Tai Situpa

Fact|date=August 2008.

The Tai Situpa is considered to be one of the highest ranking lamas of the Karma Kagyu sectFact|date=August 2008.

Chokyi Gyaltsen was the first incarnation to bear the title Tai Situ, conferred upon him in 1407 by the Yongle Emperor of China in the Ming Dynasty. He was a close disciple of the 5th Karmapa who appointed him as abbot of Karma Goen, the Karmapa's principal monastery at the time. The full title bestowed was "Kenting Naya Tang Nyontse Geshetse Tai Situpa" which is shortened to Kuang Ting Tai Situ. The full title means "far reaching, unshakable, great master, holder of the command" [ [http://www.rinpoche.com/stories/tibet3.htm History of Tibet – A Few Chapters (Part 3) - Gaby Hollmann] ]

The current and 12th Tai Situpa, Péma Tönyö Nyinjé, was born in a farming family in 1954 in the village of Achog, which is part of Palyul (dpal yul) or Baiyü County, in Sichuan Province, China that was formerly part of the old principality of Dege (bo|t=སྡེ་དགེ|w=sde dge|z=Dêgê).

At the age of twenty-two, Situ Rinpoche founded his own new monastic seat, Sherab Ling in Himachal Pradesh, in Northern India. He traveled widely making his first visit to the West in 1981 to Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland.Fact|date=August 2008

The 12th Tai Situpa was instrumental in recognizing Ogyen Trinley Dorje, one of the two candidates claimed to be the 17th Karmapa. He also recognized Choseng Trungpa, born on February 6, 1989 in eastern Tibet, as the reincarnation of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Emanations and lineage of the Tai Situpas

Many great and precious lamas are recognized as emanations of the Tai Situpas by realized masters of the Kagyu lineage, such as Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. ;Partial list of emanations [ [http://www.sherabling.org/taisitupa/index.htm The Emanations and Lineage of the Tai Situpas] ]

* Bodhisattva Maitreya
* Bodhisattva Source of Instructions
* Yidam Hevajra
* Dombipa Heruka
* Darikapa
* Vajracarya Shri Singha
* Venerable Gyim Shang
* Demma Tsemang
* Marpa Lotsawa
* Pang Kenchen Ozer Lama
* Rabten Kunzang Pal
* Ngawang Jikten Wongchuk
* Gonpo Tsultrim Nyingpo
* Drogon Renchen Sonam Drakpa
* Yeshe Wangchuk
* Emperor Tashing Temur
* Ratnabhadra
* Taranatha

;Lineage of the Tai Situpas

# Chokyi Gyaltsen (1377-1448)
# Tashi Namgyal (1450-1497)
# Tashi Paljor (1498-1541)
# Chokyi Gocha (1542-1585)
# Chokyi Gyaltsen Palzang (1586-1657)
# Mipham Chogyal Rabten (1658-1682)
# Nawe Nyima (1683-1698)
# Chokyi Jungne (1700-1774)
# Pema Nyingche Wangpo (1774-1853)
# Pema Kunzang Chogyal (1854-1885)
# Pema Wangchuk Gyalpo (1886-1952)
# Péma Tönyö Nyinjé (1954-)

Notes

External links

* Information about previous and current Tai Situpas on [http://www.sherabling.org/teachers/index.htm Sherab Ling website]
* [http://www.personal.u-net.com/~samye/taisitu.htm Short biography] of all 12 Tai Situpas by Ken Holmes.
* [http://www.kkcw.org] news and images of the 12 Tai Situpas by Karma Kagyu Cyber World.
* [http://www.karmapaxvi.com Recalling a Buddha (documentary on the Sixteenth Karmapa)] , includes commentary from all three living Kagyu Regents.