The Phen Dhe Ling Buddhist Centre was initially founded as Tibetan Ancient Ritual Arts (TARA) in 1999 by Venerable Thupten Lodey, a senior Gyuto monk, with the support and help of spiritual friends with the good intention of benefitting all sentient beings. The Centre has Gelugpa lineage to the GyutoTantric Monastic University of Tibet and in 2006 His Holiness the Dalai Lama bestowed the name Phen Dhe Ling on the centre which means volunteers, everyone is welcome and it is open to all people

Teachers

Thupten Lodey was born in Phari Tibet In 1957. At 2 years old he left Tibet with his parents and traveled through Bhutan reaching Kalimpong in India. In 1962 they moved to Dalhousie and Thupten Lodey attended the Tibetan Central-school in Dalhousie. In 1967 he took the novice ordination from his precious Guru, Kabje Ling Rinpoche while he was still attending school. Then in 1969 entered into the Gyuto monastery. In 1977 he took full ordination from his Three kindness precious Guru His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. In 1979 he completed the final exam in the Gyuto Tantric Monastery and received the Gyugchenpa degree and continued with his studies on Buddhist philosophy. In 1984 he was elected as Dean of the Gyuto Monastery for 3 years. Then in 1985, he traveled to the United States for a Gyuto harmonic chanting tour with a group of other monks. In 1990 he traveled to Europe. In 1992 he became the discipliner of the Gyuto Monastery. In 1993 he was again elected as Dean, then in March 1994 he traveled to Australia to tour with a group of monks, and in the same year, they created the first Tibetan sand mandala in the Southern Hemisphere in Perth. In 1995 he went to Adelaide to stay in Gyuto House for a year. During that time he went to study the English language. In 1998 Carol Davies and Claire Atkins invited Venerable Thupten Lodey to come to Western Australia. Then in 1999, he founded the Tibetan Ancient Ritual Arts Centre, the Centre later changed its name to, Phendheling Tibetan Buddhist Center as His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessed the new name. Since then he has been Teaching at Phendheling Centre.