Ven. Achok Rinpoche was born in Bomdila, eastern India, in 1976. Up to the age of six he lived under the loving care of his parents. While in the sixth month of his schooling at the Benjamin Nursery School in Kalimpong, he was recognized as the forth reincarnation of the Achok Rinpoche of Lithang, eastern Tibet, by Kyabje Trijhang Rinpoche (1900-1982) the junior tutor of the H.H. Dalai Lama.

Rinpoche was received as his two earlier predecessors, at the Sermey Monastic College, an affiliate of the reconstructed Sera Monastic University, now located in Balakuppe, the southern country side of India. At this monastic college, till the age of ten, the young reincarnation focused on the memorization of basic ritual texts. From his eleventh year, Rinpoche began his formal training in Buddhist philosophical studies (The five treatises of Buddhist philosophy) including dialectics, the Prajnaparamita classics and their commentaries and oral transmission traditions, the Madhyamic philosophy, Abhidharma, Paramana, and Vinaya. All based on the works of Lama Tsong Khapa and his main disciples.

Under the personal guidance of his spiritual master Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche, his studies were enriched with private instruction in related areas of Buddhist practice. In 1998, at the age of 22, Achok Rinpoche sat for the examinations of the Gelugpa Cultural Society, the board that maintains the educational curriculum of the three biggest Gelug Monastic Universities; he obtained Geshe Lharampa degree with the highest honor. Rinpoche is the youngest monk to obtain such a high honor outside of Tibet.

Currently, Ven. Achok Rinpoche lives in the United States.