About
		The Karma Kagyu Lineage
		Our center is part of the Kama Kagyu lineage which is one of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a lineage of direct oral transmission and treasures meditation and view as a means to attain enlightenment. The Karma Kagyu methods originate from the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and were given to his closest students. They were later passed on through the Indian Mahasiddhas, Tilopa, Naropa, Maitripa, and the famous Tibetan yogis Marpa and Milarepa. In the 12th century, Gampopa taught the first Gyalwa Karmapa, whose successive incarnations have kept these teachings powerful and vibrant over centuries. The Karma Kagyu school offers practical teachings applicable to everyday life. It gives a wealth of methods for lay people and yogis to develop mind's inherent richness and clarity both through formal meditation and in one's daily activities.
		Diamond Way Buddhist Centers
		In 1969 Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah met the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, historically the first incarnate lama of Tibet. His Holiness asked them to teach, establish meditation centres and ensure that the teachings would remain alive and attractive to intelligent, critical, lay people in the Western world. Since 1972, Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl have been been working to develop a modern approach to the Buddha's teachings. Our Diamond Way Buddhist Centers are the culmination of that effort. Modern western education, stressing self-reliance and independent thought, has proven to be an excellent basis for realizing one's mind. Through such capable groups the Buddha's most effective teachings are being passed on to the most idealistic and independent people around the world.