In Tibetan the word for Enlightenment is "Sang-Gye" ("purified - fully ripened"). It designates a state that is best reached in a fresh and trusted environment and with the right means for body, speech, and mind and good instructions.

For 2500 years Buddha (as the final refuge) and important parts of the 84.000 teachings (as ways of development for various people and cultures) have proven their timeless validity. Also the 254 rules, which decide the behaviour of the Buddhist monks or the 350 vows for Buddhist nuns are still being lived in monasteries. As the Tibetan Buddhism reached the West it primarily appealed to freethinking, executive, and active people. There arose a new type of Buddhism to be practised:

Distinguished by friendship and idealism, so-called lay- and practitioner-centres. Here you live together, or as close as possible, and create a Buddhist offer also for others, without having to give up on work and family. Matured through the rules of democracy and transparency, with education, critical thinking, and access to the internet, lay-people can today get and apply first class Buddhist knowledge, and at the same time show how the teachings apply to Life. To make the introduction of meditation to others possible brings them joy and purpose.

Although Buddha's teachings as sensible reasoning connect heart and brain in the very best way, a humanitarian lifestyle in connection with the collection of no matter how much knowledge is not enough. Live, living examples are necessary. Thereby those who live in the centres or who represent them become extremely important and their behaviour gives beings guidance for their own development. They deliver useful means, example, and the proof that the teachings work. The certainty that conditioned but conscious steps lead to an unconditioned and lasting goal is from a certain stage of development an enormous gift.

If all visitors in our DiamondWay centres were great thinkers and thereby were capable of holding an uninhibited view of events, then all would be easy. They would the see the moods of a single Buddhist or a whole group as a reflection of their inner development on an intrinsically perfect way. However, this seems to be the exception; apparently people come to us with already fixed personal expectations and are also influenced by the way they are received there.

The viewpoint should be absolutely correct, in order to enthuse the best heads in the long run. But there is no doubt that also the emotional environment must be inviting, so that beings can get closer to such a treasure. Therefore only centres which have the extra power to deal with Newcomers - and which on top of the richness of our guided meditations can offer tea, Friendliness, understandable books, our magazine "Buddhism Today" as well as a human approach - can expect that the Newcomers will later bring along their friends. Without this warmth one becomes a cultural and exotic attraction for the similarly self-sufficient, but only makes a very few believe that one's own viewpoint also may become theirs and can be lived joyfully.

Even with the finest thing being offered the human exchange remains important. Only very few however succeed in always giving out good vibrations and showing the necessary flexibility. Even well established groups are vulnerable through personal issues and a certain "burning-out".

Therefore we must guard these most important living mediators of Buddhism: without these idealists, who are doing the practical work in the world, nothing works.

What have we learned from the experiences in this area during the last 28 years' of building our by now 260 centres throughout the world?

First of all that the co-operation is important and that a group should feel like a unit or a family. The understanding that we all develop when one member develops, means that we should be aware of each persons possibilities and wishes and feel happy about it, while the development-chores are being shared. The ability to "march" alongside one another when all is going smoothly and to build a wagon-fort when not, is the sign of a real Centre. To eat communally at last once each day strengthens ties and has proven to be very important. In addition the centre-builders should meditate together often. Even if they are sitting off to one side because they may be practising some other meditations it is very beneficial for them and for the newcomers. Apart from the meditations, which one must make alone, communal sitting brings the greatest accomplishments.

To rewrite some of Churchill's famous words: With foresight blood may be avoided, with the right attitude tears may be avoided, but there is no way for a Bodhisattva to avoid sweat. Hard work [toil] is unavoidable and since it, according to a European saying, takes 40 years to become grown up - or maybe 60, in order to become really human, as the Chinese claim - we cannot expect that it will all just flow along easily.

This goes for both the Centres as well as for their inhabitants and their guests. Enlightened force-fields - already since the first blessing from a Lama - penetrate people as well as rooms, but these - because of the tenacity of karmic impressions and habits - are only experienced little by little.

Although the transference of the line in a DiamondWay group is instantaneous from the start, the full development of its inherent insights and experiences will take a long time.

In Denmark it took 25 years until they had learned to co-operate. Other places are perhaps looking less rebellious and for a time look as if they are in unison, until finally the differences come to the surface. The crucial point with such experiences is that you regard them as steps on the way and just keep on trucking. Only one of our centres has in fact ever decided to disband. That was a "pedagogical ladies' group" in Hamburg, who wanted more time for their children. This happened 20 years ago and our friends soon felt quite empty. As soon as someone else took on the responsibility many of them were back again very thankfully. In fact only very few possess the necessary outer conditions and attitude for steady long-term Centre-work. A certain degree of exchange is also healthy and almost everywhere friends will gladly take over the tasks which others must leave because of family or business. The important thing in this exchange is a feeling of thankfulness for the work that was done, that friendships are kept and that those who used to carry the responsibility are kept on the running and getting the important news still. By using the Centre and helping out whenever possible the "Old-timers" contribute with life-wisdom and means for the community, while they on their side take part in the transparent and rejuvenating freshness of a conscious Way of Life for the benefit of others.

The richness of our communities makes many good things possible. Among other things ensuing from our surplus is a growing openness towards a very satisfying lifestyle from Eastern Tibet. I see this as very beneficial for human liberty and development. The viewpoint connected with this keeps the Great Seal for the desire-types and the Great Completion for those with more Anger (see also "The Great Seal" verse 19) and puts every deed and experience in relation to Enlightenment. By understanding occurrences as the karma of beings and also viewing their behaviour as an expression of their maturity Life becomes an open book. Thus all experiences become steps on the way and also one's station in life is utilised better. Friends get each other jobs and take care of each other's children while one is meditating or they find places to which one can retreat. Little by little then, there will arise like in the old-traditional societies real "Buddhist-Brotherhood" in which people know with what they can contribute, what is needed exactly where or how to arrange it. It is in our hands to face the inner challenges while giving each other good roles to play.

The viewpoint of the both-and can only be transmitted when it is understandable to a reason-seeking world. In an easy non-dogmatic way it should be taught that one creates heaven and hell through thoughts, words, and actions and one's own viewpoint. Laying much importance on the freedom of mind and the independence of beings, we give the world an exceptional gift. It combines the highest viewpoint of the Buddha nature inherent in all and the apparent world as a Pure Land with the critical knowledge of the conditioned developments of the world.

Matured through meditations, which bring forth super-personal states of mind and glowing with the joy of sharing such luck, are the true jewels of our centres.

From: "Buddhismus heute", Nr. 30, 11. Year (May 2000)

Translation: Lodrö Sangpo