Charlotte took refuge  with Pema Wangyal Rinpoche at Vajradhara Gonpa in 1993 and attended her first teachings with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche the same year. She started studying and practising under various teachers from that time and completed her first ngondro accumulations. In 1998, after completing her studies at the National Art School in Canberra, she moved to Nepal to study thangka painting at the Tsering Art School. Charlotte  became administrator for the art school for the next six years while continuing her art studies, working closely alongside the school principal and painting master, the late Konchog Lhadrepa (1955-2025). 

 

Charlotte was amongst the participants who completed the first three-year retreat in Australia under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s guidance (2005-2008). She then served as administrator for the first year of the second three-year retreat. Since then, Charlotte has held various roles within the sangha, including being a member of the Siddhartha’s Intent Australia Committee for approximately nine years (until 2021), helping to set up and host online practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and facilitating both online and in-person practices. Charlotte also continued working in various roles at Shechen Monastery from 2012-2014, helping establish the Shechen Enews, prayer request service and the Shechen Eco Group and she and Konchog-la co-authored a book on Tibetan art called The Art of Awakening that was published by Shechen and Shambhala Publications in 2016.

 

Charlotte has been a Ngondro Gar instructor since 2025, and alongside her passion for the ngondro practice, has an interest in deepening her understanding of ritual and shrine master practice.

 

Charlotte currently lives in Sydney, Australia and tries to visit Nepal each year.