Tai
Situ Rinpoche is the 12th in an unbroken line
of incarnations which began in the eleventh
century. A spiritual master of unsurpassed
significance in the history of Tibetan Buddhism,
he was trained by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
and is the current holder of the main Kagyu
lineage. The title Kenting Tai Situ means
“far reaching, unshakable, great master,
holder of the command.”
An early and important incarnation in Tibet
was that of Marpa Lotsawa, the great teacher
of Milarepa. |
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Marpa helped revive
Buddhism in Tibet undergoing many hardships
on journeys to India to acquire Buddha’s
teachings, which he later translated and form
the core instructions of the Kagyu School
of Buddhism.
The great Indian mahasiddha, Padmasambhava
clearly foretold all the names of the Situpa
incarnations in a treasure text known as “The
Command Seal of Prophecies” (Tib. Lungten
Kagyama), which was later discovered by the
great terton Sangye Lingpa. The Situpa incarnations
have been very closely connected to the Karmapas;
alternating as teacher and disciple from one
lifetime to the next. The first to carry the
title Situpa was Chokyi Gyaltsen (1377-1448),
however the specific lineage began with Drogon
Raychen (1088-1158) who was a close disciple
of the 1st Karmapa.
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| The 12th Tai Situ
Rinpoche was born in 1954 in Palyul District
of the Derge Kingdom, East Tibet into an agricultural
family. He was identified according to traditional
methods and at the age of eighteen months
was enthroned at Palpung Monastery, the main
seat of the Tai Situpas in Eastern Tibet.
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| When he was six
years old political circumstances forced him
to leave Tibet with a few attendants, journeying
first to Bhutan and then to Sikkim where he
was united with the 16th Karmapa. This time
of adversity, struggling to survive as a refugee
was exacerbated by illness. During his convalescence
he went to live at the newly built monastery
at Rumtek in Sikkim, the new seat of the 16th
Karmapa. At the age of twenty-one he assumed
his own traditional responsibilities and established
a monastery called Sherab Ling at the request
of some of his Tibetan followers who have
settled in northern India. |
| In 1980 he made his first European
tour at the request of Buddhist organizations
and since then has traveled widely in North
America, Europe, South-East Asia and New Zealand
lecturing on Buddhist philosophy and meditation.
He visited Tibet in 1984 for the first time
since leaving and again in 1991, journeying
to his historical seat Palpung Monastery.
During this visit he ordained more than 2000
men and women and presented a plan of suggestions
to the Chinese authorities for the rebuilding,
preservation and propagation of the Tibetan
Buddhist culture. |
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| A renowned artist
and calligrapher, Tai Situ Rinpoche speaks
fluent English and is the author of several
books in which he illuminates Buddhist teachings
in commonsense terms using down-to-earth examples.
He is currently involved in the advancement
of inter-faith and inter-cultural humanitarian
efforts and was the inspiration and motivator
for the 1989 Pilgrimage for Active Peace.
In addition Rinpoche is the founder and Spiritual
Head of the extensively enlarged Sherab Ling
Monastery. Rinpoche was also involved with
the recognition of His Holiness 17th Gyalwa
Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje and is able to
offer him the complete transmission of the
Mahamudra lineage. |
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