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According to tradition, the Tai Situpas are regarded as emanations of the bodhisattva Maitrey a,
who will become the next Buddha in this fortunate eon of a thousand
Buddhas. Maitreya currently resides in the Tushita-heaven and is said
to incarnate himself on earth at the appropriate time.
The
Situpas before being so named is said to have first manifested as
Lotsawa Marpa of Lodrak, the disciple of Naropa and master of Milarepa.
Marpa is regarded as both an emanation of Maitreya and of Hevajra. The
emanation then became Drogön Rechen (1088-1158) as one of the heart
sons of Düsum Khyenpa, the first Gyalwa Karmapa. Naljor Yeshe Wangpo
(1220-1281) and Rigowa Ratnabhadra (1281-1343) continued as the next
two emanations before the Tai Situpas were established.
The Situpas
are closely associated with Guru Rinpoche, and is referred to in his
predictions. The present Tai Situpa XII and the previous incarnation
are as follows;
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Situ I Chökyi Gyaltsen (1377-1448)
Situ II Tashi Namgyal (1450-1497)
Situ III Tashi Paljor (1498-1541)
Situ IV Chökyi Gocha (1542-1585)
Situ V Chökyi Gyaltsen Palzang (1586-1657)
Situ VI Mipham Chogyal Rabten (1658-1682)
Situ VII Nawe Nyima (1683-1698)
Situ VIII Chökyi Jungne (1700-1774)
Situ IX Pema Nyinje Wangpo (1774-1853)
Situ X Pema Künzang Chögyal (1854-1885)
Situ XI Pema Wangchuk Gyalpo (1886-1952)
Situ XII Pema Donyo Nyingche Wangpo (1954-
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 The
history of the Tai Situpas before the title of Tai Situpa was bestowed
goes back to the time of the Indian mahasiddhas or "great
accomplishers" who gained renown for their sanctity and often
accompanied by miracles. The emanation has taken form as numerous
Indian and Tibetan yogins since the time of the historical Buddha. The
mahasiddhas mentioned in the biographies appeared as Dombipa, king of
Magadha, disciple of Virupa. He was a saintly man who practised tantra
secretly for twelve years before he abdicated in favour of a
contemplative life in the wilderness. Another incarnation was Denma
Tsemang, one of the twenty-five main disciples of Padmasambhava, who
was noted for his phenomenal memory.
One of the first Tibetan incarnations of significance was Marpa (1012-97) who studied in India and returning with t he
lineage transmission from Naropa and others together with texts for
translation. He made three trips to India in all, and his biography is
of great interest to modern practitioners of Buddhism. He was a family
man and a farmer, cantankerous by all accounts and experienced such
vicissitudes of life such as the untimely death of a beloved son. He
managed to include scholastic achievements and fruitful practice into
his layman's routine, with the assistance of his exceptional wife,
Dagmema.
The next incarnation as Drogon Rechen (II48 - I2I8)
established the line which eventually became the Tai Situpas. Drogon
Rechen was one of the principal students of the first Karmapa, Dusum
Khyenpa, and since that time the Tai Situpas and the Karmapas have
maintained a continuous guru-disciple relationship that establishes the
unbroken lineage of the Karma Kagyu to this day. It has become a custom
for the Karmapa to recognize the Tai Situpa and become his main
teacher, and for the Tai Situpa to recognize the Karmapa and transmit
the teachings back to him.
Two other incarnations as yogins of
considerable attainment were that of Yeshe Nyingpo and Ringowa which
followed the incarnation as Marpa. Yeshe Nyingpo was a disciple of the
extraordinary second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi. Another incarnation was a
Chinese emperor with unusual spiritual power whose name was Tai Tsu and
a disciple of the fifth Karmapa, Dezhin Shekpa. He was clairvoyant and
was able to perceive an ornament on the head of his teacher that could
not be seen with ordinary sight.
With great devotion, he had a
crown made that resembled his vision. He presented the crown to the
Karmapa to wear so that more people would benefit from seeing an outer
representation of the divine crown that symbolizes great realization.
This offering was the beginning of the traditional Black Crown Ceremony
of the Karmapas, which benefitted many beings and performed up to the
present times.
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Chokyi Gyaltsen (1377-1448)
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Chokyi
Gyaltsen (1377-I448) was the first incarnation to bear the title Tai
Situ, conferred upon him in I407 by the Chinese emperor Yung Lo of the
Ming Dynasty. The emperor also offered Tai Situ a crystal sea l
and other gifts. The complete title as it was given in Chinese is quite
lengthy and is often shortened to Kuang Ting Tai Situ, which is
translated as "far reaching, unshakable, great master or holder of the
command."
Chokyi Gyaltsen was a close disciple of the fifth
Karmapa and was appointed by him to the position of chief instructor of
Karma Gon, the Karmapas chief monastery at the time, located in Eastern
Tibet. He received the empowerments and teachings of the Mahamudra in
the complete form and perfected the teachings. Tai Situ also traveled
to China with the Karmapa. He spent most of his life meditating in
caves and was a great lama.
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Tashi Namgya (1451-1497)
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The second  Tai
Situpa, Tashi Namgyal (I450-1497), was was born in the iron-horse year
into a royal family in Tibet. He was recognized by Tongwa Donden, the
sixth Karmapa, who enthroned him and gave him the complete teaching.
The
Karmapa later gave Karma Gon Monastery to him. Karma Gon (c. II85) was
known for its library, which contained many Sanskrit texts, as well as
for the exquisite art that embellished it. Until its recent destruction
it provided a unique example of the best Tibetan caning, sculpture,
painting, and scholastic achievements. It was the original seat of the
Karmapas, founded by the first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa (III0-1193). He
visited many parts of Tibet, giving teachings and empowerments.
Venerated by the Chinese Emperors, there were many auspicious signs at
his passing.
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Tashi Paljor (1498-1541), Chokyi Gocha (1542-1585), Mikyo Dorje (1507-1554)
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 The
third Situpa, Tashi Paljor (I498-I54I), and the fourth Situpa, Chokyi
Gocha (I542-1585), continued the beneficial work at Karma Gon and other
monasteries within its sphere of influence in Eastern Tibet. Situ Tashi
Paljor discovered the eighth Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje (I507-1554), and was
one of his principal teachers. He in turn became the teacher of the
fourth Situpa.
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Mipham Chogyal Rabten (1658-1682), Mawe Nyima (1683-1698
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 Situ
Mipham Chogyal Rabten (I658-1682), the sixth Tai Situpa tulku, was a
yogi with great miraclous powers. He could hang prayer beads on a
sunbeam and leave footprints in rocks. The seventh Tai Situpa, Mawe
Nyima (1683-1698), was the son of the king of Ling and died at an early
age.
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Chokyi Jungne (1700-1774)
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Of
all the incarnations, that of the eighth Tai Situpa, Chokyi Jungne
(I700-1774), may well be the most extraordinary to date. He was a sage
of great insight, a Sanskrit scholar, a doctor, and an innovative
thangka painter. Even as a child he was a brilliant scholar and known
for his ability to accurately predict future events. In 1727 be founded
Palpung, the monastery in Dege that became the seat of the Tai Situpas.
He was invited to China with the twelfth Karmapa, Changchup Dorje, but
he remained behind to look after the monastery.
When the
Karmapa and the eighth Shamarpa died within a few days of each other in
China, Situ Chokyi Jungne was left with the responsibility of the
Karmapa's monasteries in addition to his own. He became the teacher of
the thirteenth Karmapa, Dundul Dorje, the ninth Shamarpa, and Tenpa
Tsering, the king of Dege. With the patronage of the Dege king, who had
a sked
him to revise the Kangyur and the Tengyur, the eighth Tai Situpa set up
the Dege Printing Press at Lhundrup Teng. Texts printed there were of
such excellent quality that they have been reprinted in modern
facsimile editions, with copies residing in Tibetan archives throughout
the world.
He was a linguist who taught in Sanskrit, Nepali,
and Chinese, and his text on Tibetan grammar is still in use today. The
eighth Tai Situpa traveled widely in Tibet, Nepal, and China. He
composed numerous texts on astrology and medicine, and he established
styles of drawing and painting that were later developed and passed on
by his students. Palpung Monastery itself became one of the most
important monastic centers in Tibet, and it developed a unique
scholarly and artistic tradition which influenced subsidiary
monasteries in places as far flung as Shitzang, Yunnan, Chinghai, and
Szechwan. With the Dege king's blessings he established many
monasteries besides Palpung.
Situ Chokyi Jungne was an
outspoken critic of the hypocrisy and greed that was rampant in some
monasteries at the time. He deplored those who violated their vows and
sacrificed compassion in favour of exploiting others for gain or fame.
He characterized them in one poem as "charlatan gurus" who "attain the
siddhi of the fourteen root downfalls" and "sow the seeds of hell
without purpose." He was an inspiration to his students, a number of
whom became masters in their own right. He predicted the details of his
next incarnation before he passed away.
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Pema Nyinje Wangpo (1774-1853)
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The
ninth Tai Situpa, Pema Nyinje Wangpo (I774-1853), mastered scholarly
disciplines at an early age, and it was under his influence in the
stimulating intellectual climate of Palpung that a renaissance of
Buddhist thought was precipitated. He recognized the innate greatness
of the child who was to achieve renown as Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye,
the primary genius of the nineteenth century renai ssance
now called the Rime, or "non-sectarian," movement. Jamgon Kongtrul
Lodro Thaye (I813-1899) was one of the truly magnificent scholars in
the history of Tibet; he called upon his profound knowledge of all
traditions, from the Bon family into which he was born to the other
lineages he later studied.
Situ Pema Nyinje had the ability to
recognize genius and foster it, and he did so without making sectarian
distinctions, which were all too common at the time. As a result he was
surrounded by some of the finest minds of his age. He was one of the
main teachers of the fourteenth Karmapa, and he was closely associated
with the yogi Chogyur Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, who became
important figures in both the Nyingmapa and Kagyupa traditions.
The
ninth Situpa spent the last thirty years of his long life in retreat,
during which time he often amazed his monks at his seeming omniscience
in managing monastery affairs from his seclusion. One story is told
about how he admonished a monk to stop drinking, much to the monk's
surprise. The monk naturally thought his weakness was well hidden, at
least from the head lama who was holed up in strict retreat.
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Pema Wangchok Gyalpo (1886-1950)
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Pema Tonyo Nyinje (1954)
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 The
current twelfth Tai Situpa, Péma Tönyö Nyinjé, was born in 1954, in the
Tibetan year of the Male Wood Horse, in the Palyul district of Dérgé,
Eastern Tibet, to a farming family named Liu. His birth was accompanied
by auspicious signs associated with the birth of a high incarnate lama.
He was recognized as the Situ reincarnation by the sixteenth Karmapa.
The Karmapa was visiting Beijing with the Dalai Lama, as part of a
delegation, when he became aware of the imminent birth of the twelfth
Tai Situpa. He composed a letter in which he gave a clear description
of the identity of the parents and their place of residence.
The
XIIth Tai Situpa's birth was accompanied by unmistakable signs such as
the unusual physical phenomena of a rainbow inside the house and
harmless earth tremors which indicated the occurrence of a high
incarnation.
At the age of eighteen months he was escorted to
his monastic seat, Palpung Monastery, to be enthroned there by the
Karmapa according to tradition. When political hostilities became acute
in Eastern Tibet he was taken to the Karmapa's main monastery, Tsurphu,
near Yangpachen in Central Tibet.There he performed his first Red Crown
Ceremony, a practice that has become a tradition since the fifth Tai
Situpa received the Red Situ Crown from the ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk
Dorje. He stayed
in Tsurphu Monastery for one year. At the age of
five he left Tibet with his attendants for Bhutan, where King Jigme
Dorje and the Queen Mother had been disciples of the previous Situpa
Pema Wangchok. He then went to Sikkim, where he lived in Gangktok until
he fell ill with tuberculosis. He moved to Darjeeling, where he could
be close to medical facilities.
After his recovery he returned to
Rumtek Monastery, where he remained under the care of the Karmapa and
received his formal religious training under his guidance. As a child
the present Tai Situpa had to struggle to survive with his few
attendants, as refugees in India. He and his three monks lead a spartan
life until an American relief organization provided a sponsor for the
young lama. Nola McGarry, his American foster mother, supported his
early childhood and encouraged him to learn English in her letters and
by sending him books to study. She did not meet him until I980, during
his first teaching tour in America.
At the age of twenty-two,
Situ Rinpoche assumed responsibility for founding his own new monastic
seat on some land that had been offered to him by disciples from Dege
and Nangchen. With the blessing and encouragement of the Karmapa, he
left Sikkim for Himachal Pradesh, a Himalayan state in Northern India.
There he had tents set up on some forested land in the hills near
Palampur, close to the Tibetan community of Bir, and began construction
of Sherab Ling Monastery.
For five years the monastery grew
slowly. Along with the monks came a small group of Western students,
some of whom sponsored the construction of retreat houses where people
could engage in serious meditation practice under the Tai Situpa's
direction.
He
made his first visit to the West in I981, when he taught at Samye Ling
Tibetan Centre, Scotland. He returned for his first teaching tour of
America in I982 after visiting there in November of I98I at the time of
passing of the sixteenth Karmapa, near Chicago. He also toured
Southeast Asia. Since that time his activities have been divided
between international teaching tours and his own quiet monastery in the
hills of Himachal Pradesh.
Besides his role as a Buddhist monk,
teacher, and abbot, Situ Rinpoche is particularly committed to world
peace. In I989, he started his Pilgrimage for Active Peace, involving
religious leaders and humanitarians around the world in the effort to
evolve practical means by which individuals can actively contribute to
developing inner and outer peace for themselves and others. His concern
to share the principles of Buddhism with others led him in I983 to
establish Maitreya Institute, a forum where different approaches to
spiritual development can be explored and shared through the arts as
well as through philosophy, psychology, art healing, without
sectarianism or religious bias.
In the early 1990s, the Tai
Situpa discovered that an amulet given to him by the 16th Karmapa
contained the letter revealing his new incarnation. The Situpa ensured
that the new Karmapa was properly discovered and together with the
Goshri Gyaltsabpa, went to Tibet in 1994 to give first precepts to the
new Karmapa and enthrone him at his traditional seat of Tsurpu.
The
Tibetan namthar, or biography of an incarnate lama, contains the
history of the subject's lineage of incarnations, because the current
incarnation is seen as the same enlightened entity although in a
different body. The Tai Situpa is twelfth in a line of incarnations
that spans over a thousand years and whose history is integral to the
religious and scholastic development in Eastern Tibet, particularly
Kham, where his large monastic seat, Palpung, is located.
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Situ
Pema Kunsang (1854-1885), the tenth Tai Situpa, was recognized and
enthroned by his former illustrious students, the fourteenth Karmapa
and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. He spent his relatively short life as
a yogi who developed extraordinary powers through his meditation
practices. 
The
eleventh Tai Situpa, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo (1886-I950), was another
incarnation with the reputation of tremendous power and productivity.
He was a unique character and showed exceptionally tough and relentless
discipline. He expanded Palpung Monastery, which by this time was the
center of administration for the spiritual and temporal needs of
thirteen monastic estates in different provinces of Central and Eastern
Tibet. His representatives were sent to each of those communities to
handle administrative and religious affairs. 
