Being a lama is interesting enough, but Ala is all the more unique after he was picked out by the Dalai Lama as a 15-year-old boy, believing that he had the spirit of his old friend Gargey Tulku residing in him.

Buddhists believe Gargey Tulku is in his fifth reincarnation and was killed in a previous life trying to escape Nepal, where he was born into a poor family, across the Indian border.

Twenty-seven years after he was reunited with the Dalai Lama, Ala Tulku (Tulku means lama reincarnate) teaches and studies at a Buddhist monastery near Bangalore, India.

But the lama has been living in relative anonymity in Tuncurry for the last two months teaching meditation at a centre for which he is the namesake – The Gargey Tulku Tibetan Buddhist Dharma and Meditation Centre.

The centre was established by Jule and Adrian Wood, three years ago along with Lobsang Jenpa, a former Buddhist monk who is now a permanent resident of Australia.

While studying with Lobsang in India Jule met Ala and continued to keep in touch. Years later when Jule and Lobsang were trying to come up with names for the Dharma Centre, Ala offered up his own.

With one month left in the country Ala said he has enjoyed teaching meditation to the people of Forster and Tuncurry.

“Peace is very important,” he said.

“I like Australia very much. There is a lot of peace here.”

Mrs Wood said having such a significant figure in Tuncurry was a major coup.

“It’s a huge blessing for the whole area – he’s like royalty in Tibetan culture.”

The opening of the Gargey Tulku Tibetan Buddhist Dharma and Meditation Centre will be held this Saturday from 9am to 4pm at 22 Tulloch Rd Tuncurry. All are welcome.

There will be handmade Tibetan handicrafts and a raffle with all proceeds going to the Dharma and Meditation Centre to educate children in Tibet and sponsor Tibetan refugees. The centre currently sponsors 100 Tibetans, from monks and nuns to children and families.