The Spiritual Director of Khacholing Center is the Venerable Gankar Tulku. Rinpoche

Gankar Tulku Lobsang Kunchok Tenzin was born in North India, and was recognized as the 3rd incarnation of Gankar Tulku of Dzindu monastery (Dzindu-gon), Eastern Tibet. Kyabje Yongdzin Trijang Dorjee Chang, junior tutor of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama took personal interest in finding Rinpoche as a child, so that he could receive his education and training in the Gelugpa monastic tradition.

In 1969 at the age of 5, Rinpoche was ordained as a novice monk by Kyabje Rinpoche. He was entrusted to the great Buddhist master Tara Tulku Rinpoche, and the renowned teacher Khenzur Yeshi Thupten. At the age of 10 he entered Tsulkhang Khamtsen, Drepung Loseling Monastery, in South India.

After traditional training and apprenticeship at Drepung Loseling, he was fully ordained as a monk in 1985. In 1996 he received the Geshe Lharampa degree, which is similar to a Doctor of Divinity degree, with recognition as first in his class. He has traveled extensively to the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, and India, in response to requests for his teachings, spiritual guidance and performance of rituals. He has served in various positions of responsibility at Gyuto Monastery in India and as abbot of Gyuto Wheel of Dharma Monastery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Rinpoche has been appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as LamaUmzey (Assistant Abbot) at Gyuto Monastery in India.  Gyuto is one of two tantric colleges in the Gelugpa tradition, and past abbots of these two monasteries join a line of succession for the Ganden Throne, heading the Gelugpa tradition.  Upon completions of his duties as Lama Umzey and then as abbot, Rinpoche will also join this line of succession.

The previous incarnation of Gankar Tulku Rinpoche was abbot of Dzindu Monastery, in the Charshay region of Eastern Tibet. After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, the Dzindu monks who fled to exile in India were absorbed into Khamtsens, or Houses within the three main monasteries of the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Drepung, Sera and Gaden. In his present incarnation, Gankar Rinpoche continues to look after the needs of the Dzindu monks in these Khamtsens.