EC Blog Archive for the ‘Summer Course’ Category

Three days of initiations into long life Buddha aspects, given by Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche, rounded up the 2011 Summer Course. On the first day we received the Buddha Amitayus (Tsepame) empowerment. Tsepame embodies the increasing activity of all Buddhas and increases vital energy and life-span.

The next day Rinpoche gave the empowerment into White Liberatrice (Skt. Tara), a female Buddha in joy-state for long life and will power. And on the very last day Rinpoche gave us the Namgyalma (the The Victorious One) initiation. This set of initiations will enable us to have a meaningful and long life with the wish to benefit all beings…

For the second time our Transmission days took place at the EC starting after the Phowa course. All three days were held by Lama Ole, Caty and Tomek telling us all kinds of stories about how Diamond Way Buddhism has developed in the West since 1991 till 2000.

The conversations were supplemented by photographs and short films shown on two big screens. Lama Ole’s students in the audience commented the stories in order to give a colorful picture of the past. Many people were attending these days and learned about the history of Diamond Way Buddhism in the West.

Although the Transmission Days are over for this year, we are already looking forward to the next programm: a 12hr meditation on Loving Eyes and initiations into long life aspects with Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche.

Just before the start of a wonderful second session of the Transmission Days about the history of Diamond Way Buddhism in the West with Lama Ole, Caty and Tomek, the EC Villa was surrounded by bright orange skys, dramatic clouds – and a beautiful triple rainbow. The Buddhas apparently like our history! ;-)

The Summer course could not place without most of the participants stopping by the job center to pick up a voluntary mini job every once in a while.

Additionally to the summer course teams that have been preparing the running of the course for many months ahead, hundreds of helpers are needed day and night to run a huge event like this. And judging from the pictures, a lot of additional fun (and good karma of course!) also comes with every job – which is probably another reason why the “Job center” is called “moreJoy center” this year!?! ;-)

The variety of jobs to choose from is broad. Just to mention a few: veggie chopping and cooking in the kitchen, running the laundry center, cleaning bathrooms, floors, and pretty much anything else, selling coffee and cake or the Diamond Way “GUiDE” – updated and printed right in time for the course -, informing friends where to find what at the info point – or actually running around the course site in order to remind everyone to take over a little job in between the meditation sessions.

We would like to encourage every participant of the course to share some of their surplus as well, and thank every single one of those helpers for generously giving their time and bringing so much good energy and joy into even the last corner of the tents and to everyone. Without you – this really would not be possible!!!

Never before did so many people attend a course with Lama Ole Nydahl to learn the meditation practice of Conscious Dying as over the past week at the EC. On Sunday morning, Lama Ole and his team checked around 500 heads for the outer signs of a successful phowa meditation.

The Conscious Dying (Tibetan: “Phowa”) is a meditation practice taught by Lama Ole several times a year worldwide in special courses. Through this meditation one becomes able to prepare mind for the moment of death and thereby transfer it to a liberated state.

The Phowa has been passed on from a teacher or Buddhist master to his disciples for many centuries. Lama Ole Nydahl received the transmission of the teachings and meditation practice of Phowa from several Tibetan Lamas and is today the most important teacher of this practice in the Western world.

In his new book “Von Tod und Wiedergeburt” (soon available also in English), he describes the process of dying and explains what happens between death and rebirth. Furthermore, we learn how everyone can achieve a better transition through certain meditations and a higher level of consciousness in the state after death. This knowledge does not only help at the end of one’s lifetime, but reduces the fear of death immediately and enriches the perspective on life in the here and now.

One of many international meetings during the summer course and definitely a very significant one – on Saturday the new board of trustees of the Diamond Way Buddhism Foundation met in the EC Villa.

The goal of the Diamond Way Buddhism Foundation is to make the millennium-old Buddhist wisdom accessible to the people of the modern world. The tradition of the Diamond Way, which is threatened in the East, should be preserved for future generations in the West. In due time, its methods and values should be returned to its countries of origin.

The foundation…
• offers public access to Buddhist teachings and meditations.
• creates publicly-accessible places for meeting, exchange, studies and retreat.
• is asked to support Buddhist-oriented terminal care.
• finances the translation of traditional Buddhist texts into western languages
• supports Buddhist art, Tibetan medicine and culture.
• organizes, attends to and supports international Buddhist networks.
• supports charitable and social services within the context of a non-profit organization.

The foundation works worldwide with our 600 Buddhist centers. Over the next year, the main focus will be on the extension of the Europe Center and the construction of its new buildings. After this, the foundation’s focus of activity is going to shift to other projects all over the world again.
If you would like to know more about the Diamond Way Buddhism Foundation, please visit www.buddhismus-stiftung.de.

Just a quick snapshot from the team area behind the kitchen proving how easy it is to catch buddhists from lots of different countries having fun after lunch together.

Jean Christophe from France, Marek from Warsaw/Poland, Macarena from Buenos Aires/Argentina, Johanna from Graz/Austria, Eckart from Buenos Aires, Helena from Rejkjavik/Iceland – and Copenhagen/Denmark – Axel and Lisa from Argentina, Doris from Innsbruck/Austria and John from Madison, USA.

Spontaneously sharing a laugh, experiences and stories over a meal surely creates new and deepens old friendships across the globe that are going to last much longer than this course!

The 4th International Summer Course at the Europe Center is off to a magnificent start!

Following the first International Center Meeting, Lama Ole has been teaching the meditation practice of conscious dying during the last days in the biggest Phowa course ever – worldwide.

However… there is so much more to come. The new model of the planned Europe Center building now on display in the dining tent is just the beginning. On August 7th, watch the kick-off of the moreEC fundraising campaign – either together with Lama Ole and thousands of friends in the gompa tent or anywhere else in the world via live streaming.

MoreJOY, moreACTION, moreEC!
Watch the space… ;-)