The Treasury of Lives

The First Situ, Chokyi Gyeltsen (si tu 01 chos kyi rgyal mtshan), was born in 1377, in the fire-pig year of the sixth sexagenary cycle, into the family of the Second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi (karma pa 02 karma pakshi 1204-1283) near Karma Gon (karma dgon), the seat of the Karma Kagyu tradition in Kham.

He became a student of the Fifth Karmapa, Dezhin Shekpa (karma pa 05 de bzhin gshegs pa 1384-1415), who gave him teachings and empowerments of Mahāmudrā.

The Fifth Karmapa assigned him to the post of primary instructor at Karma Gon, a position he later passed to a relative (either cousin or nephew), Situ Śākya Zangpo (si tu shAkya bzang po, 14th century).

According to tradition, in 1407 Chokyi Gyeltsen accompanied the Fifth Karmapa to Beijing where the Yongle Emperor (永樂, r. 1402-1424) of the Ming Dynasty bestowed on him the title of Tai Situ 大司徒, together with a black hat. However, this seems to be inaccurate. More likely, he was given the title by a Ming envoy named Hou Xian when the envoy was in Tibet to invite the Karmapa to Beijing. Furthermore, this title was given to him as a local headman – a political office rather than a religious honor. According to the Eighth Situ's explanation of the hats of his lineage, the hat given to Chokyi Gyeltsen was black with lotus petals on the front and on both sides, and was typical of hats of official insignia.

In 1413, Chokyi Gyeltsen did receive a high religious title, Guanding yuantong miaoji guoshi 灌頂圓通妙濟國師. Nevertheless, for reasons yet unknown, it was the title of Situ – expanded by tradition to the title of Guanding dai situ 廣定大司徒, or, in Tibetan, Kuanding Tai Situ – that came to be associated with the later incarnation line.

Chokyi Gyeltsen appears to have spent much of his later years meditating in caves with modest means, for which he acquired the epithet of Kunpang (kun spangs) or the "all-renounced."

He passed away in 1448, the year of male earth-dragon year in the eighth sexagenary cycle.