Between July 9 and 12 His Holiness Karmapa transmitted empowerments and teachings in Harrogate and Manchester. The invitation had been issued by Kagyu Ling, the first Buddhist centre in Manchester, established in 1975 by Karma Thinley Rinpoche and Lama Jampa Thaye, a native of Bolton who is now one of the foremost teachers of Buddhism in the Western world.

On the day of July 10th, His Holiness gave a public teaching in Manchester on the topic “The Way of the Buddha”. After a short general introduction to some of the key ideas of Buddhism, such as the importance of qualities such as loving kindness, compassion and patience, he decided to open the teaching for questions and answers, which proved to be just what the audience wanted: the stream of questions was continuous and covered a wide range of topics, from the workings of karma to quantum physics.

We all want to lead healthy and prosperous lives. The news headlines in the UK and around the world, however, are firmly focused on the activities of banks and bankers and the weakness of our global economy. They paint a picture of wealth and prosperity defined by possessions and materialism alone. How do we lead wealthier lives, in ways that don’t just involve accumulating money?

Sunday, July 1, was the last day of His Holiness Karmapa’s stay in Becske and the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures climbing to almost 40 degrees. Consequently, the heat inside the teaching tent was stifling, but this minor inconvenience in no way dampened the cheerfulness and good spirits of the devotees who had once again assembled to receive the Bodhisattva Vows.

On the morning of June 29, His Holiness Karmapa met with the sanghas from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and – last but not least – Hungary.

The meeting took place in the recently constructed Marpa House, built to provide accommodation for the Hungarian Sangha.