individual recognized as the reincarnation of a previous spiritual master (lama), and expected to be reincarnated, in turn, after death. The tulku is a distinctive and significant aspect of Tibet ...

s (reincarnated

lama Lama () is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan word ''la-ma'' means "high mother", ...

s) in the

Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...

school of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

History of the Tai Situpas
/ref> In Tibetan Buddhism tradition, Kenting Tai Situ is considered as emanation of Bodhisattva

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...

and Guru Padmasambhava ( Guru Rinpoche) and who has been incarnated numerous times as

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n and

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297–299, 331 ...

s since the time of the historical Buddha.

History

The Tai Situ is one of the highest-ranking reincarnate masters of the

Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, M ...

lineage. Chokyi Gyaltsen was the first to bear the title "Grand Situ" (), conferred upon him in 1407 by the

Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...

Ming China The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. He was a close disciple of the 5th Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa, who appointed him Khenpo of Karma Goen, the Karmapa's principal

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

at the time. The full title bestowed was ''Kenting Naya Tang Nyontse Geshetse Tai Situ'' which can be abbreviated to ''Kenting Tai Situ''. The full title means "far reaching, unshakable, great master, holder of the command". The 9th Karmapa bestowed the 5th Kenting Tai Situ a Red Vajra Crown of Radiant Gold, which mirrored the Karmapa's own Black Vajra Crown. The Red Crown symbolizes the inseparability of the Karmapa and Kenting Tai Situ. Through seeing the Red Crown, which is presented in a ceremony even today by the Kenting Tai Situ, one is instantly and irreversibly set onto the path of enlightenment and receives the blessing of the Bodhisattva Maitreya. The current 12th Tai Situ, Pema Tönyö Nyinje, was born in 1954 to a farming family named Liyul Tsang in the village of Palmey, which is in Palyul ( Baiyü County,

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

) and part of the

Kingdom of Derge The Kingdom of Derge (; ) was a large kingdom in Kham, whose estate was founded in the 13th century by the Gar Clan of Sonam Rinchen in present-day Pelyul County. The Gar Clan traces its lineage to minister Gar Tongtsen at Songsten Gampo's 7th c ...

. The Palpung Thupten Chokhor Ling Monastery in Derge was founded by the 8th Tai Situ, the

Situ Panchen Situ Panchen (1700–1774), whose formal name is the 8th Tai Situ Panchen Chögyi Jungnye (), was the renown 8th Tai Situ Rinpoche. He was also an influential Tibetan painter, writer and medical innovator as well as a notable figure in the ...

, in 1727 and presently all the Karma Kagyu Buddhist teachings are taught there to the monks. The monastery has preserved its traditional printing center for Buddhist teachings and for

pecha Pecha () is a Tibetan word meaning "book", but in particular, refers to the traditional Tibetan loose-leaf books such as the kangyur, tengyur, and sadhanas. Pechas sometimes have top and bottom cover plates made of wood, cardboard, or other firm ...

s. At the age of twenty-two, the 12th Tai Situ founded another monastic seat,

Palpung Sherab Ling Palpung Monastery () is Tai Situ's historic monastic seat in Babang, Kham (modern Sichuan). Palpung means "glorious union of study and practice". It originated in the 12th century and wielded considerable religious, political, and economic inf ...

Monastery, in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

, where the monastery provides Tibetan Buddhist teachings including astronomy,

Traditional Tibetan medicine Traditional Tibetan medicine or Sowa Rigpa is the Tibetan medical system developed in the 8th century under King Trisong Detsen that incorporated the best international medical practices of that time.Claude Arpi, ''Glimpses on the Tibet History' ...

, and it has a higher Tibetan Buddhist university

Shedra Shedra is a Tibetan word () meaning "place of teaching" but specifically refers to the educational program in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. It is usually attended by monks and nuns between their early teen years and early twenties. N ...

program that teaches the Five Sciences. Alongside the classrooms for young monks and nuns, a sports facility for physical fitness, a traditional Tibetan herbal medicine garden, a medical clinic , an old age home, and accommodations for students are provided. Palpung Sherabling Monastery currently has approximately 1000 monks while 250 are enrolled in the

monastic university curriculum on the premises. Palpung Yeshe Rabgyeling Nunnery has about 200 nuns and is located near the city of Manali. The Monastery also offers the traditional Kagyu three-year retreat for both monks and nuns on the compound. The Palpung sangha 0consists of monasteries and temples in Tibet and China. The Palpung sangha also has branch institutions in Europe, USA, Canada, Oceania, and Asia. The 12th Tai Situ traveled widely, making his first visit to the West in 1981 to

Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre is a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist complex associated with the Karma Kagyu school located at Eskdalemuir, Scotland. History Before the present Temple complex was built, Samye Ling centred on ju ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

.Biography of 12th Tai Situpa
/ref> The 12th Tai Situpa was instrumental in recognizing Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa, based on a handwritten letter given to him by the 16th Karmapa before he died. This letter was accepted as authentic by all of the main Karma Kagyu heart-sons of the 16th Karmapa, including the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (with the one exception of the 14th Zhamarpa). The 17th

Karmapa The Karmapa Tulku lineage of the Gyalwa Karmapa is the oldest among the major incarnating lineages of Tibetan Buddhism,The Karmapa, "The Karmapas Lineage", Kagyu Office established in 1110 CE by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa. Karmapa means " ...

was enthroned in August 1992 by the 12th Tai Situ and the 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche at

Tsurphu Monastery Tsurphu Monastery () or Tölung Tsurphu (, "Tsurphu of Tölong") is a gompa which serves as the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Gurum in Doilungdêqên District, Tibet ...

, the traditional seat of the

outside

Lhasa Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China. Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...

. Tai Situ also recognized Choseng Trungpa, born on 06 February 1989, in Chamdo County,

Kham Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibet, Tibetan regions, the others being Domey also known as Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The official name of this Tibetan region/province is Dotoe (). The original residents of ...

(

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...

), as the 12th Zurmang Trungpa, Chokyi Sengye who is the reincarnation of

Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa (Wylie transliteration, Wylie: ''Chos rgyam Drung pa''; March 5, 1939 – April 4, 1987), formally named the 11th Zurmang Trungpa, Chokyi Gyatso, was a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist master and holder of both Kagyu and Nyingm ...

Lineage of Tai Situ Rinpoche

# (1377–1448) # Tashi Namgyal (1450–1497) # Tashi Paljor (1498–1541) # (1542–1585) # (1586–1657) # (1658–1682) # Lekshe Mawe Nyima (1683–1698) #

(1700–1774) # Pema Nyingche Wangpo (1774–1853) # (1854–1885) # Pema Wangchok Gyalpo (1886–1952) # Pema Tönyö Nyinje (1954- )

References

External links

Trikaya del Lama Kunsal Kassapa

Lineage of H. E. Palpung Chamgon Kuanding Tai Situ Rinpoche

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20040830084420/http://www.personal.u-net.com/~samye/taisitu.htm Short biography of all 12 Tai Situpas by Ken Holmes
news and images of the 12 Tai Situpas by Karma Kagyu Cyber World

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tai Situpa Chinese-language titles, Situ Tibetan Buddhist titles Karma Kagyu lamas Palpung Tai Situ tulkus