# Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

_Buddhist lama from Khumbu, Nepal_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/thubten-zopa-rinpoche
Last updated: 2026-10-26

> Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was a Tibetan Buddhist lama in the Gelug school. He is known for founding the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition and Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 3 December 1946 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Thame ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P19))
- **Died:** 13 April 2023 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P27))
- **Occupation:** Buddhist monk; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P106))
- **Official website:** fpmt.org/teachers/zopa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529#P856))

## Questions

**When was Thubten Zopa Rinpoche born?**  
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche was born on 3 December 1946 in Thame.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Thubten Zopa Rinpoche](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thubten_Zopa_Rinpoche) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1320529](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320529) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche December 2008 Kopan monastery Nepal.jpg by Aikido (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kyabje_Lama_Thubten_Zopa_Rinpoche_December_2008_Kopan_monastery_Nepal.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche December 2008 Kopan monastery Nepal.jpg — Aikido, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Thubten Zopa Rinpoche". DigiNepal. Last updated 26 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/thubten-zopa-rinpoche. Retrieved 9 November 2026.