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On the 14th of June, 2007, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje visited Vienna, Austria for the second time on his European tour. This time, His Holiness was invited to join Lama Ole Nydahl for the scheduled program at his Diamond Way Buddhist Center. His Holiness would have time this visit to see some more of the culture that Vienna has to offer.

In the morning His Holiness was invited to have an audience with The Chief Rabbi of Vienna, Paul Chaim Eisenberg. A cheerful man with a passion for his profession, Rabbi Eisenberg shared both the religious and historical aspects of the Jewish faith, particularly in Vienna. His Holiness Karmapa Thaye Dorje, in turn, shared some features of the Buddhist faith and offered Rabbi Eisenberg a “Double Dorje”, which is symbolic of the indestructible nature of enlightened mind. The Rabbi had a strong view on religious freedom, believing that people of different faiths should meet each other with mutual respect for one another’s views and experiences. It was with this respect that he treated His Holiness Karmapa. After the meeting with Rabbi Eisenberg, Karmapa Thaye Dorje met with Peter Riedi to interview for a Buddhist Magazine.

In the afternoon, His Holiness and a small group were entertained privately by the Vienna Boys’ Choir. The Vienna Boys' Choir (Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boys based in Vienna, Austria, who have worked with musicians including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri, Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Anton Bruckner. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world and is a long standing Viennese tradition.

One the eve of His Holiness’ visit to Vienna, Karmapa Thaye Dorje gave the Empowerment of both Amitabha (Buddha of limitless light) and Amitayus (Buddha of limitless life). During the Empowerment His Holiness gave advice on practice. He urged people to read the life stories of the great sages of Buddhism, such as Milarepa or the Buddha himself, to draw inspiration and guidance on how to generate aspiration bodhicitta. “You see, we have the same potential as these great bodhisattvas. We need to put all of our effort into practice or else we will not accomplish anything. So, do your best with your own capacity. Give whatever you can give without having a second thought.”

Report: Derek Hanger
Photos: Thule G. Jug

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