Ling Khangtsen
Ling Khangtsen was established in the 15th century to house monks from the Derge Lingtsang area of Tibet during their studies at Drepung Loseling Monastic University in Lhasa, Tibet.
There were about 500 monks living at Ling Khangtsen when the communist army invaded Tibet in 1959.
Sadly, Ling Khangtsen was destroyed, along with much of Drepung Loseling, during this invasion.
In 1970, a small group of Ling Khangtsen monks resettled in South India when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama reestablished Drepung Loseling Monastic University.
Today, there are more than 90 monks living and studying in Ling Khangtsen.
Of these, many are new arrivals from Tibet who fled during the last several years.
Relationship with the Ling Rinpoche Lineage
Ling Khangtsen is best known for its relationship with the Ling Rinpoche lineage, with the previous Kyabje Ling Rinpoche being the Senior Tutor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
He fled with His Holiness from Tibet to India.
His Holiness frequently refers to Kyabje Ling Rinpoche as "my root Guru."
Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was a great scholar and teacher.
He also was the [97 Gaden Tripa]].
The Gaden Tripa is the spiritual head of the Gelugpa tradition, the largest sect in Tibetan Buddhism.
Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was the Gaden Tripa for about 14 years.
He served at the request of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people for the longest period that anyone sat on the Gaden throne.
Kyabje Ling Rinpoche passed away in 1984.
Prior to Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, three earlier incarnations of Ling Rinpoche were tutors for previous Dalai Lamas, including the 13th, the 12th and the 6th Dalai Lamas. Three incarnations of Ling Rinpoche were also Gaden Tripas.
Over many years, the Ling Rinpoche incarnations founded many monasteries in Tibet and taught students in every Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Many of the monks in Ling Khangtsen come from these monasteries.
Today, the current incarnation of Ling Rinpoche is His Eminence Ling Choktrul Rinpoche, the spiritual head and leader of Ling Khangtsen.
He was born in India in 1985 and completed his studies at Drepung Loseling Monastic University in 2014. Ling Khangtsen Today
Ling Khangtsen is located at the far end of the grounds of Drepung Loselling Monastery, Mundgod which is about an hour's drive from Hubli City in Karnataka state, South India.
Ling Khangtsen today has 6 reincarnated lamas and around 90 monks, mostly new arrivals from Tibet.
As past living conditions were extremely crowded, with three or more monks in each room in the early days, many monks of Ling Khangtsen moved to other monasteries because there were not enough rooms to accommodate them.
On top of that, the khangtsen's prayer hall or "gompa" which is the most important part of the khangtsen because all the monks gather in the prayer hall for daily prayers, regular teachings and for special ceremonies, could only accomodate 20 monks.
This meant that over half of Ling Khangtsen’s monks had to remain outside the gompa during those activities.
Arising from these stressed conditions, the khangtsen monks planned to construct more monk rooms, toilets and a proper kitchen.
Over a span of almost 10 years, through the help of kindly benefactors and the effort of the monks in conducting sacred art tours,
funds raised were sufficient for the construction of a new gompa and six years later, the ground floor of a new block of monk quarters of 25 rooms was completed.
Future plans are to construct the second floor of rooms above the newly completed rooms, as well as tar the debating courtyard and the side road from the khangtsen to the main monastery.
Presently, during the rainy season from July to Sept, the mud road is impassable not only to light vehicles but even walking on that path is difficult due to the entire side road being turned into a giant muddy stretch!
