Dearest friends worldwide,
The wishes of so many years have been fulfilled, and so this year the International Summer course will take place on our own land: The Europe Center.
Together with our precious teachers the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche and Lama Ole Nydahl we will spend 12 days together.
We have prepared a website with all the information you will need at www.international-summercourse.org.
It would be very helpful for the organizers if you could register before 30.6. 2008. The registration form will be available next week.
Please follow this webpage for regular updates.
May everyone feel at home and enjoy!
Yours, the EC Summer course Team
January 2008 - Moving time
So much is going on in the EC
at the beginning of the year!
On the second week people have started to slowly move in, so there are 12 people living here right now. Two couples are staying in the second house and two couples as well as some other friends in the main Villa. Gerge and Caty have moved in for at least four months and Nicolas from Sweden has become the main cook of EC for the next three years. [read more... ]
From the EC - Oct 12.-14., 2007
Dear friends!
What an auspicous weekend! These were the days when the previous owners left the house. We didn't know this date before but planned some EC work for this weekend for a long time already. Now we realized that it came together with us being there all on our own for the first time.
Three EC teams did amazing work and progress this weekend [READ MORE...]
Visit of the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa and Lama Ole in the Europe Center
During Gyalwa Karmapas tour in Europe June 2007, he informelly visited the Europe Center for the first time on his way from Worms to Amden on Wednesday, the 6th June. His Holiness liked the place very much and discovered it privately for several hours together with Lama Ole, Caty, Tomek and Ngendo Rinpoche. He saw not only the rooms in all buildings but also the land, the wood and his future house.
In his interview for the upcoming film, Karmapa mentioned that the form of his future house reminded him of the first retreat house of the Karmapas, which the 1st Karmapa, Dusum Kyenpa, built in Tibet.
A nice refreshment and conversation with the former owners, family Herz, and friends of Schwarzenberg and Munich rounded the short visit off. Some friends from the EC team like Philipp, Mirjana, Kai, Marianne, Roman, Jan, were also present. The light rain after leaving the place made clear that everything will grow and the blessing has arrived...
To feel the atmosphere of this historical event, please see some photographs at: http://www.europe-center.org/index.php?id=55
May our activity everywhere bring benefit to countless beings.
EC Team
Letters from Lama Ole
May 8th, 2007
We did it!
What looked like a fond dream a few month ago happened due to our trust, friendship and vision.
The 4.4 million Euros for the direct purchase of our Alpine wonder is now secure and all future contributions will go to the Internet, canalization and all other necessities for living and making our courses in the Europe Center possible. The sooner we can do this the better.
This is the biggest imprint we have made together on the conditioned world and we have every reason to be proud. MANY will benefit.
Always together,
Yours
Tomek, Caty, Hannah and Lama Ole
Feb. 5th, 2007
Friends: it happened!!! We are signing the contract within days. Above some impressions of our 50 hectares international Europe/World Center in the German Alps.
Eight years of looking for the right place just brought the best imaginable result. On this idyllic land we will co-ordinate our Lay Buddhist Diamond Way Karma Kagyü work worldwide. With today's means of communication and transport it will connect us all and we will meet here from everywhere on our own land for our courses. My divinations for the place are only the best and surely it will bring new dimensions to our work and meaning to many people's lives.
Here the economic side. At present we have 1,000,000 Euro of the total sum of 4,400,000 Euro and we have three months to come up with the rest. Except for one very kind lady, I have never asked anybody personally to give money to our work. I hoped this would not be necessary again but in this case I ask you all from the bottom of my heart to contribute what you can towards this common and most noble cause.
May you all be well,
Yours Lama Ole
„This would be a place, where many cultures will cross in a Buddhist setting, where many people will learn from each other, where a lot of fertile minds, a lot of sharp people, a lot of very idealistic people will be able to influence each other, fall in love privately and just really grow as human beings and share with others at the same time." (Lama Ole Nydahl)
We signed the contract!
On Monday, March 26. 2007, at 17h05, the Buddhism Foundation Diamond Way became the owner of the so called Europe Center.
The day began with a meeting on our future ground with friends from South America, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland. Each country came with a filled up car of friends. Caty, Geri, Tomek, Pedro, and Eckhart flew in from Copenhagen and shortly showed the place to all. It was the perfect day: sun, snow, blue skies. Everybody was immediately captured by its beauty. The meeting ended with wishes from Lama Ole over the phone. Directly afterwards, Kai, Pedro and Caty flew to Heidelberg to sign the contract. The others were either invited to have lunch in Schwarzenberg or jumped into their cars to catch up with the others in Heidelberg.
Friends from Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Germany were all present in the room while Caty, together with Jan, Kai and Chris, the managing directors of the Buddhism Foundation, officially signed the buying contract in Heidelberg, Germany. Lama Ole's and Hannah's written authorization was attached to the contract. Unfortunately they couldn't come in person due to Hannah's sickness but here as well they were present over the phone while the signatures were made.
On this beautiful, sunny and warm Monday an auspicious sign ended the signing of the contract: the former owners Mrs. and Mr. Herz and their friend Mr. Götz offered a small, old Buddha statue to Caty, Hannah and Lama Ole, and to the project itself. Everybody was deeply touched about this kind gift.
Directly after signing, the group including the owners visited the Heidelberg Buddhist Center. Many friends were waiting with fireworks, champagne and snacks. Caty told about the presence of Hannah and Lama Ole during the signing process, thanked the whole team involved since so many years and introduced the former owners to everybody. And then they jumped into their cars and left much too fast again to the airport to tell in Copenhagen everything that happened.
Our next steps are to get all legal permissions that will enable us to use the land as intended: our international center of lay Diamond Way Buddhism! We will have to pay the whole amount of 4,4 Million Euro in exactly three months, so lets continue with our collection, efforts and great ideas until May 18th.
Yours, The Europe Center Team
(Please find pictures of the day here!)
Architect's Contest
Thirteen delivered concepts show the most different solutions. Each concept has its own, very special style. As a result of various positions and formations of the new building, together with the previous inventory very different spaces arise. In the comparison of the diversified work the possibilities become visible, how our Europe Center could look like in future. The work is very helpful thereby for the further considerations in the planning process. [13 concepts english/german ...]
Explore our Webpage!
FAQ - Questions and Answers on the Europe Center
As the site of the future Europe Center has been found we now provide some information in an easy to read Question & Answer style. You are welcome to ask more questions and we will provide answers to the most interesting topics.
Please, browse our FAQ section.
Picture Gallery
The picture gallery has exciting photos of the Europe Center buildings, land and people. Enjoy!
Ideas & Feedback
Our friends from more than 525 Diamond Way centers around the world send a lot of ideas, how they want to support the Europe Center, as well as feedback. Please check out the Ideas & Feedback page.
