Brief biography of His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa

Guru Vajradhara His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, popularly known as His Holiness Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche is proclaimed in number of sacred texts as the incarnation of Bodhisattva Maitreya in Tushita Heaven who was crowned as the future Buddha by Buddha Sakyamuni when he descended to the Earth in 623 BC, as well as subsequent incarnations as Guru Padmasambhava.

In 1012 AD he was born in Tibet as Marpa the Great enlightened Translator who introduced sacred kagyu lineage from India and continued by his disciple such as the Milarepa and Marpa's incarnation Gampo Tsultrim Nyingpo and in 1148 as first Tai Situ Drogon Rechen.  

In 1012 AD His Holiness was born in Tibet as Marpa the Great, the Enlightened Translator who introduced sacred Kagyu lineage from India. The lineage was continued by his disciple Milarepa, passed onto Gampopa and then Gampo Tsultrim Nyingpo who was an incarnation of Marpa. In 1148, Marpa incarnated as the first Situ Drogon Rechen. 

In 1727 His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa the great popularly known as Situ Panchen founded the Mount of Excellence, non sectarian, multi disciplinary, Palpung Institutions and established the Palpung Monastic Seat.

In Tibet, 300 pre-Buddhist and Buddhist monasteries and 180 monasteries of Kagyu lineage looked up to Palpung Monastic Seat and its supreme head His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. 

The current His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa is born to a farming and nomadic dual family in the east Tibetan kingdom of Dege in February 15, 1954 and shortly after enthroned to the Palpung Monastic Seat. 

In 1959 at age of 5 he was brought to safety by senior lamas of the Palpung Monastic Seat to the Kingdom of Bhutan and then to India following His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama taking refuge.

Until 22 years of age, He grew up in Sikkim, Bhutan and West Bengal. He received ordinations from His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and from great number of eminent masters. He received entirety of basic and advanced studies and transmissions. He was one of the closest students of the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, and in turn became the main teacher of the current 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje.  

In 1976 at age of 23, His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa established the Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat in Himachal Pradesh, India. which today is contributing towards training, educating, ordaining and transmitting to the next generation of Buddhist Masters of present and future across and beyond denominations and ethnicity.

In 1984 His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa founded Maitreya Institute, dedicated for interfaith and inter disciplinary harmony through exchange and exposure based on love, kindness, compassion and wisdom. 

Motivated by his concern for disharmony among people, religion, ideology, and environmental degradation, in 1989 he initiated the PILGRIMAGE for ACTIVE PEACE - ONE WORLD - ONE HUMANITY visiting holy sites around the world and meeting the leaders of different religious traditions, including Pope John Paul II. Meeting at the most sacred Catholic seat, the Vatican, they discussed the vision of Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, which is how to inspire people to take an active involvement in world peace.

His Holiness the Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa is a great scholar, philosopher, poet, artist, architect, geomancer and authored more than 20 books in English and his compilation in Tibetan language reaches over 200 volumes and writings reaches over 15 volumes up to date.

He continues to teach and transmit the sacred lineage of Dharma to beings from all over world over continuously.