The goal of the centre is to give the people who are interested in their personal development a chance to meet the Diamond Way Buddhism. The centre has two meditation and lecture halls (see the programme of the centre), social area, library and a shop. It is a part of a worldwide network of Diamond Way Buddhist centres of the Karma Kagyu lineage that are based on friendship and idealism. The centres are independent and apolitical, they are developed by their members. We take part in the activities connected with Buddhism in our free time, we don’t become monks or nuns nor give up work nor family.
Buddhism in Prague
Buddhism has been present in Prague for more than 20 years. The current centre was opened in 2014.
Inauguration of the meditation hall
Lama Sherab Gyaltsen rinpoche and lama Ole Nydahl are inaugurating the new meditation hall (tib. gompa) in the presence of hundreds of friends from all over the world. We wish that thousands of beings may reach enlightenment at this very place.
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The new centre is opened to the public
The centre at Na Maninách street is now opened to everyone interested in the Buddhist methods. Everybody can get basic information how to work with the mind. Public meditations take place every day at 20.00, public lectures are held every second monday.
Building up the centre at Maniny
Lama Ole Nydahl is visiting the place where the new Buddhist centre is being constructed. A meditation and lecture hall for 250 people (with windows opened to the street) as well as a social area, library and a storage for the publishing house White Umbrella is being built.
We are buying a former factory
We are moving out from a rented place, buying a former factory in Na Maninách street in Holešovice and starting the reconstruction. The new Buddhist centre is going to be the biggest one in the Czech republic with the total area of 2000m2. People living in Prague will soon get an opportunity to meet Buddhism at a representative place.
Moving to Žižkov
We are moving to the last rented place in Vlkova street at Žižkov. We all know that it happened for the last time – the whole activity of the centre is focused towards buying our own place that would give people in Prague an opportunity to meet the Buddha’s teaching. The interest in Buddhism grows.
King of the Tibetan Buddhism
The king of the Tibetan Buddhism arrives in Prague for the second time as the Czech media report. 2600 people come to the T-Mobile arena to receive an empowerment on the 2nd Karmapa. Karmapa was a host of the mayor of Prague at the Town Hall at the Old Town’s Square and he also gave an interview to the Týden magazine.
The foundation of the religious association
The ministry of culture registers the Diamond Way Buddhism as the first Buddhist religious association in the country. We are glad that we have gone through the thorough checking process of the ministry, because our work now has the needed official frame.
Sherab Gyaltsen rinpoche
Lama Sherab Gyaltsen rinpoche comes to Prague for the first time. Rinpoche will later build the first Buddhist stupa in Těnovice near Pilsen. This time he gives the empowerment on the Diamond Mind in union and teachings on cause and effect.
The 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje
The 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje visits Prague for the first time during his tour through Europe. 2000 people come to Průmyslový palác at Výstaviště to meet the head of the Karma Kagyu school.
The kindergarten in Hradešínská
For the first time we are thinking about getting our own place for meditation. However, the result of the search is again a rented place. It is a former kindergarten that we will reconstruct ourselves. We get a a long term rental contract in exchange and a low rent. A public lecture takes place every Monday, we are welcoming new people.
The beginnings in Michalská street
The meditation centre moves to Michalská street in 1997. We stay at the house “Iron gate“ until 2000. Lama Ole visits Prague regularly and other teachers from Poland and other countries are invited as well.
Diamond Way Association
Shortly after the first meditation centre appeared, Diamond Way Association is founded. It will cover the activities of all Czech centers including the Prague centre in the next 12 years.
The meditation centre in Prague
The first public lecture after the fall of the iron curtain by lama Ole Nydahl took place already in 1990 based on the invitation of Saša Neumann. However, the first meditation centre was founded four years later after a lecture in the municipal library. The first meditation texts and books are translated into Czech shortly afterwards.
Lama Ole Nydahl in Prague for the first time
Lama Ole Nydahl visited Prague for the first time in the seventies. Being closely watched by the secret police, he taught in a private flat in Franz Kafka’s house of birth near the Old Town’s Square. There he met Saša Neumann, the future advisor of the prezident Václav Havel.