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Diamond Way Teachings and Centres is the UK charity to which the London Diamond Way Buddhist Centre belongs. The charity gives a framework to support individual groups and centres. Each of the Diamond Way Buddhist centres and groups in the UK is independently run by the local members, inviting teachers from the UK and abroad to give talks, and organising its own finances and activities. The running costs of UK Diamond Way centres are met by donations. Each Diamond Way Buddhist centre hosts regular meditations on the 16th Karmapa, and has books on meditation and the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism available. For more information, see www.buddhism.org.uk
Diamond Way Buddhism is the international lay Buddhist organisation founded by Lama Ole Nydahl. Over time, the number of Diamond Way Buddhist centres has grown to over 600, from Venezuela to Vladivostok. Diamond Way Buddhism is specifically for lay people, who may have commitments in society like jobs and families, do not wish to live as monks and nuns, and want to help others as well as they can, and need powerful, authentic methods to enable them to do so. Diamond Way Buddhism belongs to the Karma Kagyu lineage, a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism around 900 years old. Many of the meditation practices used in Diamond Way Buddhism have been in continuous use for centuries, and are specifically for people with confidence in their own potential to quickly realise their enlightened qualities. For more information, see www.diamondway-buddhism.org.
Our centre is under the spiritual guidance of Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. The Karmapas were the first reincarnated teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, and have led the Karma Kagyu lineage life after life since the 12th century. The current head of the lineage is Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. Karmapa has spiritual responsibility for close to a thousand Karma Kagyu Buddhist centres around the world. Karmapa is a world spiritual leader, who travels regularly to Europe, Russia, and other countries to teach and to meet the public. Currently, Karmapa resides in New Delhi, India, in the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute, an institute of higher education started by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa and completed by his lineage holder, His Holiness the 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. For more information on Karmapa, see www.karmapa.org
Shamar Rinpoche is the second-highest lama in the Karma Kagyu lineage after the Karmapa. The 16th Karmapa had recognised the 14th reincarnation of Shamar Rinpoche, Mipham Chokyi Lodro, who in turn recognised the 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje, after the 16th Karmapa passed away. Shortly before his passing in 2014, Shamar Rinpoche visited London and gave transmissions for our meditation practices. He is missed by all those fortunate enough to have met him and his reincarnation is eagerly anticipated. For more information on Shamarpa, see shamarpa.org.
Lama Jigme Rinpoche is the representative of the 17th Karmapa in Europe. He was asked by the 16th Karmapa to fulfil this function in the late 70s, and has been doing so ever since. Lama Jigme Rinpoche, or Jigmela as he is affectionately known by his students, has an engaging style of teaching.
“Through meditation, we can bring mind back to the ‘here and now’. Stability of mind will enhance a deeper awareness of mind itself. Stability, clarity, and lucidity are original qualities of the mind.”
For more information about Lama Jigme Rinpoche, see www.jigmela.org
Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche is a Buddhist master from Nepal, where he tends to several monasteries. Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche is perhaps best known for organising large public recitations of the mani mantra, Om Mani Peme Hung, the mantra of to Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. For more information about Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche, see www.sherabgyaltsen.com
Lama Ole Nydahl is the founder of Diamond Way Buddhism. Lama Ole is Danish and a fully authorised lama in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, being recognised as such by Shamar Rinpoche and Karmapa, the highest teachers of the lineage. Lama Ole Nydahl is the author of several Buddhist books, including “The Way Things Are”, an introduction to Buddhism. To learn more about Lama Ole Nydahl, see www.lama-ole-nydahl.org
The Europe Centre is a Diamond Way Buddhist centre in the Bavarian Alps. It has the function of facilitating Buddhist practitioners from around the world to meet and exchange ideas and experience. The Europe Centre also hosts the International Summer Course, to which every year high lamas come to give empowerments and teachings to thousands of students. To learn more about the Europe Centre, see europe-center.org