Diamond Way Buddhism Ireland

The Buddhist Centres in Ireland are part of over 600 Diamond Way Buddhist centres of the Karma Kagyu lineage worlwide.

They were established by Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl according to the wishes of H.H. 16th Karmapa and are today under the patronage of H.H. 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje. Our centres are friendly places where people get easy access to Buddha’s timeless wisdom, meditate together, share experiences and actively participate in the centre activities. They are non-monastic and western in style, yet rooted in the lineage of oral transmission going back to the historical Buddha 2500 years ago.

We invite you to take a look at our regular program and come for one of our public meditation evenings without obligation if you are interested.

What Is Buddhism?

Buddhism was founded by the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama, who, at the age of 35, reached a state of lasting, limitless happiness – enlightenment. During 45 years of constant traveling, he encountered different kinds of people and gave general and specific advice for all life’s situations. Buddha’s teachings enable us to experience lasting happiness. To bring us to this state, Buddhism points us to lasting values in this impermanent world, and gives us valuable information about how things really are. Through understanding the law of cause and effect, using practical tools like meditation to gain insight and develop compassion and wisdom, we — all of us — can tap into our potential to realize the ultimate goal of enlightenment. more..

Who Was Buddha?

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni was born around 560 B.C.E. to a royal family in Northern India. From early childhood, he was surrounded by wealth and beauty, and enjoyed a sophisticated education. When he was 29 years old, he left the palace for the first time and encountered an old person, a sick person, and a dead person, experiences he had never known before. He then realized that nothing was permanent and left his palace to meditate in the mountains and forests of Northern India. After a six-year search for lasting meaning, he became a Buddha by recognizing the nature of mind while in deep meditation and reached enlightenment in what is Bodh Gaya in Northern India today. more..

What Is DiamondWay Buddhism?

Diamond Way Buddhism belongs to the thousand-year-old Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Ole Nydahl, a Western Buddhist master born in Denmark, established Diamond Way Buddhism in the 1970’s, together with his wife Hannah Nydahl. Their main teacher the 16th Karmapa asked them to teach what they had learned and to start Buddhist centers in the West. More than 40 years later, there are now 679 Diamond Way Buddhist centers around the world. The meditation methods that you can learn in these centers are all traditional Buddhist teachings, but presented in a modern, Western setting and language, accessible to all. more..

Meditation

In Buddhism, meditation means "effortlessly remaining in what is." This state may be brought about by calming and holding the mind, by working with the body's energy channels and meditating on Buddha forms of light and energy. The most effective method is the constant identification with one's own Buddha nature which is taught in the Diamond Way. By keeping the highest view during and between the times of meditation, the goal of the Great (skt. Mahamudra) is reached. Everything we experience is created in our own mind. This is why it is so important to experience the timeless, indestructible nature of mind. Through meditation, mind’s full potential is realized, which step by step leads to the goal of Buddhist practice: Enlightenment.

In our centers we use several meditation practices, guided in English. The main practice is the Meditation on the 16th Karmapa. It is offered regularly – in some centers daily – and is ideal for new visitors. Of course, everyone can participate without any obligation or costs.

Meditation night for beginners

Our beginners’ evenings make it easy for anyone to learn Buddhist meditation in Ireland. Suited especially for those who are new to Diamond Way Buddhism or to meditation in general, the evenings usually start with a cup of tea in the lounge for those who arrive a little early. An experienced Buddhist practitioner then gives a 15-minute introduction to a fundamental Buddhist topic, such as Buddhism in the West or Meditation. The aim of the talks is always on what can be applied in daily life and what is useful to know in order to support our meditation practice. There is the opportunity to ask questions to clarify what was talked about. Then we meditate together for about 25 minutes. We do the same guided meditation on the 16th Karmapa that is done in Diamond Way centres worldwide. This meditation is easy to learn and practice, but is very profound and has a cumulative effect on the mind, leading to greater clarity, calmness and joyfulness. The meditation is guided, so you just need to follow along.

Centers

Dublin

Where to find us:

2 Corn Exchange Place, Dublin 2

Mobile: +353 85 157 1675 (Michal)

Email: dublin@diamondway-center.org

Our Dublin Buddhist centre is the longest established Diamond Way Buddhist centre in Ireland. Our popular meditation classes have proved highly effective for busy people living or working in Dublin who want to learn to meditate with authentic Buddhist methods.

Find Out More

Killarney

Where to find us:

Please call us for more information about location.

Mobile: +353-85 772 7846 (Judith)
Mobile: +353-87 765 6932 (Barry)

Email: killarney@diamondway-center.org

Our Killarney Buddhist group was established in 2006 and since we have hosted frequent small Buddhist talks, weekly meditations and several big Buddhist events hosting up to 650 people.

Regular program:

Tuesday	8:00pm	Public Meditation
Sunday	10:00am	Public Meditation

Teachers

H.H. 16th Karmapa

The root of the Diamond Way Buddhism transmission

H.H. the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924 -1981) was born in Derge province in Eastern Tibet. The previous Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje (1871-1922) left a letter setting forth the circumstances of his next incarnation. On the basis of this letter the authorities of the Tsurphu monastery were able to successfully locate the child. In 1931 the young incarnate was ordained as a novice monk and offered the Karmapa’s ceremonial robes and the Black Hat. Karmapa studied in Tsurphu monastery for four years, deepening his meditative realization of Sutra, Tantra, Mahamudra, and the “Six Yogas of Naropa”. As a boy he displayed an extraordinary natural insight and often told his teachers about his previous incarnations. more..

H.H. 17th Karmapa

The Karma Kagyu lineage holder

His Holiness 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje is the head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in 1983 in central Tibet, he began telling his parents, the 3rd Mipham Rinpoche and Dechen Wangmo, the daughter of a noble family, that he was the Karmapa almost as soon as he could speak. Traditionally, the Karmapas are said to recognise themselves in each incarnation. Following the tradition of many centuries, the child was tested and formally recognised by the highest lama in the Karma Kagyu after the lineage head himself, the 14th Shamar Rinpoche, and given the name Trinley Thaye Dorje, meaning Limitless Unchanging Buddha Activity. more..

14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche

In the spiritual hierarchy of the Karma Kagyu school, the Shamarpa is second only to the Karmapa. He is the emanation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Limitless Light: a living example of the appearance of Amitabha in our world in the form of a Mahabodhisattva. The Tibetan title of Shamar means “the lama of the ruby-red crown”, named after the replica of the Karmapa’s own crown which he bestowed on the Shamarpa. The successive incarnations of the Shamarpas are also known as the “Red Hat Karmapas”. more..

Lama Ole Nydahl

Lama Ole Nydahl is one of the few Westerners fully qualified as a lama and meditation teacher in the Karma Kagyu Buddhist tradition. In 1969, Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah became the first Western students of H.H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. After completing three years of Buddhist philosophy studies and intensive meditation training – including the transmission for a unique Diamond Way Buddhist practice called Conscious Dying (Tib. Phowa) – Lama Ole Nydahl began teaching Buddhism in Europe at the request of the 16th Karmapa. more..

Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche, a highly respected lama of the Kagyu lineage, is a "Maniwa', a title given to masters of the Chenrezig practice who have accomplished at least a billion Om Mani Peme Hung mantras. Rinpoche was ordained in Rumtek by the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. An exceptionally gifted student, he mastered all aspects of traditional Buddhist study, from the sutras and tantras to rituals and music to the sciences, art and composition. Among his many activities, Rinpoche is a retreat master of the three-year retreat center in Pharping. more..

Jigme Rinpoche

Lama Jigme Rinpoche was born into the family of H.H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, as the brother of Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. He received extensive teachings from the 16th Karmapa, who during his first visit in the West left him there as his representative. Since that time, Jigme Rinpoche has been guiding Karmapa’s seat in Europe, Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in France. Lama Jigme Rinpoche was born into the family of H.H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, as the brother of Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. more..

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the centers organized?

Our Diamond Way Buddhist centers function through unpaid, voluntary work on the basis of friendship and idealism. The members share the responsibility for guiding meditations, answering questions, and giving teachings. Lama Ole has also empowered more than 100 of his students to travel and teach Buddhism. Buddhism is an officially recognized religion in many countries in the West.

What does a typical evening in the Buddhist Center look like?

Most Buddhist centers and groups offer regular meditation evenings for interested people with introductory explanations about what Buddhism is and about meditation practice in Diamond Way Buddhism. Of course, you are very welcome to ask as many questions as you like. The guided meditation takes between 30 and 40 minutes. After the meditation, there is again enough time for questions or simply to meet the people in the center, who have often been meditating for many years. Participating in the meditation evening does not require registration and is free of charge.

Does it cost anything?

Of course you can participate in our meditation evenings free of any obligation or charge to find out if it is the right thing for you. The centers are run on the basis of donations, minor membership fees and voluntary work.

Diamond Way Buddhism Ireland

Meditation

Meditation night for beginners

Centers

Dublin