About

Leadership

Guided by wisdom, supported by service, united in purpose.

Compassionate stewards, grounded in Rinpoche’s lineage, guiding Emaho’s community with clarity, wisdom, and heartfelt enthusiasm.

Spritual Directors & Community Guides

Keeping teachings rooted in lineage while guiding weekly practice, retreats, and community study across Arizona and online.

ZaChoeje Rinpoche Tenzin Lobsang Dhamchoe

Spiritual Founder of Emaho

ZaChoeje Rinpoche Tenzin Lobsang Dhamchoe is a Tibetan Buddhist lineage master recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the sixth Hor Choeje Rinpoche. Trained at Drepung Loseling Monastery, in Southern India, he earned the Geshe Lharampa degree in 1996. The Lharampa degree is awarded to the Geshe with the highest academic first place. The title of Geshe in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism is equivalent to a modern-day doctoral degree. After teaching in the US through the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour, he founded Emaho Foundation in 2001. Known for his warmth, clarity, and humor, Rinpoche works to preserve Tibetan culture while offering teachings that unite ancient wisdom with modern life.

A Life of Compassion, Wisdom, and Purpose

ZaChoeje Rinpoche Tenzin Lobsang Dhamchoe was born in 1968 in Southern India and spent his early years on an acre size small family farm lovingly raised by his parents and grandparents. The local village Lama gave him the birth name Choejor Dhondup meaning Accomplished Spiritual Abundance. As a child he delighted in the rich oral traditions of Tibet reading ancient folk tales aloud to village elders. His love of learning and storytelling blossomed into a deep devotion to Tibetan literature and philosophy guiding him to enroll in the Tibetan Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, Varanasi, India in 1982.

Just one year later at the age of sixteen His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama recognized him as the sixth reincarnation of Hor Choeje Rinpoche of the Tehor region in Eastern Tibet. In 1983 he was formally enthroned as the 6th ZaChoeje Rinpoche at Tehor Khamtsen in Sera Monastery. Under the direct guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Yongzin Ling Rinpoche he underwent rigorous training in the classical Tibetan Buddhist disciplines of listening contemplation and meditation building the foundation for another lifetime of teaching and service.

In 1985 Rinpoche entered Drepung Loseling Monastic University in South India where he studied the Five Great Treatises of Buddhist philosophy under the tutelage of eminent masters including Khensur Rinpoche, Yeshe Thupten Shakor Khen, Rinpoche Gen Nyima and Tehor Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Nyima. After years of intensive study he graduated first in his class and earned the prestigious Geshe Lharampa degree the highest academic honor in the Gelug tradition in 1996.

Beyond his monastic scholarship Rinpoche received hundreds of Vajrayana empowerments and initiations from great masters such as Kyabje Lochoe Rinpoche and Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche and received the complete oral transmission of the Kangyur and Tengyur scriptures from Kyabje Pannang Rinpoche. In 1997 he continued his advanced studies in Tantra at Gyumed Tantric College deepening his understanding of the most profound levels of Buddhist practice.

Rinpoche’s journey to the West began in 1998 when he came to the United States leading the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour sponsored by the Richard Gere Foundation and endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During that time he also taught Tibetan culture and philosophy at Emory University in Atlanta and spoke at universities across the country. His clear compassionate and humorous teaching style quickly captured the hearts of students everywhere.

In 1998 Rinpoche founded the Emaho Foundation in Scottsdale Arizona with a group of devoted students and supporters. Emahos mission reflects Rinpoche’s vision to nurture spiritual development while supporting humanitarian and cultural projects worldwide. Known for his warmth and joyful laughter Rinpoche creates an atmosphere where people of all backgrounds feel welcome and inspired. His practical wisdom often shines through simple yet profound advice such as his gentle reminder to stop struggling against the struggle.

Rinpoche wrote The Backdoor to Enlightenment, Glorious Precisious, A Guide to Guru Yoga Practice and Deep Resilience. These books have touched readers around the world and been translated into multiple languages.

In 2006 Rinpoche made a deeply moving return to his homeland in the Tehor region of Eastern Tibet. Thousands gathered to welcome him, four hundred horsemen rode in procession and entire villages celebrated his homecoming with days of joyful song and dance. While his primary work continues to be teaching the Dharma, Rinpoche also dedicates himself to improving the lives of those in Tibet by supporting education healthcare and the rebuilding of monasteries in the region founded by his previous incarnations.

Since I hold the title of ZaChoeje Rinpoche he says it is my responsibility to look after the people of Tehor and to guide them toward a better future. The monasteries of my predecessors are being rebuilt but much remains to be done. Healthcare is scarce, education is limited and many families struggle to send their children to school. My goal is to continue as my lineage has to offer help and hope to preserve Tibetan culture and heritage during these fragile times.

Today ZaChoeje Rinpoche continues to travel widely offering teachings that bridge ancient wisdom and modern life. His presence gentle humorous and wise embodies the living spirit of the Bodhisattva path compassion in action guided by insight and love.

Geshe Namgyal Sangpo

Resident Teacher

Geshe Namgyal Sangpo, Emaho’s Resident Teacher, brings decades of study and practice to our community. A student of ZaChoeje Rinpoche, he entered Drepung Loseling Monastery in 1993 and earned his Geshe degree after 25 years of rigorous training. He later toured internationally with the Mystical Arts of Tibet, sharing Tibetan culture and spiritual arts. At Emaho, he leads and teaches rituals, creates intricate sand mandalas, and offers the vast complex of traditiinal pujas and rituals for the benefit of all beings.

We have been exceedingly fortunate to have Geshe Namgyal Sangpo as our resident teacher at Emaho Foundation. Geshe joins our community allowing us to expand our programs and deepen the spiritual opportunities we offer.

In 1993, Geshe Namgyal entered Drepung Loseling Monastery, one of Tibet’s great monastic universities as a student of ZaChoeje Rinpoche. Over the next 25 years, he devoted himself to the rigorous study of the five major treatises of Buddhist philosophy, as well as Tibetan literature and the history of the Gelugpa tradition. In 2013, he was awarded the Geshe degree, equivalent to a Western Ph.D.—a distinction earned through decades of disciplined study, debate, and meditation.

After completing his studies, Geshe Namgyal joined Richard Gere’s Mystical Arts of Tibet tour, a global initiative endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to promote world peace and healing through Tibet’s sacred performing and visual arts. During his two years on tour across the United States, Mexico, and Korea, he shared the beauty and spiritual depth of Tibetan culture with thousands, before returning to Drepung Loseling Monastery in Southern India.

ZaChoeje Rinpoche’s vision for Emaho Foundation includes offering authentic cultural and spiritual experiences guided by learned and accomplished monks. Rinpoche asked Geshe Namgyal to come to Emaho Center and serve our community as Resident Teacher. Geshe brings a remarkable range of skills—he is adept in performing numerous pujas, he is a master in ritual ceremonies, he creates sand mandalas, is a chant master, spiritual painter.

If you would like a specific puja performed for yourself, a loved one, or for the benefit of all beings, please feel free to speak with Geshe Namgyal. Among the many rituals he performs are the Medicine Buddha, White Tara, Chenrezig, Manjushri, and Du Kar pujas. A complete list and descriptions of these and their benefits can be found on our Resources page.

We are deeply grateful for Geshe Namgyal for joining our Emaho community. We warmly encourage everyone to get to know this extraordinary teacher, whose presence enriches the heart and spirit of Emaho.

Board of Directors

Grounded, Compassionate Governance

Our volunteer board keeps programs fiscally sound and mission-aligned while ensuring that every initiative reflects Rinpoche’s vision of service.

Lou Ann Behringer, LAc, Chair/Director, Executive Board member

Executive Board member

Tashi Delek In 1997, while glancing at our local paper’s comic section, a photo of a young Tibetan lama in a cowboy hat caught my eye. I attended his talk—ZaChoeje Rinpoche’s first in Phoenix—and found a deep feeling of connection. Later Rinpoche asked me to help establish Emaho as a nonprofit Tibetan Buddhist learning center. Though I had no experience with such things, his encouragement—“you can do it”—guided me forward. Today, as chair of Emaho, I help coordinate teachings, programs. I have the privilege of working with Emaho Foundation’s board of directors and volunteers. They are dedicated, no-nonsense, honest, smart, and thoroughly reliable. Under the wisdom of Rinpoche and our resident Geshes, Emaho has become my spiritual home and a sanctuary of friendship, peace, and learning.

Tashi Delek

In 1997 our local Phoenix newspaper featured a Religious section in their Saturday edition, usually right next to the comic section where I was headed when a photo of a young Tibetan Lama wearing robes and a black cowboy hat caught my eye. He was scheduled to give a talk at a small local church. Not but a few weeks earlier I hit a wall in my fledgling dharma self-reading and self-study, realizing I needed a teacher because without guidance I was simply talking myself in circles.

I remember being excited and nervous as I walked into that small chapel. I hoped to find answers on how to begin to study in earnest. Like a breeze ZaChoeje Rinpoche, in his skillful, warm, humorous manner nudged, speaking simple words of wisdom and truth. My weary heart came to rest and that was my beginning. And since then I have wanted to help Rinpoche and the Dharma flourish as best I can.

Rinpoche asked me to help him start Emaho which he wanted to as a non-profit Tibetan Buddhist learning center. Back in 1997 federal non-profit laws, business licenses, immigration, accounting, by-laws, budgets, boards, were outside my experience. Rinpoche said as he often still does, you can do it. Those supportive words from my spiritual master strengthened my resolve. I just try my best.

The Emaho sangha of like-minded brothers and sisters is sanctuary, a place of friendship, peace, and learning under the guidance of our true lineage master.

Geshe Namgyal keeps us spiritually grounded and engaged with relevant dharma support. Always available, cheerful, wise, and competent, he provides our community with an excellent foundation. Emaho is happily my spiritual home.

I chair Emaho, I help make out our teaching schedules and programs, fill out and shuffle papers, and keep an eye on things. Behind the scenes, I work with dedicated and hard-working volunteers. The Emaho Foundation board of directors with whom I have the privilege of serving are dedicated, no-nonsense, honest, smart, and thoroughly reliable.

I am most fortunate to be traveling along this sacred path with you all, my family. Emaho!

Donna Tash CNM, MSN Vice Chair and Secretary Executive Board Member, Videographer

Videographer

Tashi Delek I’m blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren. After graduating as an RN from Penn State in 1974, I earned my Nurse-Midwife degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s in Maternal Child Health from ASU. For over forty years, I devoted my career to improving women’s health and transforming the birthing experience. Drawn to Buddhism since college, I found true guidance when I met ZaChoeje Rinpoche in 2002—his teachings answered a lifelong search for wisdom and peace. Soon after, I became a core volunteer severing as Vice Chair/secretary serving on the Board, joyfully serving as viedographer while archiving Rinpoche’s teaching and helping with our community programs.

I’m blessed with three daughters and four grandchildren. I graduated as an RN from Penn State in 1974, earned my Certified Nurse-Midwife degree from UofA in 1980 and later received a master's degree in Maternal Child Health from ASU in 1993.

Birthing has always been the primary focus of my commitment to women's health. My internship in nursing studies at Penn State brought me to Arizona 50 years ago.

Motivated by great inequities in the birthing process, I chose to become a nurse-midwife and try to change the system from within. In delivering thousands of babies over forty years, my contributions have been a small part of the instrumental changes that evolved.

Even as a young child, I was not comfortable with the traditional religion of my parents. I had a great yearning for another way to understand the world and myself. The Buddhist books I read in college were very intriguing, yet I had questions and nowhere to turn for guidance at that time.

Decades later, I had the good fortune to attend a dharma teaching by ZaChoeje Rinpoche in late 2002. At that time, I was very disturbed by the pending wars and ensuing destruction that developed. Rinpoche’s dharma teachings and his example was an answer to my prayers.

I became a core volunteer at Emaho Foundation and subsequently was accepted as a BOD member. I threw myself wholeheartedly into the opportunities for service.

When our videographer moved in 2005, I volunteered for the video archiving project without knowledge of the craft.

While all aspects of my volunteer work at Emaho Foundation have been valuable learning experiences, the greatest gifts have come from ZaChoeje Rinpoche.

Regula Stewart, PhD, Treasurer, Executive Board member

Treasurer, Executive Board Member

I’ve served on Emaho’s Board of Directors for about 20 years in various roles and currently as treasurer. With an MA and PhD in psychology, I spent my career as a special education teacher and psychotherapist helping people in diverse settings—from residential treatment centers to private practice. Now, I’m deeply grateful to devote my life to supporting Rinpoche, the Geshes, and Emaho, studying the Dharma, and practicing compassion in action. As treasurer, I sincerely thank everyone for their generosity, which keeps our center and teachings flourishing.

Tashi Delek

I have been on Emaho’s BOD for about 20 years and had different functions over the course of this time. I am currently the treasurer. I was a teacher in special ed and later a psychotherapist with a MA and PhD in psychology.

I worked most of my life helping people in this capacity. I worked at a residential treatment center for severely emotionally disturbed kids, at a community mental health center and in private practice. I am happy that now I can devote the rest of my life supporting Rinpoche, the Geshes and Emaho and practicing the Dharma and studying with Rinpoche.

I am grateful to have this opportunity. As the treasurer, who continuously works with Emaho’s finances, I would like to thank for your generosity.

Different than in the East, in the West, Buddhist Centers have more of an overhead and completely depend on the financial support of the sangha. It is inspiring for me to see how many people support our teachers and our center. From my heart, I thank you for it.

Melissa Smith, Board member

Event Coordinator

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, I first met a group of touring Tibetan monks in 2000—an encounter that unexpectedly opened my heart to Buddhism and eventually led me to Emaho. For over twenty years, I’ve been deeply grateful for the guidance of our teachers and the warmth of our sangha. My professional background is in finance, project management, and systems support, including thirty-two years at PNC Bank and now as a self-employed bookkeeper. A former Emaho treasurer (2012–2021), I continue to serve by helping with retreats, registration, fundraising, and the joyful work of sustaining our community.

In 2000, in Pittsburgh where I was born and raised, I met a group of monks who were touring the United States to raise money for Drepung Monastery, which is located in South India. Geographically, Pittsburgh was a central stop for the tours engagements on the East Coast, Chicago, and Kentucky, and I hosted them many times as a result.

At the time, I did not know much about Buddhism, but I had an ansha. I never pictured leaving my hometown. I am always amazed by the number of twists and turns life took to get me here. Twenty years later, I am deeply grateful to have had Emaho programs and community to support my spiritual growth. It has been one of the greatest joys of my life, being together at the center and on Zoom with our precious teachers and lovely sangha brothers and sisters, placing our minds and hearts on the virtues of wisdom and compassion.

As a younger person, I studied ballet. Then in college, I took a more practical turn, getting a degree in business. My career has been in finance, project management, and system support. I worked for PNC Bank for thirty-two years and, for the past seven years, as a self-employed bookkeeper. To support Emaho, I have taken certificate classes in nonprofit accounting and learned QuickBooks and other software. I was Emaho’s Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Currently, I facilitate workshops and retreats by supporting registration and, along with many other volunteers, helping with fundraising, cooking, cleaning, and shopping.