About sangha of Tibetan Buddhist Society of Canberra

Lama Choedak Rinpoche is in great demand as a teacher and translator in many countries and has established 13 Tibetan Buddhist centres in major cities in Australia and New Zealand.

Ani Choekyi was ordained two weeks before her 86th birthday in 2003. A tower of strength and determination, Ani Choekyi has had an eventful life having spent many of her younger years in Europe and witnessing at first hand the Spanish Civil War and World War II in France and England. After the death of her second husband she embarked on a path that eventually led her to Buddhism. Two years after she took refuge with Lama Choedak Rinpoche she made the decision to take vows. In the December after her ordination Ani Choekyi successfully completed a pilgrimage to India and Nepal.

A resident of Bingie on the NSW south coast, Ani Choekyi has set up and run many meditation and dharma courses in the Bateman’s Bay area. Ever willing to help, Ani Choekyi, is a respected and much loved pillar of Dharma in the local community, widely sought after for spiritual guidance and advice.

Ani Kunsang took ordination a year after meeting Lama Choedak Rinpoche and His Eminence Choegyi Trichen Rinpoche.

She helps organise Virupa Retreat Centre, where she lives, and tries her best as a Committee Member of Sakya Losal Choe Dzong. Having spent most of her life in England before she met Buddhism, she is determined to help however she can to preserve and spread the teachings of the Buddha. Ani Kunsang believes that the establishment of a community living these teachings is a fundamental basis for the preservation of the Dharma.

Ani Nangtong took ordination in October 2003 at the age of 21. When His Eminence Choegyi Trichen Rinpoche visited Australia in 2001, for the first time in her life she saw monastics and immediately had a strong feeling that ordination would be part of her path.

Forever caring for others, Ani Nangtong exudes a natural wisdom far beyond her years. She is an extremely capable and versatile Committee Member, happy to turn her hand to any task that will benefit others and the community at Virupa Retreat Centre.

* Ani Nangtong shares her joy of living at Virupa Retreat Centre.

Tharchin was ordained in April 2004 in Sydney, together with Jamyang Tsultrim, by His Eminence Luding Khen as a Getsul (the Tibetan word for novice monk – Shramanera in Sanskrit). Tharchin’s ordination occurred by auspicious chance as it was not planned.

Orginally a valued member of Jamchen Buddhist Centre in Melbourne and now living at Virupa Retreat Centre, Tharchin is a down-to-earth, reliable and trusted member of the Society whose determination and inner joy inspires many.

Ani Tsedron took ordination in 2001 fulfilling a childhood dream of one day becoming a nun. In October 2003 she took Bhiksuni ordination.

Born in Poland as a catholic and having a raised a family in Australia, her interest in philosophy and career as a counsellor and psychologist led her to encounter Buddhism. She steadily developed her understanding through her connection with Tara Institute and later Lama Choedak Rinpoche whom she met in 1996. Her selfless support of her former husband in his wish to take ordination led her to reflect on how best she could live her new life.

Now living in Melbourne and one of the original members of Jamchen Buddhist Centre, Ani Tsedron is a learned and caring member of Rinpoche’s ordained Sangha in Australia.

Lekshe-la is highly respected by all who know him, his work and his devotion.

Ven. Jamyang Tsultim

Tsultrim was born from his parents as Oliver Mikosza (his Aussie name) in Canberra, 1981. He was then born from the Buddha as a monk, Jamyang Tsultim (his Tibetan monastic name) in Sydney, 2004.

He was given his robes by H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche. Devoting his life to study and meditation as a monk is something he has felt as a strong calling since age 16, while another voice would keep telling him to wait.

"When I was 14 I remember doing a school project on someone I admired and the obvious choice was the Buddha. I read books on the Theravada tradition and I occasionally went to the effort to meet Dharma teachers.

"While at Uni in 2001 I somehow stumbled across the Great Master, H.E. the 26th Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, and hung out with him for a few weeks during his historic visit of Australia. In this whirlwind I was introduced to his heart-son, Choedak Rinpoche.

"After travelling and studying meditation with more Theravada teachers, I finally settled down under Rinpoche’s wing at his Retreat Centre, Virupa, in mid-2003.

"I have since lived there and at our Centre in Canberra, studying the Dharma and doing meditations.

"I had the honour of attending on Acharya Jamyang Lekshe when he toured Australia in June 2004, as well as teaching introductory evening classes at our Centre - that’s my short story so far.

"For me, being a monk is an art-form in which this minimalist lifestyle is constantly being worked on. The beauty that is born from this creativity is all I could expect as a monk."

Ani Rinchen took ordination a year after having met Lama Choedak Rinpoche at a White Retreat in Cairns in 1999. Ani Rinchen took Bhiksuni Ordination in 2003.

As a young woman she was drawn to everything mystical but grew up knowing conventional religion would be far too restrictive for her broad understanding of philosophy and compassion. After her marriage, motherhood, and much heartache and suffering she met Rinpoche in Cairns who transformed her life with the Dharma.

Now resident nun of Khacho Yulo Ling Buddhist Centre in Cairns and Co-ordinator of Maitreya Hospice Care Incorporated, Ani-la’s dedication and down-to-earth personality helps her relate to people from all walks of life.

Ani Tenpa was drawn to Buddhism after attending a meditation class with a friend. The more she studied, the firmer grew her conviction to become a nun. She took her first vows in 2003 and her novice vows with His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche in April 2004.

After attending a White Tara Retreat in 2004 at Virupa Retreat Centre, Ani Tempa was fairly certain that this was where she wanted to live but she returned home to full-time work, a teenager, two cats, a mortgage and two days a fortnight teaching Dharma in a maximum security prison. After further teachings from Rinpoche in Melbourne and Nepal - and three weeks at Virupa Retreat Centre studying Tibetan language - she decided she could hesitate no longer and would move to VRC in 2005.

Ani Choezom met Lama Choedak Rinpoche in January 2005. Then on Christmas Eve in December 2005 she was ordained as a nun at Ngor Monastery in India by H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche.

Ani Choezom had grown up with Buddhist statues in her family home, but neither of her parents were religious. Her uncle in Malaysia was a devoted follower of the Nyima school of Tibetan Buddhism, and he was the one who introduced her to Buddhism. She would see him every few years and he would talk in general terms about getting rid of the five defilements of jealousy, anger, etc. Although she felt there was a lot of truth to these teachings, she did not pursue any further practise or study when she would come back home to Australia.

When she was nineteen, she went on a pilgrimage to India with her uncle to the Buddha’s holy sites. Bodhagaya, the place of Buddha’s Enlightenment, left a lasting impression on her, but on this trip she played the role of a tourist, rather than a spiritual pilgrim. When she returned home she still didn’t know what the Four Noble Truths were! It didn’t take long for her to get caught up again in the world of university, sports and friends.

It wasn’t until a fateful day in April 2004; while she was living in the Gold Coast and had everything she thought should have made her happy – that she received a big wake up call.

Following this, she returned to Canberra and knowing full well that she wanted to commit her life to Dharma practise, she then went in search of a centre and teacher until she found Rinpoche at Evatt.

“I can honestly say that there has been nothing more wonderful than living life as a monastic and being a student of Lama Choedak Rinpoche. I hope everyone finds joy and peace in the practise of Dharma!”