Ngawang Chosang was born in the village of Gerdha in Utsang province. His family was a tenant of the Lhatse Chodhe Monastery and, as a form of tax, they sent Ngawang Chosang to the monastery to become a monk when he was 7 years old. His father was Chipon, the keeper of the horses of the monastery. At the monastery Ngawang Chosang learned the Tibetan language and basic Buddhist scriptures. When he reached 13 years of age, he started studying Buddhist philosophical debates, which became the main focus of his education. At the age of 28, he went to Lhasa and enrolled in Sera Monastery. After the Chinese invasion, he witnessed the arrest and public beatings of many monks. Ngawang Chosang returned to his village after Lhasa was attacked in 1959. Ngawang Chosang made his escape to India in 1962 with three other monks. Initially, Ngawang Chosang worked on road construction and later settled in Bylakuppe where he joined 300 other monks who labored to build Sera Monastery in Bylakuppe. Transcript of entire interview