Sa Ngag Cho Zom Tharig Dupchen, cousin and master of the 1st Tharig Rinpoche, built the original Sa Ngag Cho Zom monastery in 1757 in the region of upper Rapshe, eastern Tibet. It is said that one day master and disciple decided to build a monastery for the sake of all the living beings and for the benefit of the dharma. Being uncertain about what could be the best place for building their monastery, they decided to prepare a cake and placed it on the ground. They then sat and waited. Suddenly a bird came and took the cake away. The first Tharig Rinpoche and his master followed the bird and when they saw it coming to the ground again, laying down the cake without eating it, they understood that was the sign telling them where to build their monastery.

For centuries the Sa Ngag Cho Zom Gonpa remained a central point in the life of the surrounding Tibetan communities and served as residence for all the reincarnations of Tharig Rinpoche. But in 1940, when the 6th Tharig Rinpoche was 18 years old, due to a conflict exploded between the Chinese army and the Rapshe armed forces, the monastery was destroyed. By the time the reconstruction of the monastery was finished, the conflict between the Communist China and Tibet had already started. Few years after Tharig Rinpoche had left for Lasha, the Communist army reached the Sa Ngag Cho Zom Gonpa and destroyed it.

It was only in 1983 that Tharig Rinpoche, at his first return in Tibet, could start the works for the second reconstruction of the monastery. At that time the direction of the monastery was given to the previous Tse Tsam Rinpoche.

In each one of his other visits in Tibet Tharig Rinpoche financed the expansion and modernization of the Sa Ngag Cho Zom Gonpa.