The Straight Hook 001: Lama Choga

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Straight Hook: Spiritual Alchemy in Dialogue. I am honored to have Lama Choga join me to talk about his own journey and his recent efforts to convey an uncompromising articulation of the View and Method that has inspired and carried him. Lama Choga is a Western Monk of the Tibetan Karma Kagyu tradition. He was born in Canada and is affiliated with Samye Ling monastery in Scotland and Thrangu monastery in Nepal. Initially a Yoga teacher of the Yoga for Health (UK) and BKS Iyengar (India) schools of Yoga, he studied the 8 limbs of Yoga, including a cursory study of the Yoga sutras and Samkhya philosophy. Inspired by the rich methodology of Tibetan Buddhist meditation he took refuge with Lama Yeshe Losal of Samye Ling in 2004 and in 2010 following the instructions of his teacher Choje Akong Rinpoche he took robes for the first time, and entered the traditional 4 year Vajrayana retreat at Samye Dechen Shing on the Island of Arran, Scotland. Upon completion of the long retreat Lama Choga travelled to India in 2014 to seek full mendicant vows from Tai Situ Rinpoche and was ordained as Gelong Kunzang Rangdrol. From there Lama Choga travelled to Nepal and in January 2015 entered Thrangu Sekhar retreat in Nepal. He remained there for the next 8 years studying meditation and the principle topics of the Buddha Dharma as presented in the Tibetan Tradition under the guidance of Drupon Khen Rinpoche (Karma Lhabu). In 2023 he returned to Canada to look after his elderly parents, and is currently establishing a meditation retreat in the Northern Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Lama Choga regularly posts videos about Buddhism and the spiritual path on his YouTube channel / @ultimatemeaning The Theory of Samsara, and teaches both online and in person. More information Ian Duncan, Li XingHui can be found at: www.completreality.org x.com/ian_r_duncan instagram.com/ian_r_duncan facebook.com/ianrduncan facebook.com/completerealitydao