Tsharpa Lochen Lama Thubten Choedak Rinpoche

 Short biography

Lama Choedak Rinpoche was born to a respected nomad family from the Namru region of Northern Tibet at midnight on the full moon of the 14th of August, 1954. After the Chinese invasion of 1959, Rinpoche and his family escaped, making a long and harrowing journey from the Tibetan plateau, through the high mountain passes of the Himalayas. After several years on the road, with disease, starvation and death as a constant threat, the family finally arrived in Pokhara  (Nepal) via Mustang, and began the even longer journey of building their new lives as refugees.

At school, Lama Choedak was known as Gonpo Dondrup. This childhood name was given even before he was born by the renowned meditation master, His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. Lama Choedak from an early age showed his gift for learning and study. He was among the first four Tibetan students who received scholarships from the Swiss Red Cross, and he was the very first Tibetan to complete his School Leaving Certificate (SLC) in a Nepalese high school.

In 1966, Lama Choedak was first blessed to become a monk by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. On this auspicious occasion a lock of his hair was cut, his life was dedicated for the Dharma, and he was given the name Thubten Choedak. While still at high school, Lama Choedak attended and studied the rituals, practices and prayers of the Karma Kagyu monastery Jangchup Choeling under Lama Dupsing Rinpoche. It was in Pokhara that Lama Choedak was later ordained as a novice (Shramanera) by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. 

In 1969, as soon as he completed his Higher School Certificate, Lama Choedak joined His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche who had just begun building Tashi Rabten Ling monastery in Lumbini. He then served as the personal assistant and secretary to His Eminence for six years. When he accompanied His Eminence to Dehra Dun for two years in 1970-71, Lama Choedak received the entire Collection of Tantra initiations when His Eminence gave these very special teachings to HH Sakya Trizin. Lama Choedak also studied Tibetan poetry, grammar and the rituals and prayers of the Nalendra tradition with His Eminence. In addition while attending two rainy season retreats at the Sakya Centre in Dehra Dun, he studied Sakya Pandita’s Pramanayuktaniddhi from Khenpo Thukje Wangchuk and Konchok Lhundup’s Beautiful Ornament of Three Visions.

Between 1970-1976, in Lumbini, Lama Choedak also studied and heard teachings on Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, Aryadeva’s Catushataka, Rongton’s Stages of Meditation on The Perfection of Wisdom, Asanga’s Uttaratantra and many other texts from such masters as the late Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltshen, Khenpo Khedrup, Geshe Sherab Woser, Geshe Jamyang Sherab and many other teachers invited by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.  Lama Chodak also read the entire Tibetan Buddhist canon Kagyur and Tengyur twice, and received Lamdre Lobshe and Lamdre Tshogshe eight times.
At the young age of 23, Lama Choedak began a traditional three and half year solitary meditation retreat on Lamdre Lobshe and Hevajra practices sponsored by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was the youngest candidate with four other senior Sakya monks.  Before beginning the retreat, in 1976, Lama Choedak received full Bhikhu (Gelong) ordination from His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. The retreat was completed under extremely arduous conditions. Lama Cheodak was one of only three survivors, with one of the retreatants dying and another losing his sanity.

After the retreat Lama Choedak continued his Buddhist studies and became an avid reader. He quickly became highly sought after as a translator for some of the most important teachers of all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, including the late tutors of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Already fluent in 4 languages, Lama Choedak also developed a sound grasp of Sanskrit.

At the urging of another famous Tibetan teacher, Lama Thupten Yeshe, Lama Cheodak traveled to New Zealand to assist at a Buddhist centre in Auckland. At this point in his life Lama Cheodak made the difficult but carefully considered decision to hand back his ordained vows and continue life as a lay Buddhist teacher. From there he migrated to Australia and started teaching at the request of various Buddhist groups. He assisted with the founding of the Buddhist Education Foundation in Sydney (later known as Sidhartha's Intent). Lama Choedak conducted his first retreat for westerners in Canberra in 1986 and gave the name Sakya Losal Choe Dzong to a group of students interested in starting a centre there.

Lama Choedak then traveled to Malaysia and Singapore where he translated for His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche's Vajrayogini teachings, including Lamdre Tshogshe in Ipoh, Malaysia. He also toured Malayasia at the invitation of the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia and taught at various Sakya centres, including Sakya Tenphel Ling in Singapore.

In 1987, Lama Cheodak returned briefly to India to translate for Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk’s Sakya College teachings on the Bodhisattva Vows and Guru Devotion during Lamdre Tshogshe given by HH Sakya Trizin. Whilst at Sakya College Lama Choedak also led re-teaching sessions and a week long Hevajra retreat after the Lamdre teachings.

Also in 1987, Lama Choedak met his future wife in Singapore. In 1988 he moved with her to Australia. Attracted by the Australian National University’s unique and extensive collection of Buddhist Sanskrit texts (the largest in the in the Western World) Lama Choedak settled in Canberra and pursued a post-graduate degree in Asian studies, eventually graduating with a Litt. B. in Buddhist Texts. He went on to publish several books and enrolled in the Ph.D program at Newcastle University. Although he completed his Ph.D. dissertation, Lama Choedak decided not submit the finished thesis when it became clear that the academic life would not fit with his Buddhist practice and teaching. As well as his activities as a Buddhist teacher and academic, Lama Choedak also now enjoys the demands of being father to three vibrant and energetic children!

Almost since setting foot in Australia, Lama Choedak has been in high demand to give Buddhist teachings. He has been instrumental in introducing the Sakya lineage to Australia and has hosted the visits of many great Sakya masters.  In 18 years, Lama Choedak has founded Sakya Losal Choe Dzong, Rongton Buddhist College, and Virupa Retreat Centre in Canberra. In addition he has become the spiritual director of Jamchen Buddhist Centre in Melbourne and many other sister centres around Australia and in New Zealand. Lama Choedak has helped design teaching programs for many other Tibetan Buddhist centers in Malaysia, USA, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand and has become a registered Minister for Religion with the Attorney General’s Office in Canberra.

During a second visit to Australia in 2001, His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche bestowed the title "Tsharpa Lochen Lama Thubten Choedak Rinpoche" in recognition of Lama Choedak’s commendable Dharma work.

In 2003, with the help of Venerable Thich Quang Ba, Lama Choedak Rinpoche
convened in Canberra the first ever Tibetan Buddhist initiative for an Australian Bhikhuni (Nun’s) Ordination. Most recently, Rinpoche was recognised as one of 17 of the most prominent residents in Canberra.

As the heart son of His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Lama Choedak is one of the rare Sakya Lamas who has completed major retreats on Hevajra, Vajrayogini, Vajrapani and most importantly on the entire Lamdre Lobshe teachings. Rinpoche conducts retreats, workshops and public talks attended by increasingly large numbers of students throughout Australia. In recent years Lama Choedak has trained over 120 Australian and New Zealanders to facilitate introductory courses in a pragmatic and structured course in Calm Abiding Meditation. There are now over twenty locations where these classes are held throughout Australia.