Who could have imagined a better start for the new millenium in Europe?

Gyalwa Karmapa - one of the highest Buddhist masters, who is regarded to be a living Buddha, visited the West for the first time - an event which will shape western Buddhism in a lasting way. After an extensive trip through South East Asia, the great "Black Hat Lama" of Tibet came to Germany to greet his many Western students. On January 2nd and 3rd, in Phillips Hall in Düsseldorf, Germany, he conferred upon 6000 of students from over 30 countries the initiations of Amitayus - the Long Life Buddha, and Karma Pakshi - the 2nd Karmapa. The 17-year old walked onto the stage with a powerful elegant ease, clearly denoting his centered confidence. The huge crowd welcomed him with an enthusiastic standing ovation. Karmapa, clearly touched, smiled. It was then, that Lama Ole Nydahl introduced the audience to him, "These are all your students," he said in this historical moment.

Karmapa is the first consciously reborn Lama of Tibet and is the one who performs all Buddha activity. Throughout his seventeen lifetimes, continually to the present, he leaves behind indications as to his next rebirth, usually in written form. These instructions have led each time to the discovery of a child with special qualities, who continued the activity of his former life.

Already 2500 years ago Gyalwa Karmapa stood to the side of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni as "Loving Eyes" (skt: Avalokitesvara). After several important lives as a highly accomplished parctitioner (skt: Yogi) in India, he chose all his later rebirths in the Northern Himalayas in Tibet. Here he became known under the name Karmapa, meaning "Activity of all Buddhas," an indication of his special loving activity for all beings. Karmapa also became famous as the King of Yogis, the greatest meditation master in Buddhism who has led the Karma Kagyu Lineage as the spiritual head since the 12th century.

When Tibet fell victim to the Chinese communist invasion in the middle of the 20th century, the 16th Karmapa, after his escape, managed to secure the continuation of the Karma Kagyu Lineage. With the help of his students, especially Lama Ole Nydahl and Hannah Nydahl, he made sure that the knowledge about the nature of mind could come to the West. In the seventies he traveled several times to the West. He died in the United States in 1981.

The present 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje, was recognized by Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche according to many centuries of Karma Kagyu tradition in a completely spiritual process. In 1994 he was able to leave Tibet and presently lives in India, where he is receiving a traditional Buddhist, as well as, western education. On January 2nd in Dusseldorf, to the great pleasure of the audience, Karmapa addressed his western students in English rather than Tibetan.

Following his welcome speech Gyalwa Karmapa gave the Buddhist refuge as well as the Bodhisattva vow, the promise to become enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings. During the initiation of Amitayus, the Buddha of Limitless Life, he explained each part of the initiation in great detail - the means to accomplish the visualization, the meaning of all symbols used as well as the history of this Tantric practice. The empowerment took over two hours after which the Karmapa blessed each and every one in the audience one by one. This took another seven hours in all and in itself was a feat which impressed everyone present.

Empowerments are a specialty of the Diamond Way Buddhism, in which the teacher introduces one into the powerfield of a Buddha. The benefit of such an empowerment cannot be overestimated; it is the mental seed for liberation and enlightenment in the shortest period of time. The opportunity to receive that from a master like Karmapa is something very rare and precious and one can easily count that to be the most important events in one's life.

On the following day, the Karmapa met with representatives of Buddhist communities from around the world. Later that day, he again gave the Buddhist refuge explaining the meaning of the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, who are the gateway into all Buddhist practice. Karmapa taught that after taking refuge in the Buddha, who is inseparable from the true nature of mind, it is unwise to seek shelter in any worldly gods. Refuge in the Dharma, he explained, involves reducing our disturbing emotions, and when taking refuge in the Sangha one should avoid people who bring obstacles to our path, but instead try to associate with those who inspire us in our practice. Karmapa also encouraged people to pay respect to objects which embody or represent the Three Jewels such as texts, statues and ritual objects. During the empowerment of Karma Pakshi, Thaye Dorje again gave detailed instructions explaining the eleven levels of initiation associated with the empowerment. After several hours of blessing, the 17th Karmapa closed the final day thanking the Sangha for their hard work and saying how proud he was of everyone. He made wishes for the success of everyone in their practices and encouraged them to work hard for the benefit of all sentient beings.

The Karma Kagyu Lineage is the Buddhist school, which emphasizes the most the openness to the teacher and a loving relationship of trust between teacher and student. This path allows the fastest results in meditation and intensive human development. At last, so many practitioners were able to meet the main teacher of the lineage not only in meditation but also in person. The feeling of joy was overwhelming as well as feeling of deep trust and confidence in Karmapa's Buddha activity which has taken lasting roots in the West.

Traditional texts from Tibet say that even one contact to a being like Karmapa plants so many positive imprints in one's mind, which then lead to many lives of greater happiness and less suffering. A prophecy of the Buddha himself, the Samadhi Raja Sutra states, "...an enlightened hero with the lion's voice named Karmapa will appear. The power which he achieved in deep meditation, he will use for the benefit of all sentient beings. By seeing, hearing, touching him or thinking of him they will be led to happiness."

BUDDHISM TODAY, Vol.7, 2000. ©2000 Kamtsang Choling USA