Rinpoche was born in Nepal. He discovered a love for Tibetan literature and spent many hours relating ancient stories to his friends and family: the Tibetan tales provided entertainment. He was hoping to one day become a teacher. It happened one day that his father and some elders handed him a letter from His Holiness the Dalai Lama saying, "Choejor Dhondup, I am going to recognize you as the sixth reincarnation of the great ZaChoeje Rinpoche." In that instant, his life changed dramatically.

His predecessor, the fifth ZaChoeje Rinpoche, had died in a Chinese prison after the Communist takeover of Tibet. Like him, Rinpoche furthered his studies at Drepung Loseling Monastery and received the Geshe Lharampa degree, equal to a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhism.

After leading the Mystical Arts of Tibet cultural tour in America in 1998, he traveled to Phoenix with a group of monks, where he found himself personally drawn to the desert. He decided to settle there and began teaching. On September 10, 2001, he, together with Dharma friends and students, founded Emaho Foundation.