It is a great pleasure to be able to come to Britain once again at the invitation of the Buddhist community. On my first ever visit to the UK, in 2005, I very much enjoyed meeting fellow Buddhists and sharing time with other senior religious leaders. It was also great to see some of your famous sites, like Big Ben and the London Eye. I hope that through this page friendship can begin on a virtual level and that this may one day lead to benefit for all.
 
I am in Switzerland at the moment where the weather is fine but I hear that it has been raining in England. I hope that this does not affect the cricket as I hope to watch some of England's test match while I am in the UK. Cricket is a great passion of mine and I sometimes play with the monks in my home in Kalimpong, India. I'm actually a great fan of Kevin Pietersen's batting and was pleased to learn of his double century recently against the West Indies. As well as being a great game I feel that cricket can also bring people together through sharing time at a match, in a united spirit, as it has done for example with India and Pakistan. 

Although I do spend much of my day meditating and studying Buddhism I also have a PS3 and like surfing the internet and listening to music.  I feel that the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings, are the most important for me though. One thing that they explain is to not become too attached to that which is temporary and therefore cannot give us lasting happiness. One can enjoy all the world's modern conveniences however while still working towards the central quest for the best personal behaviour and positive aspirations for all sentient beings.
  
As a Buddhist and as the Head of Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is a different school to that of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, my wish is purely for peace and betterment for the world. I am also called the Black Hat Lama, because of a black crown that all the Karmapa's have.  The Black Hat is not only a spiritual crown but also a physical one which was made by the Emperor of China and presented to my 5^th incarnation in the 14^th century.  The crown was also used by my predecessor the 16^th Karmapa in London in a ceremony in 1974. 

I feel very strongly that Britain is a great nation with a long history of tolerance and diversity. This history of British tolerance and diversity gives me great hope for the development of Buddhist ideas and practice. Sharing responsibilities and sharing in each other's happiness is a central theme of Buddhism. I hope my visit can help spread this message across Britain. I am very happy to come to the UK and to be able to meet my students and make new friends in your country. I hope you will become my friend through this page, as being open to friendship is an important step for happiness.