Anila Thupten Chonyid (carmen kichikov)
She has been a nun for over two decades.
When I was starving in Gaden Monastery when I first arrived, I wrote several ppl and family to help sponsor me every month just around US$20 a month, I didn’t get a response. But our Guru Kensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche of Rashi Gempil Ling (Howell) asked Anila and she agreed.
For years Anila sent me US$50 to sponsor per month for my study and life as a monk in Gaden. She was my only source of help and she really got me through the lean years. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HER. She gave me help when no one else would. I can never forget her kindness.
She lived right down the street from my childhood home and I loved her company. We spent alot of time together and she use to call me a ‘great kid’…she was one of the best friends I had ever had in Howell. I can’t describe in words how much she affected me in a positive way. She WAS AND IS SO DEVOTED TO OUR GURU KENSUR LOBSANG THARCHIN RINPOCHE and that had a huge powerful impact on me as a good example. I really treasure the times we spent together which was alot.
Our ‘Tsem Rinpoche Bio Research Team’ just had two wonderful interview sessions with her. She was open and helpful.
Beng Kooi text messaged me and said of Anila: “The interview with Anila is so amazing and moving. I cannot describe it in words.”
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for sharing this story. I am so moved by Anila’s kindness.
Much love
Valentina
How nice to have a wonderful Dharma friend like Anila to grow up with, and a friend who helps one in difficult time- even more rare. May there be more Dharma practitioners like Anila who inspires people, and even strangers could feel they are kind & gentle, merely by being in their presence for a short time.
Wonderful! I am really touched to see how fortunate the team to get connected with Anila. Rinpoche with such a wonderful connections since young..really good.
Such a wonderful nun!
You can see the focus and amazement in Paris’s face when they are talking to Anila. How lucky and blessed is the bio group to meet with Anila! You can see Anila’s kindness and gentleness as it shines through on the close up picture. All of us are benefitting from her kindness, belief and support to Rinpoche for her kind sponsorship when Rinpoche was in Gaden. May Anila’s work continue to grown and benefit many beings.
I am happy to hear about Anila Thupten Chonyid and how she has helped Rinpoche at the most crucial time when Rinpoche had no money and no food when he was in the Monastery. At the request of his Guru Kesur Lobsang Tharchin, Anila Thupten Chonyid sent him USD50 per month all through the years that he was without food and money. Then when Rinpoche was alright and knowing how it is like to be hungry. He set up a fund for the Monastery monks at RM40 per months. He raised these funds from his friends and contacts when Rinpoche came to Malaysia. There was a lot of work involved in the process. But due to the kindness of one person showing kindness and compassion to him. He is now benefiting not only the Monastery but anyone who needs help.
From the photos Rinpoche posted, Anila strikes me as a very kind, gentle, sweet and humble nun. I am glad Rinpoche has a friend like Anila during those difficult years and i am so grateful to Anila for helping Rinpoche when Rinpoche was starving in India!
I love the photos of Anila Thupten Chonyid, her face is so serene and peaceful and I can imagine how pure her mind is by just looking at her face.
I am grateful for all the help she has given to Rinpoche while in Ganden as I am one of the many beneficiaries of her kindness.
Thank you, Anila Thupten Chonyid.
From the pictures, Anila Thupten Chonyid looks like a very kind and compassionate person. Her face glows with positive energy and her smile can brighten up a dark gloomy day. That is my experience of her. Thank You Anila, for sponsoring Rinpoche during the lean year and now Rinpoche’s teachings are spreading and benefiting so many in the world.
Dear Rinpoche,
I had the pleasure of sitting in for the interview with Anila. Her kindness and compassion moved me. Her memories about you as a child was moving and what touched me most was that she didn’t even bring up her sending money to you to support you while you were in Gaden Monastry. To me, that was a shining example of what true kindness and humility.
I am aware that over last few days, Anila went out of the way to speak with the other monks, to “jig” their memories to see if they remember stories about you. As soon as she heard, she would immediately called Beng Kooi and we suddenly had another interview. I thought, wow! she really supports Rinpoche and Dharma work.
I am glad she is in your life then and now. She is an inspiration.
I have met Anila twice, and my first impression of her was that she was very peaceful. She had something alluring to her that was captivating but there was also a calming vibe that radiated off her. At one of the interviews I attended, Anila was very sincere and honest. I am utterly humbled to have been able to meet her.
A funny story was that when I first met Rinpoche at KH1, Rinpoche asked what my name was. I told Rinpoche that it was “Carmen”, and Rinpoche immediately said “What a nice name. I have a friend named Carmen Kichikov when I was in U.S. and she used to sponsor me USD 50 a month”. Rinpoche continued the story and basically said that it was thanks to Anila’s kind sponsorship that got Rinpoche through the times in Gaden. I remembered I listened to the story, and was fascinated and touched. I cannot believe I got to meet Anila. I am utterly humbled to have the opportunity to meet her for she has contributed to the causes for Rinpoche to be with us now.
PS. Anila has a very very very cute dog as well!
Thank you, Anila.
Thank you Anila for helping Rinpoche in Ganden and she really ‘gave’ coz people who really give don’t talk about it at all. They don’t need to speak about it coz they gave sincerely.