A landmark of love and devotion now gone forever.
The question of what comes next—what do we do now?—surely rages in all our minds like salt in a wound.
It is painful.
It is uncertain.
And so, arriving at Europe Center for the first time without Lama Ole, I felt uneasy. Would we be greeted by dark clouds hanging over the place, the loss of that unmistakable Diamond Way joy and magic?
It was the complete opposite.
I have never seen Europe Center so joyful. So free. It made my heart skip a beat.
I had nothing to fear.
The spirit of Lama Ole is baked into this place—into the hearts of everyone here—so deeply that I felt his presence as though he were standing beside me. That familiar grin beginning to appear, those piercing blue eyes, ready with one of his famous head bumps, shocking me awake and back to clarity.
Then his voice, rising above the joyful noise:
*"Highest joy is highest level of functioning!"*
I think I will miss that most of all. There will never be another like him.
Thankfully, we have all of you. You carry his spirit, his energy, his relentless devotion to practice, and to helping one another.
For that I am eternally grateful. I couldn't shoulder this by myself.
And because of you, each time I return, I never have to worry that Lama Ole's enduring magic will ever leave this place.
Lama Ole Nydahl Europe Center
