News Archive
Williamson County Sun Article, November 2007
Austin Student Article, November 2005
Austin Student Article September 2005
Lama Ole's New Year's Letter 2004
Click Here: Lama Ole on BBC news: Comments on the Tsunami
Article from McGill Daily, October 2002
Lama Ole Nydahl's New Year's Letter 2004
Munich, December 31, 2004
Dear friends everywhere,
The United Nations called 2004 Annus Horribilis - a frightful year. The dollar shrank and the European economy stood still. The Iraqis managed new records with their bomb attacks. Africa continued on the
path of self-destruction and politicians without courage, maturity or discriminating wisdom invited Turkey into the EU in the vain hope that they would multiply less and one day wish to accept our values.
And then, after Christmas, a Tsunami killed in excess of 150,000 people.And what happened in the Diamond Way?
After five months of book writing and diminishing bodily ailments, the year 2004 started on crutches but dauntless. Much to the consternation of well meaning doctors and friends, we once again travelled around the world. Due to the skill and bodhisattva qualities of several physiotherapists, power increased steadily and it became a healing and most exciting year.The inauguration of the vast gompa in Karma Guen, Velez Malaga, Spain, with our Holinesses Karmapa and Shamarpa, and several initiations were important and it took the West-East relationship to new heights. Their retinue and Rumtek's Lama-dancers were impressive. At the Phowa they saw for the first time how hard we practice. Karmapa later also blessed places we had bought along our route across Europe and expressed his satisfaction with our common work. All enjoyed the 25 year anniversary celebrations in the Hamburg centre and the Mani-mantra collection during our international Kassel week.
The challenge of representing Buddhism at the Olympic Games in Athens the Diamond Way gladly accepted and this was noticed world-wide. Groups as well as centres from the Baltic States, Israel, Australia and the Americas have been organising themselves using the European model. They have translated ever more of the books which are the basis for our healthy growth. Consciously using every possible weekend for short courses has proved a great idea. It may have made up for the lack of close exchange which appeared recently due to the long book-retreats. Also the most wonderful invention of streaming now connects us nearly everywhere. Thus a bond of our teachings and news stretches around the world and countless insights are shared. That was a short flash back. And what do we anticipate? Near Salzburg in the German Alps stands the object of countless dreams and desires, our Europe Center. What stayed unreachable while we relied on the stolid organisation selling former army barracks, happened quickly when we entered the free market economy of supply and demand but at a much higher price. Probably there exists only one
place like this, anyway it is beyond wonderful.
Further exciting goals for 2005 and beyond - In Eurasia: In central Berlin a Buddha-Park is in the making, aremarkable cultural initiative. Our Russian and Ukrainian houses will be improved, with local means wherever possible. Overseas, our New Zealand retreat land near Christchurch will be embellished with a couple of huts. In the USA, we will now buy the Mariposa retreat land in California near the Yosemite national park. It is needed and unbelievably beautiful. In Uruguay, our friends from the region are building their first meditation hut and it will have great view. Further fields of activity will arise or are already developing but let us not forget one thing: all our acquisitions, the spread of our books and centres have only one meaning. They create possibilities and frame our human development. Therefore it is now our task to fill them with the meaning and power of the Diamond Way.
Yours, Tomek, Caty, Hannah and Lama Ole.
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