theanarchist wrote:Malcolm wrote:
The fact remains that the Karma Kagyu school suffered a blow to their reputation because of the controversy. You cannot blame one side more than the other, unless you are a partisan.
I guess not so much by the fact that two parties have two candidates, but how this was dealt with.
Anyway, with Nydahl, does anyone know if he was like what people witnessed and reported about him "from the beginning" or did his behaviour significantly change during the time where he was not "under the thumb" of the 16th Karmapa anymore due to his early death.
It seems that noone from the Thaye Dorje fraction is very eager to put a leash on him because he has the largest and richest crowd of Thaye Dorje devotees. With big religious (buddhist and non buddhist) organisations it seems to be exactly like with those large banks. Too big to fail.
I don't what you mean about him being like that "from the beginning". He has always being openly outspoken against Islam and he has always been a person to speak his mind even if his opinion is unpopular.
Personally, I do not like this tendency on Dharma Wheel where there seems to be a free for all in terms of slandering Ole Nydahl. It seems to be bad etiquette on here to slander someones teacher, but it does not seem to apply to Lama Ole Nydahl.
I first attended a talk by him in 2007. I was put off by his style. However in 2011 I wanted to learn Phowa and the only course I could find was the one offered by Ole in the europe center in the most southern germany. I joined despite my resistance to the lama giving the teaching. Through that practice I got inner and outer signs of succes. And all the 4000 people who were at the course got at least the outer sign. The sky was full of Rainbows after the course. I also got the strongest direct experience of the nature of the mind that had in my life and also so far, despite being incredibly closed-minded and non-devoted. The people I met down there where generally very happy, free spirited and compassionate. Some people also asked him openly about Trungpa and Tai Situ, and he did not speak about them disrespectfully whatsoever.
I hitched a ride back to Denmark with a couple from Ukraine where were married down there and devoted students of Lama Ole. They are were some of the nicest, most compassionate and wisest people that I have met. Since then I have met many people from Diamondway buddhism who from their manner and presence, demonstrate signs of succes of Dharma practice.
Since then, although I have only attended a few talks by him, he has said many things that have later turned out to be true. Fx, I attended a talk by him in Copenhagen when our present goverment here in Denmark had just been elected. Someone asked him about our new goverment and he said quite clearly that it would a complete mess and utter failure. I did not feel this was fair as it was too soon to make such a judgement about it. However I can clearly say now a some years later that in my opinion and in the opinion of the vast majority of the Danish people, he was completely right. I have since then, even from from my limited interaction with him experienced quite a lot of things that would suggests to me that he is a very accomplished meditation master.
Some people seem to think that he is some run away teacher. It is completely untrue. He and Hannah were in very close touch with the 16th Karmapa through tons of letters(where they asked him about everything) and where close by his side whenever he travelled to the West.
Ole and Hannah were taught and empowered by the highest kagyu lamas and yogins of that time which includes the 16th Karmapa, Kalu Rinpoche, Sharmapa, Lopøn Tsetju Rinpotje and Tai Situ. He was ordered by the Karmapa to establish Karma Kagyu centers in the West and he has done that incredibly succesfully. I have no doubt that many individuals have achieved liberation through this acitvity and many will in the future. Especially the 75.000 people whom he has transmitted phowa to.
By backing the Sharmapa in the 17th karmapa dispute, he has not broken with Karma Kagyu tradition. He has kept it.
It's okay that you disagree with him and don't like his style, but frankly he has been more succesfull in bringing the vajrayana to the West than all the efforts of all the people on this board put together. He has transmitted mahamudra to many many thousands of people and tons of people having experienced great happiness and meaning through that.
It's okay not to want to follow him in any way, but I do not feel the slander is in order.