Sakya Tharpa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre
Sakya Tharpa Ling is a Buddhist centre in the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, located on the outskirts of Sydney. Founded in 1988, it was the first Sakya centre in Australia. Its first resident teacher and spiritual director was Gyalsay Tulku Rinpoche (1952-1993). When, in 1993, Gyalsay Tulku died suddenly, Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe, one of Gyalsay Tulku’s students at Diru Monastery in India, was appointed to become Sakya Tharpa Ling’s new resident teacher.1
When Dhamchoe arrived in Australia in 1994 he faced many challenges; he had little experience of Western culture or of running a Buddhist centre. Alongside a team of committed students, however, he worked tirelessly as Sakya Tharpa Ling’s Abbot for twelve years, transforming it from a fledging organisation struggling to pay its rent to one of the largest Sakya facilities of its kind in the world. During this time, the Centre moved from Rozelle to Strathfield, in 2002.2
In 2006 Dungyud Rinpoche took over the running of Sakya Tharpa Ling and continues to serve as its Spiritual Director. In 2018, the Centre moved to Wallacia.3 Sakya Tharpa Ling offers a regular programme of Buddhist teachings and practices as well as hosting other teachers in the Sakya lineage, including the 43rd Sakya Trinzin, H.H. Gyana Vajra Rinpoche in 2026.4 Khenpo Dhamchoe also an affiliated retreat centre, the Drogmi Retreat Centre, since 2006. In 2009, it started operating independently as the Drogmi Buddhist Institute.5
By: Ruth Fitzpatrick and Anna Halafoff
References:
1 “Home,” Sakya Tharpa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre, accessed August 20, 2026, https://www.sakya.org.au/; Gyalsay Tulku Rinpoche, “One’s mind creates everything,” Pure Vision: A Magazine of Buddhist Living, December 2001, vol. 3, no. 2; “Diru Monastery golden jubilee celebrations, 3rd–25th March 2020, Bir, India,” Sakya Tharpa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre, accessed August 20, 2026, https://www.sakya.org.au/; Drogmi Buddhist Institute, “Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe,” accessed August 20, 2026, https://www.drogmi.org/khenpo-ngawang-dhamchoe.html.
2 “Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe,” Drogmi; “Home,” Sakya Tharpa Ling.
3 “Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe,” Drogmi; “Home,” Sakya Tharpa Ling.
4 “Home,” Sakya Tharpa Ling.
5 “Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe,” Drogmi; “History of Drogmi Buddhist Institute,” Drogmi Buddhist Institute, accessed August 20, 2026, https://www.drogmi.org/history-of-drogmi-buddhist-institute.html.