There are far more people than I could possibly try to see, focus on, or even fit into my peripheral view - they extend so far in every direction, spilling out the doors even as they squeeze ever closer, trying to make it into the frame for our group pic - the crowd immense beyond counting, swaying jovially together in the afternoon sun - as every single of them turns towards me with a bright and joyous smile - their cheers are still echoing in my mind. What an incredible group of people, one can actually feel their joy in the air as we try to organize everyone, to fit them all in, squeezing more and more, as this is quite possibly the largest group of Buddhists ever assembled in the western world.
Seated in the middle is Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje and Lama Ole Nydahl, surrounded by thousands and thousands of our dearest Dharma family, eyes glimmering and faces glowing like nothing I have seen before. The words to describe how this feels escape me - I am just so happy to be here in this place, to capture this special moment in history - seeing this place literally explode with people who have all come to share in the Dharma and to hear the teachings of our great and ever compassionate teacher Karmapa, and to bask in this environment that Lama Ole has created in a lifetime of dedication and hard work. One would think that there would be no way to top what has already happened, each day bringing more and more excitement and splendor to our little secluded corner of Germany here - and yet it continues to astonish me with ever mounting energy. Today was the last day of our great event here - the grand finale - however this doesn’t even begin to describe how big, enormous, monumental, colossus and huge this really is, how much it means to all of us. For the Dharma to continue to grow in the West, this is a record breaking and pace setting moment in history that deserves to be remembered for years to come - and will be. For the Europe Center - hosting and successfully putting on such an incredible event, make that a stupendous event, bigger and better than anything I could have imagined, is such a major moment for them as well - the years of their hard work and experience paying off in droves. To celebrate the completion of all the new buildings, the newly inaugurated Gompa by Karmapa himself, this place is on fire with activity and promise for the future. There is cause to celebrate, on every level this is a huge success, and those who have made it possible have some serious credit to take.
I am deeply humbled by all that has happened and all I have seen here this past week. To put it simply - I have been inspired and impressed well beyond what I could have even hoped to imagine - this place and its Sangha have been unbelievable. The work and dedication, the planning and effort has been well noticed, and for someone coming to the EC for the first time, after hearing a lot of stories about its greatness, I now have some great new stories to tell of my own. To the cooks and the kitchen staff, the garbage guys, the setup and demo teams, the planners and organizers, the volunteers and staff, those amazing folks who make the great coffee that flows freely all day long, and the thousands of those who have come to be here for this - I extend my greatest and most heartfelt thanks and gratitude for everything you have shown me here. Thank you for opening your hearts and home to me, to show me what a group of people can accomplish when they work together, and the sense of welcome and family that I have seen here warms my heart so much it’s hard if not impossible to describe. Thank you for helping me bridge the gap between worlds, for bringing all of my family closer together, for inviting us all into your home and hearts as well. We have grown so strong this past year - this is only the beginning and I can’t stand still from excitement about what the future holds. You have rocked me to my core, there’s nothing else I can say; I am deeply, deeply moved. This summer has been a rollercoaster of amazing events, but I feel that this one takes the cake - for the finale, make that the Great, Great, Grand Finale. Europe Center’s summer course - one experience I have always wanted, dreamed of doing, and now I have these new memories to take home with me. Memories we have created together, memories I will never forget, memories that come from one of the very best moments of my life.
