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In [[Tibetan Buddhism]] the  '''Tai Situpa''' is one of the lineages of [[tulku]]s, reincarnated [[lama]]s, in the [[Kagyu]] school.   According to tradition, the Tai Situpa is an [[emanation]] of the [[bodhisattva]] [[Maitreya]], who will become the next Buddha, and who has been incarnated as numerous [[India]]n and Tibetan [[yogin]]s since the time of the [[Gautama Buddha|historical Buddha]].  The title Tai Situpa, or more completely ''Khentin Tai Situpa'' means  "far-reaching, unshakable, great master, holder of the command".  The holder of this title is also called '''Situ Rinpoche''' and '''Tai Situ'''.

Traditionally, the Tai Situpa was considered to one of the highest ranking lamas of the [[Karma Kagyu]] sect.  He is one of the main regents of the [[Karmapa]].  

The current and 12th Tai Situpa, [[Péma Tönyö Nyinjé]], was born in a farming family in 1954 in the [[Palyul]] district of [[Dérgé]], in the East of [[Tibet]]. At the age of five he left Tibet for [[Bhutan]], where King [[Jigme Dorji Wangchuk]] had been a disciple of the [[11th Tai Situpa]].  Later he was cared for at [[Rumtek Monastery]] in [[Sikkim]], [[India]] where he received religious instruction from the [[16th Karmapa]]. The 16th Karmapa had himself been raised under the guidance of the 11th Tai Situpa. Indeed this alternation between teacher and pupil for the Karmapas, Tai Situpas and other lineage holders from the 1st Karmapa and on has served as a mechanism for continuity within the Kagyu tradition.  As Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote in his book ''Born in Tibet'':  “Tai Situ Rinpoche, who was second in importance in the Karma Kagyu school, had died some years before and no reincarnation had been found.  The Karmapa could now tell them where the incarnation had taken place.  Everyone rejoiced and started immediately to make the preparations."

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]].

The 12th Tai Situpa was instrumental in recognizing [[Urgyen Trinley Dorje]], one of the two candidates claimed to be the 17th [[Karmapa]].

==Previous incarnations==
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 complete list

* [[Maitreya|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 
# 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]]-)

==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.

[[Category:Kagyu]]
[[Category:Lamas]]
[[Category:Tulkus]]