“In India and Tibet, wherever the Karmapas were born, the incarnations of his heart-disciples also appeared and served the Karmapas through the three ways of pleasing the guru until their minds became inseparable from the guru’s enlightened mind. To symbolise this inseparability, various Karmapas bestowed red crowns that liberate on seeing, upon past incarnations of the Zhamarpa, Tai Situpa and Gyaltsapa and empowered them as embodiments of the enlightened activities of the Gyalwang Karmapas. The same shape of the black and red crowns symbolises that there is no difference in the realisations and qualities of the spiritual father and sons. The different colour and design symbolises the differences in skilful means and activities. However, there is no difference whatsoever in the benefits of these crowns endowed with the four methods of liberation. “
“The Mahasiddha Karma Pakshi [2nd Karmapa] said: “Whoever sees the crown and the wearer together, will not fall into the lower realms.”
“The benefit of seeing the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing, is such that regardless of whether one’s faculties are complete or impaired, one’s samaya is pure of broken, one is male or female, old or young, anyone who sees it will plant the seed of liberation within themselves. Whoever hears about the crown will establish a virtuous karmic imprint in their mind. Whoever remembers it with devotion will receive enormous blessings. Whoever makes offerings to the crown, prostrations or heartfelt supplications, circumambulates it, or tosses even a single flower towards it, will accumulate an enormous amount of merit. Even those who hold wrong views towards the crown will be led on the path to liberation.” –1st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye (cited by Mingyur and Gyalton Rinpoches in their Introduction)
On 16th January 2024, in the sacred place of Bodh Gaya, India HE 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche performed the red crown ceremony. As a devoted vajra follower of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje and the Kagyupa lineage in general, it was a great joy that Tai Situpa, after being invited personally by the 17th Karmapa to lead the Kagyu Monlam there, was able perform the sacred ceremony within the Karma Kagyu lineage for the first time in Bodh Gaya (especially after being barred from going there for many years due to defamation and slander of his reputation as a ‘Chinese spy’ by others who know who they are).
The Tai Situpa’s historical and current importance in the ‘golden garland’ (ser-dreng) within the Karma Kagyu is huge, as is the Palpung artistic and literary legacy. In addition, the 16th Karmapa, Rigpe Dorje personally entrusted his handwritten letter on his future re-birth to 12th Tai Situpa in an amulet, which all the main Karma Kagyu heart-sons (bar the 14th Zhamarpa) accepted as authentic (as can be seen and heard in this video here). Also, the great Terton, Chogyur Lingpa one hundred and fifty years ago predicted via a treasure revelation hidden by Guru Padmasambhava himself, regarding the incarnations of the 15th to 22nd Karmapas, that the 17th Karmapa would be ‘one mind’ with Tai Situpa, for more on that see here. The 12th Tai Situpa, recognised by the 16th Karmapa in Tibet, performed his first ‘red crown’ ceremony at the age of five, at Tsurphu Monastery.
In this brief article, as my own humble offering to the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa and Karma Kagyu, is a full transcript of the introduction to the ‘red crown’ ceremony, given in Tibetan by Mingyur Rinpoche (from 3.27 -19 mins) and in English by Gyalton Rinpoche (from 2.10 mins onwards).
First, I give a brief explanation of the biographical background of the 12th Tai Situpa, then the important text by the 1st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye on the origin and benefits of seeing the black and red crowns that liberate on seeing of the Karmapas and Kagyu heart-sons, which was cited by both Rinpoches in their explanation. Finally, the transcript of the Introduction itself. I have also made a short video/reel of the 12th Tai Situpa wearing the red crown with captions from the 1st Jamgon Kongtrul text, see here on Facebook.
Due to karmic causes and conditions I was unable to attend the ceremony in person, although I have seen the 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche perform the red crown ceremony in Bodh Gaya and Sikkim a few times now. I have met Tai Situpa a few times briefly when I visited Sherab Ling monastery, and before that when I was just about to take the first refuge vows with the 17th Karmapa at Gyuto monastery in 2005 for the first time, which had to be delayed for one week when Tai Situpa turned up, but have no strong personal connection or follow him in this life [1]. Yet, seeing him perform the red crown even online was moving indeed, especially after all the obstacles, defamation and slander he has been subjected to in relation to the16th Karmapa’s precious handwritten letter. Seeing the ‘red crown’ (while he recited the Mani mantra) had a huge mental impact that opened the heart and brought tears of joy and wonder to my eyes and am sure to many others. Like seeing a manifestation of the energy and power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Red Avalokiteshvara (Gyalwa Gyatso)! For those who would also like to see it online, the recording of the ceremony see link below. Kongtrul cites the 5th Zhamarpa [also known as the ‘red hat’ Karmapa] said:
“As the interdependent connection between a genuine teacher and a genuine disciple becomes excellent their realised minds become one. The Karmapa and his disciples are indifferentiable”.
Sadly, the one and only official 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje recognised by 12th Tai Situpa and the vast majority of Karma Kagyu in Tibet and exile has been unable to return to India and teach at Rumtek Monastery and perform the black crown ceremony there or other places. May this happen as soon as possible, and may we do all that is possible to make that happen ourselves!
Music? Jamgon Tai Situpa by Sonam Topden and Tenzin Kunsel (with lovely footage of Tai Situpa and 16th Karmapa giving the ‘black and ‘red crown’ ceremony previously), the Red Crown Ceremony with captions by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul, and Unforgettable by Nat King Cole.
Compiled and transcribed by Adele Tomlin, 17th January 2024.
The 12th Tai Situpa, Pema Donyo Nyinje and the outstanding Palpung literary and artistic legacy
12th Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche, the Twelfth Tai Situpa, Pema Donyo Nyinché (པདྨ་དོན་ཡོད་ཉིན་བྱེད་) was born in 1954, in Dergey, Eastern Tibet, and recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Tai Situpa, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo, by the 16th Karmapa, Rigpe Dorje. At the age of eighteen months he was brought to his monastic seat, Palpung Monastery, and enthroned there by the 16th Karmapa according to tradition. The Palpung Thupten Chokhorling monastery in Derge was founded by the 8th Tai Situpa “Situ Panchen” in 1727, one of the most renowned traditional printing centres for the Buddhist teaching texts.
Due to the changing political situation in Eastern Tibet, he was taken to Tsurphu Monastery in Central Tibet, at the age of five. It was there that he performed his first Red Crown Ceremony, assisted by Ninth Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. He stayed in Tsurphu Monastery for one year and then left Tibet with his attendants for Bhutan. Later, he went to Sikkim, to Rumtek Monastery, where he remained under the care of the Sixteenth Karmapa and received his formal religious training. He also received important transmissions from many great masters, notably Kalu Rinpoche (although the current 2nd Kalu Rinpoche did not attend this ceremony), the Ninth Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Saljay Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, the late Drikung Khenpo Konchok, and the late Khenpo Khedup.
In 1976, at the age of twenty-two, Situ Rinpoche founded his own new monastic seat, Sherab Ling Monastery, close to the Tibetan community of Bir, in Himachal Pradesh, India. I have visited this monastery several times and it is a beautiful monastery and location indeed, with a stunning golden stupa for the relics of the 8th Situ Penchen (see my article about that here). In 1980 he made his first tour to Europe, and has since traveled widely in North America, Europe, China and South-East Asia.
In 1992, Tai Situ Rinpoche recognized the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and enthroned him at Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet. His close students include the 17th Karmapa and Mingyur Rinpoche. A conference was recently held at Sherab Ling monastery on the Tai Situpa lineage and legacy.
Benefits and History of the Black and Red Crowns That Liberate on Seeing by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul
The source text that was referred to in the introduction to the red crown ceremony yesterday to is by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, I wrote about this text before in my article and translation of two key texts on the 17th Karmapa’s black crown. There are two editions of this same text by Kongtrul in his Collected Works. One is called History of the Red Crown that Liberates on Seeing (མཐོང་གྲོལ་ཞྭ་དམར་ལོ་རྒྱུས།). published in Paro, Bhutan at the order of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. The other is called a Concise Benefits of the Black Crown that Liberates on Seeing (མཐོང་གྲོལ་ཞྭ་ནག་ཕན་ཡོན་མདོར་བསྡུས།)which is an expanded edition (2002) that includes several terma cycles published by Shechen Publications and is based on the woodblock prints of the Palpung Printing House [1].
In this text, Kongtrul also discusses the benefits of the ‘red crown’ of the heart sons like Tai Situ and Zhamarpa. He begins by explaining the different, individual manifestations by which Buddhas teach and the different pure realms in which they tame different types of beings. How they can appear in different forms, sounds or shapes depending on what is needed by beings.
Regarding the black crown “comparable in value to the whole world” ( ‘dzam gling g.yas gzhag), Kongtrul then discusses how ‘in terms of the support of the black crown, which is also a source for benefiting beings, the second Buddha, great master, Padmasambhava taught in his Vajra teachings that there are three and five types of hats and immeasurable benefits to both the wearers and seers of them. Also, as prophesised by the Victor, Dagpo Lhaje [Gampopa] said that in the teachings there are three crowns that are beneficial. In particular, the ‘meditation crown’ is said to have vast qualities. The main activity of the ‘liberates on seeing’ black crown is that seeing, hearing, remembering and touching it leads to ‘irreversibility’ [from samsara] and benefits beings. Kongtrul explains the origin of the ‘black crown’ as many years prior to the 1st Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa and how even though the colours and designs of the red hats of the heart-sons of the Karmapas, the Zhamarpa, Gyaltsab[12] and Tai Situ Rinpoche, are different:
“The same shape of the black and red crowns symbolises that there is no difference in the realisations and qualities of the spiritual father and sons. The different colour and design symbolises the differences in skilful means and activities. However, there is no difference whatsoever in the benefits of these crowns endowed with the four methods of liberation”
The 1st Jamgon Kongtrul cites the mahasiddha, 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi: “Whoever sees the crown and the wearer together, will not fall into the lower realms.” Further explaining that:
“Bestowing empowerments and teachings continue one aspect of benefiting sentient beings. Such activities leave beings with unimpaired faculties, interests, pure samaya and devotion from one happiness to the next. However, those who lack faith, break their samaya or hold wrong views will create causes for falling into the lower realms. Therefore, such activities to developing both positive and negative qualities.
The benefit of seeing the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing , is such that regardless of whether one’s faculties are complete or impaired, one’s samaya is pure of broken, one is male or female, old or young, anyone who sees it will plant the seed of liberation within themselves. Whoever hears about the crown will establish a virtuous karmic imprint in their mind. Whoever remembers it with devotion will receive enormous blessings. Whoever makes offering to the crown, offers prostrations or heartfelt supplications, circumambulates it or tosses even a single flower towards it, will accumulate an enormous amount of merit. Even those who hold wrong views towards the crown will be led on the path to liberation.”
Introduction to the ‘red crown’ that liberates on seeing based on the text by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye by HE Mingyur and Gyalton Rinpoches
Transcript
HH 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje the protector of all beings and the embodiment of the activity of the Buddhas of the three times, instructed the responsible parties from Rumtek, the Directors of the Kagyu Monlam to go to visit Jamgon Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche and invite him to come to preside over the 38th Kagyu Monlam. Jamgon Guru Vajradhara accepted the invitation and has come to this Kagyu Monlam and given us two days of teachings on Maitreya’s Aspiration which has been a great good fortune for all of us. In addition to giving us the profound teachings, Tai Situ Rinpoche from his great compassion will be giving the empowerment of Maitreya and also giving something he has not frequently for many years, the red crown ceremony. So before the red crown ceremony there was an explanation of the history and the benefits of liberation upon seeing, this will be given in Tibetan and English by Kyabje Mingyur Rinpoche and Kyabje Gyalton Rinpoche:
“Om Swasti! The benefits of seeing the precious red crown that liberates on seeing, will hereby be briefly explained for everyone gathered here on this auspicious occasion. For those endowed with great devotion and virtue and especially for the generous benefactors. It is said in the Uddanavarga, the wise in their world hold fast to devotion and wisdom. As these are the greatest treasures, they cast aside all other riches. Therefore, in order to strengthen your devotion, which is supreme among all riches and which arise due to hearing about precious qualities and to gain wisdom which emerges due to understanding the truth. A brief discourse will be presented here.
Generally, all Buddhas are skilled in means and endowed with great compassion. therefore, from within an unconditioned Dharmadhatu, they assume the form of Sambhogakaya. Through different sambhogakaya manifestations such as various forms Buddha realms, ornaments, enjoyments, thrones and appearances, the Buddhas benefit countless beings. Moreover, in the impure realms, they manifest as created incarnated and supreme aspects of Nirmanakaya. In accordance, with physical, verbal and mental dispositions of beings, the Buddhas appear as physical manifestations, verbal expressions and mental realisations, as well as displays of Buddha qualities and activities. In order to establish beings on the path to higher realms and liberation. Furthermore, the extent of space is limitless and sentient beings are countless, For all those countless beings, upon each atom appear as many realms as there are atoms and within those realms, Buddhas manifest various means of teaching. In some realms they manifest in the form of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Hearers, and Solitary Realizers, while in others they manifest in only one forms of those aspects and they teach the Dharma through speech or symbols. in other realms Buddhas appear as Rishis, Brahmins, Brahma or Chakravartins and teach the beings through those manifestations. In some realms they tame beings thought radiating light rays, in others through opening and closing lotus flowers or through burning incense. These and infinite other accounts are taught in the Sutras. This can be illustrated by the example of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara enlightened activities. In each pore of his body there are infinite Buddha realms of different shapes, sizes and arrays. Similarly, Avalokiteshvara manifests in boundless forms. In the realms of Rakshi demonesses, he manifested as the Horse King, Balaha and in the midst of earthworms , he appeared as the King of Bees to teach beings through their own means of communication.
Avalokiteshvara emanated countless emanations to teach beings. In India, Buddhas appeared as accomplished siddhas with miraculous powers, who sang vajra songs of realisation and liberated countless beings through various manifestations of their realisation. In Tibet, they appeared as the three great Dharma Kings, their Queens, princes and princesses, Ministers and other incarnated Nirmanakaya forms. Jowo Shakyamuni and other created Nirmanakaya forms as well as past and present panditas, siddhas and spiritual masters of all traditions. In these forms, they have been performing vast benefit for the teachings and beings.
The origin of the special tradition of benefiting of beings through wearing crowns was taught by the great master Padmasambhava of Oddiyana, the second Buddha, who proclaimed the infinite benefits for both those who wear the lotus crown, the crown of the three families, the crown of the five Buddha families and other crowns and those who see them. The peerless Gampopa who was prophesised by the Buddha similarly described the immense benefits of the three hats that benefit the Dharma. In particular, the meditation hat, these traditions are being practised by both Kagyu and Nyingma schools. Most importantly, one of the most successive incarnations of the glorious Avalokiteshvara, Karmapa who liberates beings through seeing, hearing, remembering or touching is the black crown that liberates upon seeing. When the Rishi Konpa Kye (dkon pa skyes), an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, attained the vajra-like samadhi, and the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times along with their siblings placed upon his head a crown, a symbol or empowerment, made from the hair of millions of wisdom dakinis. This is the origin of the black crown.
Since then the Rishi Konpa Kye string of lives such as Ratnamati (Jamgsem Lodro), Mahasiddha Saraha and Glorious 1st Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa and all his re-births, wear this crown on their heads at all times. However, only a few fortunate disciples were able to see it . After, seeing the naturally appearing wisdom crown on the head of the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa, the Yunglo Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, an emanation of Manjushri sought the Karmapa’s permission to make a replica of what he had seen. Dezhin Shegpa consented and the Emperor offered the world-renowned black crown that liberates upon seeing the 5th Karmapa. Who blessed it to become inseparable from the naturally appearing wisdom crown and made it visible to all supreme and ordinary beings.
Later, the 5th Zhamarpa said:
“As the interdependent connection between a genuine teacher and a genuine disciple becomes excellent their realised minds become one. The Karmapa and his disciples are indifferentiable”.
In pure realms, the Karmapas and their spiritual sons appear as Avalokiteshvara, Amitabha, Maitreya, Vajrapani and other Buddhas indistinguishable from their retinues. In India and Tibet, wherever the Karmapas were born, the incarnations of his heart-disciples also appeared and served the Karmapas through the three ways of pleasing the guru. Until their minds became inseparable from the guru’s enlightened mind. To symbolise this inseparability, various Karmapas bestowed red crowns that liberate upon seeing, upon past incarnations of the Zhamarpa, Tai Situpa and Gyaltsapa and empowered them as embodiments of enlightened activities of the Gyalwang Karmapas.
The same shape of the black and red crowns symbolises that there is no difference in the realisations and qualities of the spiritual father and sons. The different colour and design symbolise the differences in skilful means and activities. However, there is no difference whatsoever in the benefits of these crowns endowed with the four methods of liberation. Particularly, when the omniscient Tai Situpa appears in the Tushita heaven as the great Regent Maitreya, the topknot on his head is adorned with a stupa. Just seeing or remembering Maitreya’s head adornment brings the benefit of purifying the two obscurations and attaining the samadhi known as the illumination of great loving-kindness.
When the Tai Situpa manifests in the form of Guru Padmakara, in the palace of lotus light, he continually wears the lotus crown that subjugates all that appears and exists, which symbolises the Lord of his Buddha family, Amitabha and he effortlessly bestows the blessings of the vajra wisdom through the four empowerments. When the Tai Situpas act like the Lord of the precious teachings of the practice lineage in Tibet, these crowns transform into the red crown and with this crown perform vast enlightened activities through the four liberations. Just as when Chakravartin Kings possess a one-thousand-spoked golden wheel , they have the power to rule the four continents, so it is that when the spiritual fathers and sons don the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing, anyone who sees them obtains incredible blessings. The Mahasiddha Karma Pakshi said:
“Whoever sees the crown and the wearer together, will not fall into the lower realms.”
Bestowing empowerments and teachings continue one aspect of benefiting sentient beings. Such activities leave beings with unimpaired faculties, interests, pure samaya and devotion from one happiness to the next. However, those who lack faith, break their samaya or hold wrong views will create causes for falling into the lower realms. Therefore, such activities to developing both positive and negative qualities.
The benefit of seeing the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing , is such that regardless of whether one’s faculties are complete or impaired, one’s samaya is pure of broken, one is male or female, old or young, anyone who sees it will plant the seed of liberation within themselves. Whoever hears about the crown will establish a virtuous karmic imprint in their mind. Whoever remembers it with devotion will receive enormous blessings. Whoever makes offering to the crown, offers prostrations or heartfelt supplications, circumambulates it or tosses even a single flower towards it, will accumulate an enormous amount of merit. Even those who hold wrong views towards the crown will be led on the path to liberation. Shantideva said:
“I take refuge in that source of joy, that brings to happiness even those who harm them.”
Similarly, just like praying to a wish-fulfilling jewel, for the fulfilment of all temporary and ultimate aims, the wishes for this life, the bardo and future lives of all those who behold the crown with one-pointed prayer and devotion will be spontaneously fulfilled in accordance with their predispositions. Therefore, all of you should keep this in mind, you should not waste the precious human life you have attained this time and the opportunity to see the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing. In order to increase the accumulations of merit and wisdom, you should perform generosity in accordance with your capacity. Sarva Mangalam!”
Endnotes
[1] The only time I had any personal contact with Tai Situpa in this life, was visiting and staying at his Sherab Ling monastery in India, and offered him a translation I had done in 2019 of a short aspiration prayer he wrote, and requesting him to give the Kālacakra empowerment and to keep the Karma Kagyu lineage of Kālacakra unbroken and strong. Later, in 2020, again while staying at Sherab Ling, I raised my concerns with Tai Situpa, his attendant, Lama Tenam, and Mingyur Rinpoche, about lama misconduct within Karma Kagyu, as have other women (see below). Sadly, the recent court case against the enablers at KTC who knew about the sexual misconduct of Lama Norlha against several women, names both Tai Situpa, his attendant, Lama Tenam and Mingyur Rinpoche as among those who were informed about the conduct but ignored/did not stop it.
This is what also happened to me in my case of being abused and deceived by a well known. Lama Tenam, whom I had met in person to discuss my concerns about the Karma Kagyu (Bhutanese born) Rinpoche, Sangye Nyenpa (whom other women had also informed Tai Situpa about independently of me), told me he would pass my message onto Tai Situpa, but did not allow me to speak to him directly and then ‘ghosted’ me a few days later on his Whatsapp when I asked for a response/follow-up on it. Seems to be a bit of a common pattern!
[2] The two editions of the text are: The History of the Red Crown that Liberates on Seeing mthong grol zhwa dmar lo rgyus/ rgya chen bka’ mdzod/（dpal spungs par ma ‘brug spa gro’i bskyar par ma/） Volume 9 Pages 323 – 330. TBRC W21808. Published in Paro, Bhutan at the order of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
The other is called Concise Benefits of the Black Crown that Liberates on Seeing (mthong grol zhwa nag phan yon mdor bsdus/) (TBRC W23723, Volume 5, pages 1129-1136). An expanded edition (2002) that includes several terma cycles published by Shechen Publications and is based on the woodblock prints of the Palpung Printing House.