Lama Ole Nydahl established more then 650 Buddhist centers and groups of Diamond Way Karma Kagyu Tradition around the world. They are all spiritually guided by His Holiness 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje. At present there are 6 centers and meditation groups united under the umbrella of Israeli Diamond Way Buddhism association – an officially registered organisation.
People who coordinate center work and take part in it are lay people. They receive secular education and have families and jobs. They integrate Buddhist philosophy and Diamond Way meditations into their everyday life. Being center members they take joint responsibility to guide meditations in the group and transmit the teachings. The centers function on a voluntary ground, based on friendship and idealism.
Main meditation in Diamond Way Buddhist Centers is Guru Yoga of the 16th Karmapa. This practice is held in Hebrew and last for about half an hour, it involves visualization and mantra. The atmosphere in the centers is friendly, everyone is welcome to ask any questions.
Meditations are open for visits, the entrance to the center is free of any charge. Over each year Israeli centers jointly organize lecture and meditation courses. Several big events are led by Lama Ole Nydhal – Phowa meditation course (“conscious dying”), Mahamudra (the Great Seal) and Ngondro (Preliminary Practices). In addition to that some very close students of Lama Ole (lay traveling teachers) regularly give lectures and courses in the centers.
The centers are financed through voluntary monthly donations of their members. The profit after courses and public lectures is then split between for various Buddhist purposes – construction projects, organization of exhibitions, publishing of Buddhist books across the country.