The Riwoche lineage has its roots in the great 12th-century Master, Taklung Tangpa, the founder of the Taklung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The Riwoche lineage also fully integrates the Nyingma teachings descended from the great 9th-century Master, Padmasambhava.

The Riwoche lineage has an 800 year history. The original Riwoche Monastery in the Riwoche region of Kham in eastern Tibet was home to 1,000 monks. Famous for its teaching and practice, its history is filled with many wondrous and miraculous events.

Today, the lineage is represented by His Holiness Phakchok Rinpoche in Nepal, the 7th incarnation of the Phakchok tulkus (reincarnate lamas). The Riwoche lineage is also transmitted in unbroken succession from teacher to disciple through Venerable Khenpo Sonam Rinpoche in Toronto, and through a handful of other lamas throughout the world.


Riwoche Monastery Riwoche monks at their station.

Riwoche Monastery in Tibet, as recently reconstructed.

Throughout its history, in addition to its lineage, events, teachings, and scholarship, Riwoche has been distinguished for its ongoing contributions to Tibetan arts and music.

Below is a portrait of Jnanatapa surrounded by lamas and mahasiddhas painted about 1350 at the Monastery, currently in the Asian Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.



Dharma Centers:
Riwoche Temple and Ven. Sonam Tobgyal Rinpoche: Contact Information: 28 Heintzman St. Toronto ON M6P 2J6 416-766-7964 E-Mail: pema@riwoche.com