His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa Visits the Diamondway Europe Center, Germany
More than 3,000 practitioners from 51 countries gathered at the 16thInternational Summer Course to receive teachings and empowerments from H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje. For the first time the course took place in Southern Germany, at the recently established Europe Centre.
The program started in the afternoon of August 21 with an opening ceremony where Lama Ole Nydahl as well as representatives of each nationality cordially welcomed H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinlay Thaye Dorje to the Europe Centre. A string quartet performed a few masterpieces of classical music for all the guests. The ceremony was followed by a common meditation on the 16th Karmapa. Parts of the ceremony as well asthe meditation were broadcasted live by a Bavarian TV broadcaster BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk).
Next morning H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje gave teachings on the essence of Buddhism and answered questions of his students. At the end everyone expressed great thankfulness for the opportunity to receive direct advice on practice and daily life situations given by the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje.
On August 23 H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje gave a Chenrezig empowerment and on August 24 his disciples received an Opame empowerment.
On the last day of the program, August 25, the students of H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje took the Boddhisattva promise.
During these days in the Europe Centre, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje gave several interviews to German newspapers. H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje also gave an interview to ORF, an Austrian TV broadcaster.
The entire program with H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje, except for the empowerments, was streamed live on the Internet. Hundreds of practitioners from more than 80 countries, who could not come to the Europe Centre for the Summer Course, had a precious opportunity to receive the teachings online.
Report: Julia Vorotnikova
Photos: Thule G. Jug
