The arrival of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa on the 8th of June, 2007 would be a prophetic sign of the days to come. Immediately after reaching the London Heathrow airport and receiving a joyous welcome at the exit gate, it was off to the Hotel for a private interview with Michael Binyon, a prominent UK journalist, to discuss many topics that would later find their way into The Times of London.

On the 6th of July His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje arrived in Nice, France. That evening, His Holiness gave the Chenrezig Empowerment to a large audience in the palatial conference hall of Hotel Novotel in Cannes.

Amidst 1’007’972 people in the largest city of Switzerland lies an oasis of tranquility in a world of consumer chaos. Zurich is Switzerland’s commercial mecca but on the 7th of June, 2007 it was the capital of Dharma activity of the Karma Kamtsang variety.

On the evening of May 24th His Holiness begins to prepare for what will be a ten hours excursion into the nature of mind in the form of Mahakala and Mahakali. Outside the crowd begins to swell. The smell of incense and flowers fill the air. The dichotomy of tranquility and fervent anticipation is a feeling that is strangely familiar and yet so fresh changing and unchanging.

Amidst the Wiener Schnitzel, Sachertorte and architectural relics of days gone by is a Karma Kagyu Dharma Community with its roots planted by His Holiness the late 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje’s first turnings of the Wheel of Dharma in the Western world.