He was born as the third child of the Tothchukpo House to his mother who is of Gaden Lam family which traces its origin to Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, the priest who brought Drukpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to western Bhutan.

Karma learnt basic Chokey alphabets and prayers from his father, who is a priest and farmer from the Tsakaling Choje family, which claims descent from Bhutan's saint Pema Lingpa and Tarshong Chukpo, house of Ura.

[citation needed] In 1986, he moved to Thimphu and had a short spell at Yangchenphug Higher Secondary School before leaving to become a monk and study Buddhism at Chagri Monastery.

He was also the Spalding Fellow in Comparative Religions at Clare Hall and ran The Historical Study and Documentation of the Pad Gling Traditions in Bhutan project subsequently he spent years creating a digital archive of rare Bhutanese manuscripts.

Beyond his immediate horizon, his work engages all peoples and cultures around the world facing the same challenges, reminding them to look back even as they move forward.