H. E “Choeje” Ayang Rinpoche is a reincarnate lama (a tulku) and a lineage holder in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
In March 2003 and again in February 2005 I travelled to Southern India to spend time with HE Ayang Rinpoche at his Bylakuppe monastery. I did this in order to document some of his charitable projects and to co-write a ‘How to’ booklet about fundraising. More recently, I began pulling together material for a website and developing some pamphlets outlining his work.
Bylakuppe is in the State of Karnataka, Southern India. It is an area of cleared jungle that was leased to Tibetan refugees by the Indian Government back in 1960. Bylakuppe is considered a restricted area and one must obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP) from the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi to remain there over night. There are instructions and a downloadable PAP form here.
Ayang Rinpoche’s monastery is small in comparison to most other monasteries in the area. It is situated on a high-point and is surrounded by rich farmland and distant hills.
Outside of the entrance gate are some large white Stupas that catch the early morning rays of the sun as it rises over the sacred Beta Pur Mountain. You can sit there, watching the day break and listening to monks walking around the Stupas chanting morning prayers — it’s quite wonderful.
There are approximately 120,000 Tibetan refugees worldwide with some 80,000 currently living in India and Nepal. Bylakuppe is the largest of these communities with about 40,000 people in five settlements containing monasteries, kindergarten to higher level secondary schools, health care clinics, a hospital and a traditional Tibetan medical facility.
Bylakuppe is a growing centre which places continuous demands on infrastructure, schools, day-care centres, roads and medical facilities. It supports various light industrial businesses, handicraft centres and an established farming community. The principal source of income for the Bylakuppe settlement is farming — predominantly maize, millet and rice.
Interested in phowa teaching/practice around Yuma, Arizona or California — Or India.
What a lovely website! I loved the “happy family” shots of Rinpoche, his brother and young monks – any more??? Also enjoy John’s candid comments on being a non-Buddhist around the lamas.
Ven Konchok Tsultrim Sangmo could have a look at Rinpoche’s website ayangrinpoche.org as he’s teaching Phowa in India from this Dec 29 to Jan 8, and possibly in the United States. And he plans to teach in Australia next year.