In February 1999, ten of the sangha members from the Diamond Way Buddhist Center Zurich left behind a very snowy Europe and traveled to Kalimpong, India to celebrate Lhosar - the Tibetan New Year. There, they witnessed a meeting of Lama Ole, Hannah, Caty, and Tomek with THAYE DORJE, the 17th Karmapa, they visited Rumtek (the main seat of the 16th Karmapa), and received an initiation into the Buddha of Limitless Life from Thaye Dorje. The following is an edited report of some of their impressions they wished to share with us.

During the few days we spent in Kalimpong, we met Karmapa on several occasions and had the opportunity to ask him questions and speak with him about personal matters. We were deeply impressed by the warm and spontaneous way he connected with us. He was always fresh, open, and natural. Physically, at 16 years old, he is of a strong stature and rumor has it that he does push-ups daily and runs up the nearby mountain at least one day a week. He continues his studies, which include several of the main languages of the world. Besides English, which he already speaks fluently, he is currently studying German, and will later add one Roman and one Slavic language.

The meeting of Thaye Dorje with Ole, Hannah, Caty, and Tomek was the first in about a year. It was a very touching reunion for everyone present. Ole gave Karmapa a binder with representations of all of the Diamond Way Centers and Karmapa thanked Hannah and Ole for all of their work. Ole emphasized that it was Karmapa's power and wishes that had brought it all into being. He reported on how the centers are working and growing, and reiterated the need to be 'grass-roots,' nonhierarchical and transparent, thus avoiding sectarianism. He spoke of our anticipation of the time when Karmapa will come to our centers to teach and how huge the gatherings will be when he does. He also stated that we will continue to practice Guru Yoga on the 16th Karmapa until the 17th gives his own. The Karmapa was very attentive to all that Ole and Hannah shared. Ole told him that everyone was very grateful that he did not spare any effort to come into contact with so many people and bless them. Karmapa simply replied that that is his job.

More casual topics were also discussed, such as when Karmapa mentioned he had seen a video of Ole sky diving with some of his students. "It was as though I jumped myself!" he said. Ole was fast to promise that Karmapa would get to jump when he visits Europe and Karmapa happily accepted. There was also the inevitable reminiscing by Ole of some of the times they had shared during the 16th Karmapa's life. He spoke about the way Karmapa's laugh would echo through several rooms and about their fast car rides in France.

On our brief visit to Rumtek, a day after Lhosar, we inevitably ran smack into the results of our lineage's split over the Karmapa. Some of us had been there on a wonderful visit in 1992 with Ole. This time, the monastery appeared more like a museum or a film set. Almost the whole village is fenced in and guarded, the atmosphere is depressed and the monks seem indifferent. The stupa, which contains the relics of the 16th Karmapa, could only be looked at from a distance through a glass wall, so we couldn't even walk around it. Photos were prohibited and we were only allowed a few minutes in the stupa room. Lama Tsultrim Namgyal's home, however, was warm and welcoming. (He was the 16th Karmapa's personal servant and is currently the 17th's). He explained that about half the population in Rumtek is aligned with Shamarpa and Karmapa Thaye Dorje, and the other half with Tai Situpa. The situation had improved insofar that the opposing parties simply avoid each other, where they had openly opposed each other before. Still, since 1992 it has not been possible for Shamarpa's followers to visit the monastery. A little way below the monastery lies Shamarpa's home, a small three-storied house, which houses approximately 150 of the 16th Karmapa's loyal monks. Most of them came to the Buddha of Limitless Life initiation the next day in Kalimpong where there were many surprise reunions between Lama Ole and his old friends.

On February 19th, about 800 people attended the Amitayus initiation including about 150 Westerners. While the previous year the initiation had taken place in Karmapa's reception room, 1,500 people are expected next year.

Before the initiation, rows of hundreds of monks and lay people passed by Karmapa offering kataks. He was sitting on a throne at the entrance of the house wearing the black hat (the black crown is still locked away, guarded by independent guards at Rumtek monastery).

Then, one of Karmapa's main teachers gave a speech which was translated by Hannah. He spoke on the relationship between teacher and student within the Three Vehicles, emphasizing how important it is to check out what a teacher says rather than follow blindly, and the role of devotion based on deep trust.

Karmapa performed the initiation dressed in beautiful clothes and wearing the Gampopa hat. After hours of receiving hundreds of kataks before the initiation, he gave hours of blessings to the crowd of 800 people, remaining in his natural equanimity even in the 30 degree Celsius heat. It was clear to us that he is here to help beings.

BUDDHISM TODAY, Vol.6, 1999. Copyright ©1999 Kamtsang Choling USA.