Venerable
Choden Rinpoche
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Born
in 1933 in eastern Tibet, Choden Rinpoche was recognized at age
three as the reincarnation of the previous Rinpoche, who himself
had been one of the candidates for the twelfth Dalai Lama. At
age eight he entered Rabten monastery, and at age fifteen he
went to Sera Je monastery, where he studied the five main texts.
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Although
Rinpoche studied through the Lharam class and could have become
a geshe, his teacher asked him not to take the exams yet. Choden
Rinpoche decided to study the teachings on Vinaya – monastic
discipline – and is regarded as one of the foremost experts on
the subject. Choden Rinpoche was one of the two Sera Je lamas
selected to debate with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during His
Holiness's geshe exams.
During
the communist Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959, Choden Rinpoche
stayed in Tibet and went into solitary retreat for 19 years. He
never left his tiny, dark room in Lhasa from 1965 to 1985, and
was virtually unknown in his monastery for this reason. In 1985
he was allowed to leave Tibet for India, and has since taught
for many years to thousands of students at Sera Je monastery in
South India. At the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Choden
Rinpoche has now visited the west several times to give
teachings and lead retreats.
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