Cho Phuntsok, who recently retired at the age of 83, began to train as a carpenter in Tibet at the age of 15. He later learned the fine art of woodcarving at Tashi Lhunpo in Shigatse. During his career in Tibet he participated in the building of many monasteries and temples and the creation of religious artefacts and decorations inside them. In 1960, he moved to Sha Khumbu in Nepal where he lived and worked until 1979. He helped revive Tibetan woodcarving and trained apprentices in Dharamsala for nearly 15 years prior to his joining Norbulingka Institute in 1994. During his time with us, Cho Phuntsok’s team produced eight grand thrones, from which HH the Dalai Lama and others have subsequently given Buddhist teachings.