What is the Palpung Congregation?
Palpung Thubten Chökhor Ling in Tibet became a very important seat not only for Karma Kagyu but also for the entire Marpa Kagyu as well as Shangpa Kagyu and all of the eight major lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism. So for the past almost 300 years tit became a universal seat for the renaissance of Vajrayana Buddhism and everything related with it: literature, history, art, astrology and medicine, various languages, and all the culture.
Now since this seat was disabled and almost totally destroyed, the need for constructing a seat representing the same became my responsibility. It is my duty to uphold and continue the great legacy of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Tai Situ. And not only that, before the 8th Tai Situ, the seat of Tai Situpas was Karma Gon. Because before the 1st Tai Situ, Drogon Rechen became a very important master of the Karma Gon and his incarnation became head of the Monastery. Before Drogon Rechen Marpa Chokyi Lodro went to India three times and who spent more than 21 years in India learning very sacred teachings, transmissions from great Indian Mahasiddhas, such as Naropa and Matripa etc. And he brought all of that back to Tibet. Before Marpa Lotsawa Buddha Shakyamuni coronated Bodhisattva Maitreya. That is the Marpa Kagyu lineage.
So that is my responsibility which I take with great honor, the great honor to serve the Buddha and the great honor to serve the humanity.
excerpted and edited from a teaching by Chamgon Dorje Chang Tai Situ Rinpoche, 2006
Palpung congregation
The seat of the succeeding incarnations of the Tai Situ Rinpoches is the Palpung monastery in Dege, Eastern Tibet. It is also the Karma Kagyu mother monastery in Eastern Tibet.
Palpung monastery was founded by the 8th Kuanding Tai Situ Rinpoche in 1727 and developed into one of the most prestigious centers in Tibetan history. Its students are talented and trained in many fields: meditation, studies, art, ritual, retreat practices, etc. The Palpung congregation has more than 180 branch monasteries and temples throughout several Chinese and Tibetan districts. Since their founding, students from these branch monasteries have been traveling to Palpung monastery to study all the various aspects of religious life and hence return to their monasteries.
Palpung once hosted more than thousand monks and was endued with the leading monastic university (shedra) of the area. It was known for its huge library with its more than 324 000 texts and a collection of 10 150 thangka paintings. Palpung was leading in the art of spiritual painting and Situ Rinpoche the founder of Karma Gadri style of painting. During the time of 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Palpung enjoyed best reputation in spiritual, studious and artistic excellence and authority. During the late 1950s, the monastery was destroyed. The reconstruction is still under ist way.
H. E. 12th Situ Rinpoche fled to India at the age of six where he received the entire transmission of the lineage from H. H. The 16th Gyalwang Karmapa in Rumtek. At the age of 22 years, he started to establish his seat in exile, Palpung Sherab Ling, in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. The project allies four aspects – spirituality, education, health and culture. Currently, about approximately 750 monks are living in Sherab Ling, 250 study at the monastic university, facilities for three-year-retreats for nuns and monks are built within the compound.
Nowadays there are several Palpung branches in Europe, USA, Oceania and Asia. Their list is available in the links section.
detailled history of Palpung