Also known as Lama Ole (Tibetan name - Karma Lodi Zhamtso), transmitting the teachings of the Karma Kagyu school in a form adapted for the Western world - "learned people complicate simple things, and yogis simplify complex things." He founded more than 550 Diamond Way Buddhist Centers. all over the world. Karma Kagyu is a sub-school of Kagyu - one of the four largest Vajrayana schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the Diamond Way centers are also recognized as belonging to the Kagyu school as a certain part of Lam Karma Kagyu. Since the early 1970s, Ole Nydahl has traveled giving lectures, courses and founding "Diamond Way Buddhist centers". He has more than 10,000 students, including more than 2,000 in Russia.
Ole Nydahl grew up in Denmark. From 1960 to 1969 he studied at the University of Copenhagen, and several semesters in Tübingen and Munich in Germany. Main subjects: philosophy, English and German.
Ole Nydahl took an active part in the spiritual quest of hippies - including with the help of drugs, having problems with health and law. A continuation of my spiritual search was a trip to the Himalayas.
In 1961 he met his future wife Hannah. After their wedding in 1968, they went on a honeymoon to Nepal, where they met their first Buddhist teacher, Lopen Tsechu Rinpoche, a Lama of the Drukpa Kagyu school. On their next trip they meet and become the first Western disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, head of the Karma Kagyu school.
Ole and Hanna Nydahl became close disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa. At the same time, they met other Kagyu teachers such as Kalu Rinpoche, Kunzig Shamarpa, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche and others. Both also became disciples of Lopen Tsechu Rinpoche and Kunzig Shamarpa.
Ole and Hanna Nydahl received traditional Buddhist education under the guidance of Kalu Rinpoche. As close disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa, they also received many teachings, empowerments and transmissions informally.
According to the assessments of Küzig Shamar Rinpoche and Khenpo Chödrag, speaking on behalf of the Gyalwa Karmapa Buddhist institutions, and Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje himself, Ole Nydahl is recognized as a teacher of Diamond Way (Vajrayana) Buddhism within one of the parts of the Karma Kagyu school.
Diamond Road Centers
According to many accounts, the Sixteenth Karmapa instructed him to establish Karma Kagyu centers in the west. You can learn more about this from the letter of Khenpo Chödrag.
Since 1973, Ole Nydahl has been traveling giving lectures. Soon the first meditation center was formed in Copenhagen, which was subsequently visited by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. In 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1980, the Sixteenth Karmapa visited centers in Europe and the USA. In January 2000, the Seventeenth Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje made his first trip to the European centers founded by Lama Ole Nydahl.
The centers founded by Ole Nydahl are called the Diamond Way Centers of the Karma Kagyu school. The Diamond Way is a variant translation from Sanskrit of the term Vajrayana.
Since the 1970s, Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah have founded more than 600 Buddhist meditation groups in Central and Western Europe, Asia, America, Australia and South Africa. Ole Nydahl prefers not to give lectures or open Diamond Way meditation centers in countries where the population is predominantly Muslim. In his opinion, he would not be able to effectively protect his students in these countries in the event of oppression - even in those countries of the Middle East and North Africa where there is no oppression and other Buddhist centers coexist with Islam. Thus, despite the existence of Buddhist centers in the "Islamic world", Ole Nydahl argues that opening centers there would be an irresponsible step on his part. The exception is the traditionally Muslim republics of the Russian Federation (for example, Bashkortostan) and the former USSR (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), where there are groups that have received the blessing of Lama Ole Nydahl.
There are 73 centers and meditation groups in Russia, opened with the blessing of Lama Ole Nydahl.
Teaching activities
Ole Nydahl continuously travels to various
countries, teaching his students, as well as people interested in Buddhism. The purpose of Ole Nydahl's courses on various topics such as Mahamudra (Great Seal) is to promote a deeper understanding of Diamond Way Buddhism.
Since 1978, Ole Nydahl has written several books about Buddhism, some of them autobiographical. Some of his books have been published in Russian. For people starting to practice, Ole Nydahl does not recommend reading texts on the topic of Vajrayana from other Vajrayana schools. He explains this by saying that it is better to understand one thing well than to get confused about many things. Different schools use such terms in different meanings, which sometimes escapes the attention of beginning Buddhists.
Ole Nydahl's disciples are, without exception, lay people who live primarily in Western culture. Monastic Buddhist education with the adoption of a vow of celibacy, according to Ole Nydahl, is not suitable for the way of life in Western society.
Ole Nydahl supports Trinley Thaye Dorje on the issue of recognition of the Seventeenth Karmapa.
Karma Kagyu in Russia today
Most of the Karma Kagyu communities now found in Russia and other CIS countries were founded by Lama Ole Nydahl. His status is that of a teacher of the Karma Kagyu tradition, who received the right to this from the head of the school of the Sixteenth Karmapa, who passed away in 1981. The first of the Karma Kagyu communities in Russia appeared in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in 1989.
The current European and Russian Karma Kagyu centers, as well as other Buddhist centers Sakya and Nyingma, also existing in Russia (with the exception of the traditional Gelug school for Russia), are very different in style from the school that arose in the 11th-12th centuries. in Tibet. But this is natural, because any religious organization, no matter where and when it arises, once in a different cultural space, will adapt to it, otherwise it will be doomed to disappear. European and Russian Karma Kagyu centers are focused on small groups of secular followers of this branch of Buddhism, engaging in the practice of Buddhist meditation, mastering Buddhist theory as needed, not associated with either entering monasticism (hermitage) or abandoning their civic responsibilities. This is a natural and calm form of seeking religious truth within Buddhism.
Confusion about the practice of Buddhism by a lay person and the disparagement of this type against monasticism (hermitage) have a stereotypical basis that supposedly only one who is a monk is a Buddhist. In the history of Buddhism, there is also a place for secular Buddhism, for example, thanks to it, Buddhism was able not to disappear due to the Islamization of India. Lay Buddhism from the practical point of view has no contradictions with the teaching, which claims that there are many types of mind and, accordingly, many approaches to working with this mind, one of which is worldly Buddhism. Some people think that in order to become a Buddhist, you need to become a monk or go into hermitage, which is a big misconception, since you can work with the mind without the monk’s dress, sitting at home, and not in a cave, meditating. This is one of the indicators of a logical approach to everything in Buddhism, because you can be a doctor without a robe, this requires knowledge and experience, the same thing in Karma Kagyu - you need knowledge and experience. This is where the apparent freedom of lay Buddhism ends, because a layman, just like a monk, must carry out the practice given to him by the teacher, otherwise he will not achieve the goal - recognizing the nature of the mind. In Karma Kagyu, a special place is allocated for the teacher - he is the main figure, thanks to his experience
Practitioners can quickly follow the path of development using the quality of mind - identification. You also need to remember that the entire Buddhist pantheon has nothing in common with the pantheon of saints in other religions, since in Buddhism the main driving force of development is the mind of the individual who has taken the path of Buddhism, who practices (develops) or does not practice (does not develop). This conclusion is directly related to the law of cause and effect (one of the key concepts in Buddhism). If we talk about “Saints”, then you need to understand that they indicate the enlightened qualities of your mind and help with their blessings not because of their divine grace, but because of their enlightened attitude, which by definition makes you want to help all beings as equals.
Disagreements
Ole Nydahl is one of the supporters of Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje on the issue of identifying the Seventeenth Karmapa. According to the position of Ole Nydahl and the second most important lama in the Karma Kagyu school - Künzig Shamara Rinpoche - the Dalai Lama is not authorized to recognize (and has never previously participated in recognizing) the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th Dalai Lama confirmed the recognition of Urgyen Trinley Dorje as Karmapa at the request of Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Criticism
Oliver Freiberger, a research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, points out that there is an "ongoing controversy" regarding Ole Nydahl. Freiberger reports that the German Buddhist Union's magazine, Lotusblätter, states that Nydahl's statements and activities offend some German Buddhists, who believe his behavior is unbecoming of a Buddhist teacher. “Nydahl has been accused not only of being opinionated and militaristic, but also of being a right-winger, racist, sexist and hostile to foreigners. His unusual activities (such as bungee jumping, parachuting, riding high-speed motorcycles) also irritate Buddhists who are not his disciples - regardless of whether they belong to the Karma Kagyu school." Ole Nydahl evokes the same attitude among a number of Russian Buddhists who are not his disciples.
Martin Baumann, a professor at the University of Bern (Switzerland), noted in an interview in 2005 that critics accuse Ole Nydahl of teaching "Buddhism-lite" or "instant Buddhism" and that he agrees with this when he hears some of Nydahl's "suspiciously superficial phrases" .
In Buddhism, it is forbidden to kill living beings, but Ole Nydahl allows abortions prescribed for medical reasons to preserve the life of the mother or associated with defects in the development of the fetus. When asked about the dangers of abortion, he answers the following: “There are many families who would like to have children, but cannot have them. If the child is clearly handicapped, ask the doctor what he thinks. But if the child is clearly healthy, then don’t kill him, give him to someone who clearly wants a child.”
Ole Nydahl's position on Islam
Ole Nydahl's position towards Islam and Muslims sometimes causes surprise to the audience and criticism; he makes politically incorrect statements, which were also regarded by critics as racist and xenophobic.
In one published interview, he stated: “I have two concerns for the world: overpopulation and Islam. These two things can destroy a world that could otherwise be a beautiful place.” He explains that "men who suppress women are likely to become suppressed women in their next life."
Ole Nydahl as Llama
Important things to know about llamas:
Ole Nydahl as a lama and as a spiritual invalid - the whole truth about the neo-Buddhist sect of the UNSC
I received a question from “practicing” Buddhists from UNKPON traditions (Karma Kagyu according to Ole Nydahl or Kamtsang Kagyu).
“...In your first video posted on Youtube about our teacher and Lama Ole Nydahl, you spoke negatively about his activities (as a person), and at the same time positively about his broad activities as a popularizer Diamond Way Buddhism. I ask you, dear, (what do you call yourself there?), to clarify the situation regarding your opinion, I wonder what you think and why exactly do you think so or why do you have such a point of view about Olya and his personality?
Thanks in advance for your answer!
Sincerely…"
Well, first of all, I want to say that criticism of teachers is not at all rewarding, and especially of an entire tradition. And I have to do this, because everyone else is stupidly used to living, going with the flow or being an insensitive and indifferent log. I’ll tell you right away that I’m not one of those people who floats from above and blindly rushes into the fire or doesn’t know the ford into the water.
In general, one can and should criticize in the Kagyu tradition, but probably students should not criticize their teacher. In general, such a topic is prohibited in Lamaism or Vajrayana. But I’m not a Geluk person or a follower of the Karma Kagyu sect (apparently it’s sad for them), I can do everything, yes, but within the limits of decency and social norms.
And provided that you are ready to accept the whole truth about Ole Nydahl, then read on, if not, then look at other articles in English and German about this charlatan and his sect, or leave this site, please! This is your personal choice.
Now first, should I start with a bad review or a good one?..
Well, I think first we’ll start with the bad sides of Ole Nydahl, then we’ll discuss the good ones. Only facts and no fake, the whole truth about"lame".
Ole Nydahl as a spiritual invalid - a blunderer or just a loser
Well, are you ready for the truth? Then go ahead. First— Ole Nydahl teaches phove, while phove is taught to old people, cancer patients and hopelessly ill people before they have to die quickly for a better birth. Next in Tantra 6 Yogas of Naropa, this is generally a final practice or accompanying one after the illusory body and the implementation of tummo. Where does Ole Nydahl have this?
Second. Ole Nydahl teaches what is fashionable, what is in trend, how can a lama teach such things? Menstrim turns out, but what about the tradition, line of succession, values of lamas, founding gurus, teachings and all that other and very important stuff, forgotten, thrown into the trash?
Third. How can a person who has not been on a 3-year retreat and not completed a full course of training, and most importantly a former drug addict, teach someone tantra or at least mahamudra? Not clear. Unless he can teach how to take drugs or how to drink wisely, but not become an alcoholic.
Fourth. How did the newly-crowned 17th Karmapa appear in the Ole Nydahl sect? Out of thin air, the “Tibetan system” worked put it in and get it". Thanks to the note in the talisman? Come on!
It’s understandable, the 14th Dalai Lama is a loser and a traitor, bought at great expense for Chinese lavender, in short Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso- just a Chinese communist and their Karmapa is a fake. Yeah!
Why wasn’t the note presented to the world and graphologists and experts checked it? It doesn’t grow together somehow!
Fifth. It is important to know that Ole Nydahl teaches people with non-traditional sexual orientation. So kind, yeah - compassionate gay guru , but what about the general Buddhist concepts (5 non-men and tantric rules seem to have nothing to do with it) and the concepts of the Kagyu tradition, as if they have nothing to do with it?! The original is straight! A pioneer, I think he’s just not from Kagyu at all, since he doesn’t follow the values Marpa Kagyu.
Sixth. The nonsense, constant nonsense, nonsense and nonsense that Ole Nydahl speaks at his lectures can only be listened to if at the same time he tells jokes (at least he looks like a clown or a comedian), otherwise this confusion turns into wasted time and money. Dharma seems to come free of charge and from an educated teacher. So where is all this?
Seventh. To begin with, it would be worthwhile for Ole Nydahl and his students to study the 4 Immeasurables and other basic teachings, and not talk nonsense every time about meditation and Tantras. For a person who hasn’t really studied and doesn’t know anything, look very shameful! Shame on Ole - shame on you!
Eighth. Why and for what reason to send traveling the world, with lectures on meditation and Tantra, teachers* (quarrel, but they are no longer teachers, they are already so-so, incomprehensible friends, the fact is that the situation has changed and now there are no teachers in Karma Kagye Ole) on trips if these teachers do not even distinguish sattipathana from shine or lhatong from lojong , and they don’t even know what bodhichitta is? I ask and I don’t understand...
Ninth. Promoting that vegetarians are stupid or imbeciles is what? Have you even read the sutras, my friend, I would like to ask and do you know about the lives of Buddha, Kashyapa, Ananda and other teachers including the Kagyu tradition: Milarepa and Rechungpa?
Tenth. To disparage and degrade, to humiliate sutras and monks in public, to mock them. Have you studied Hevajra Tantra and other tantras? If so, then I have doubts that you have read only a general description or excerpts and have little idea of what is where and how it is. And in particular, what or at least some connection between sutra and tantra even exists?
Eleventh. Didn’t achieve realizations because there is no knowledge, but you teach people - Ole Nydahl No. 1 Lama in the Ole Nydahl sect. And the wife died and there is already a new girl - Alexandra. You are a liberal, our lover of sex and beautiful ladies, you will go far, then why is there still no harem? Question!
Twelfth. Your obscurantism and ignorance, stupidity and illogicality are amazing; if these are the qualities of a Guru or Lama, then what can we expect from your offspring or students?
AND thirteenth. Why the hell did you become friends with the Hambo Lama, he called you names, you argued with him, almost cursed at him, you blamed him (businessmen, scoundrels, people without tradition, etc., etc.), he also deserves your respects , and now in an embrace. What happened to you guys? Has charlatan blood won and united you? You weren’t taught to tell the truth, and are you familiar with the word conscience?
And Ole Nydahl has been accustomed to lying since childhood; it’s immediately obvious that he’s not a communist!And here on those on Etigelov's incorruptible relics Did you fall in love, were you kind to each other, or did Hambo Lama stand up to you in the right position (or did you stand up to him) and you began to love him, or did you decide to become a virtuous Christian, observing the cult of worshiping the relics of saints? Strange man!
It was a can of ointment, now a spoonful of honey...
Ole Nydahl as a teacher or as a lama
As for the lama or teacher, Ole Nydahl, as already expressed above in his address, lacks knowledge, experience, comprehension, but he is a good propagandist - a kind of Buddhist proselyte for not very smart people or people who do not understand anything about the Vajrayana and Sutras . In this case, with his charisma, jokes, jokes and banter, he attracts simpletons and losers. neophytes, and just ordinary people.
Unfortunately, I have never understood why this show with Olya Nidal costs so much money, because I didn’t get anything new, and most of his nonsense that he carries for more than an hour only works on the ignorant crowd that loves both trolling and entertainment.
Seriously, I repeat again and again, a former drug addict cannot be a teacher in Vajrayana, nor can one who has no experience and knowledge. But as an advertiser or party-goer, a creator of action and debauchery (group sex with beer and vodka), Ole Nydahl fits perfectly and others are unlikely to compare with him in this regard. That's all, if you want, you can write angry remarks. But this will not change my opinion towards your charlatan and scoundrel Ole Nydahl. He's a good pop leader and nothing more.
To everyone who is making a fuss or is planning to make a fuss, I advise the Christian Dvorkin or read, and then boo and write to me in a personal message.
Ole Nydahl
Ole Nydahl(born March 19, 1941), according to His Holiness Shamar Rinpoche and Khenpo Chödrag, speaking on behalf of the Buddhist institutions of the Gyalwa Karmapa, is a teacher of Diamond Way Buddhism, a Lama. Ole Nydahl transmits the teachings of the Karma Kagyu school in a form adapted for Europeans, trying to separate the cultural Tibetans layers from the essence of Buddhist teachings. Karma Kagyu is a sub-school of Kagyu - one of the four major Vajrayana schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the early 1970s, Ole Nydahl has been traveling, giving lectures, courses, and establishing “Diamond Way Buddhist centers.”
Learning and Encountering Buddhism
Ole Nydahl grew up in Denmark. From 1960 to 1969 he studied at the University of Copenhagen, and several semesters in Tübingen and Munich in Germany. Main subjects: philosophy, English and German languages.
In 1961 he met his future wife Hannah. After their wedding in 1968, they went on a honeymoon to Nepal, where they met their first Buddhist teacher, Lopen Tsechu Rinpoche, a Lama of the Drukpa Kagyu school. On their next trip they meet and become the first Western disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, head of the Karma Kagyu school.
Ole and Hanna Nydahl become close disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa. At the same time, they meet other Kagyu teachers such as Kalu Rinpoche, Kunzig Shamarpa, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche and others. Both also became disciples of Lopen Tsechu Rinpoche and Künzig Shamarpa. Ole and Hanna Nydahl underwent traditional Buddhist education under the guidance of Kalu Rinpoche. As close disciples of the Sixteenth Karmapa, they also received many teachings, empowerments and transmissions informally.
Title "Lama"
There are doubts in Buddhist circles about the justification of using the Tibetan title “Lama” for Ole Nydahl. Ole Nydahl did not practice the traditionally necessary source? for Lama a 3-year retreat. [ http://www.dharmawiki.ru/index.php/Karma_Chöchog Khenpo Karma Chöchog Gawa Dorje] comments on this thesis as follows: ““Lama” is simply a name for a teacher, a spiritual teacher, in Sanskrit - a Guru. The tradition of retreats of three years and three months appeared later, much later than the word “Lama” for a spiritual teacher. There are many Lamas who have not completed the three-year retreat.”
Some critics also point out that Ole Nydahl's clear and unambiguous political position on a number of issues does not correspond to the image of a Buddhist Teacher. source? It is also mentioned that during the life of the EU, the 16th Karmapa, Ole Nydahl's "native" Buddhist teacher, did not publicly call him Lama.
However, despite the above doubts and discussions, in the opinion of His Holiness Shamar Rinpoche, the second Lama in the hierarchy of the Karma Kagyu school, and in the conclusion of Khenpo Chödrag, Ole Nydahl is a qualified Buddhist teacher, Lama. Shamar Rinpoche mentions Ole Nydahl as a "Buddhist Master" who "transmits the blessings and teachings of the Kagyu lineage" (1983) document 2 on Ole Nydahl's website [ ]] and indicates that it is “entirely appropriate” for him to “hold the title of Lama” (2006) document 3 on Ole Nydahl’s website [ http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org/olesite/pages/person/dokuments.html]]. On the official website of His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa Thaye Dorje [ cite web
url =http://www.karmapa-news.org/
title = Karmapa News
lang = en
accessdate = 11-06-2008] Ole Nydahl is referred to as Lama in all publications. The Gyalwa Karmapa addresses him in the same way at all meetings.
Diamond Road Centers
Ole Nydahl himself and Khenpo Chödrag report that the Sixteenth Karmapa instructed him to establish Karma Kagyu centers in the west. Document 1 on Ole Nydahl's website [ http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org/olesite/pages/person/dokuments.html], ([http://www.buddhism.ru/teachers/ole.php Russian translation])] Since 1973, he has been traveling giving lectures. Soon the first meditation center was formed in Copenhagen, which was subsequently visited by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso. In 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1980, the Sixteenth Karmapa visited centers in Europe and the USA. In January 2000, the Seventeenth Karmapa Thaye Dorje's first tour of the European centers founded by Ole Nydahl took place.
The centers founded by Ole Nydahl are called the Diamond Way Centers of the Karma Kagyu school. The Diamond Way is a variant translation from Sanskrit of the term Vajrayana.
Since the 1970s, Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah have founded more than 500 Buddhist meditation groups in Central and Western Europe, Asia, America, Australia and South Africa. Ole Nydahl prefers not to give lectures or open Diamond Way meditation centers in countries where the population is predominantly Muslim. In his opinion, he would not be able to effectively protect his students in these countries in the event of oppression - even in those countries of the Middle East and North Africa where there is no oppression and other Buddhist centers coexist with Islam [ List of Buddhist groups in the Middle East and North Africa [http://board.buddhist.ru/showthread.php?t=10932]]. Thus, despite the existence of Buddhist centers in the "Islamic world", Ole Nydahl argues that opening centers there would be an irresponsible step on his part. The exception seems to be the traditionally Muslim republics of the Russian Federation and the former USSR: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Bashkortostan, where there are groups that have received the blessing of Ole Nydahl.
In Russia there are 62 centers and meditation groups opened with the blessing of Ole Nydahl.
Teaching activities
Ole Nydahl continuously travels to various countries, teaching his students, as well as people interested in Buddhism. The purpose of Ole Nydahl's courses on various topics such as Mahamudra (Great Seal) [ Root text – Mahamudra of the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, commentary by Ole Nydahl. ISBN 5-94303-002-6] – to promote a deeper understanding of Diamond Way Buddhism.
Since 1978, Ole Nydahl has written several books about Buddhism, some of them autobiographical. Some of his books have been published in Russian. For people starting to practice, Ole Nydahl does not recommend reading texts on the Vajrayana topic of other Lamas (both other Vajrayana schools and within the framework of the texts of the Karma Kagyu school). He explains this by saying that it is better to understand one thing well than to get confused about many things. Different schools use such terms in different meanings, which sometimes escapes the attention of beginning Buddhists.
Ole Nydahl's disciples are, without exception, lay people who live primarily in Western culture. Traditional Buddhist education with the adoption of a vow of celibacy, according to Ole Nydahl, is more suitable for life in a monastery, but not for the lifestyle in Western society.
Ole Nydahl supports Trinley Thaye Dorje on the issue of recognition of the Seventeenth Karmapa.
Criticism
Ole Nydahl is one of the supporters of Karmapa Thaye Dorje on the controversial issue of identifying the Seventeenth Karmapa. According to the position of Ole Nydahl and the second most important lama in the Karma Kagyu school - Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche - the Dalai Lama is not authorized to recognize (and has never previously participated in recognizing) the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Testimony of Professor Jeffrey Brian Samuel, Lama vs. Hope and Ors, CIV-2004-404-001363, Supreme Court of New Zealand (Auckland), 11 November 2004, given in a case involving a dispute over the ownership of property used as a Karma Kagyu Buddhist Centre. (denies the claim that there is historical precedent for the Karmapa being recognized by the Dalai Lama) [ http://www.karmapa.org.nz/articles/2005/geoffreysamuel.pdf]] Court decision, Lama vs. Hope and Ors, CIV-2004-404-001363, Supreme Court of New Zealand (Auckland), 10 March 2005. The case was decided in favor of the plaintiff, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, on the evidence of Geoffrey Samuel (see above [ http://www.rigpedorje.com/court/lamavhope.pdf]] The 14th Dalai Lama confirmed the recognition of Urgyen Trinley Dorje as Karmapa at the request of Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche. [ Ken Jolmes, "Karmapa", page 56, ISBN 3-89568-027-3]
Oliver Freiberger, research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, [ [ http://www.utexas.edu/research/eureka/faculty/view.php?pid=2284 EUREKA | Faculty | Oliver Freiberger]] indicates that there is a "constant debate" Oliver Freiberger, Department of Religious Studies, University of Bayreuth, Germany, in "Inter-Buddhist and inter-religious relations", see [ http://www.globalbuddhism.org/2/freiberger011.html]] regarding Ole Nydahl. Freiberger reports that the German Buddhist Union's Lotusblatter magazine states that Nydahl's statements and activities offend some German Buddhists who believe his behavior is unbecoming of a Buddhist teacher. “Nydahl is accused not only of opinionated and militaristic speeches, but also of being a right-winger, racist, sexist and hostile to foreigners. His unusual activities (such as bungee jumping, parachuting, riding high-speed motorcycles) also irritate Buddhists who are not his disciples - regardless of whether they belong to the Karma Kagyu school." [ German Buddhist Union (DBU) Magazine Lotusbl?tter 13, no. 4, , 64f.] [Lotusbl?tter 14, no. 1, , 56-61] Ole Nydahl evokes the same attitude among a number of Russian Buddhists who are not his disciples.
Martin Baumann, a professor at the University of Bern (Switzerland), noted in an interview (2005) that critics accuse Ole Nydahl of teaching “Buddhism-lite” or “instant Buddhism” and that he agrees with this when he hears some “suspiciously superficial phrases” Nidal.Baumann, Martin 2005: Interview "Neue Luzerner Zeitung", 04/11/2005, [ http://www.religionenlu.ch/pdf/2005-11-04.pdf “Eine Art Buddhismus Light?”]].
In Buddhism, it is forbidden to kill living beings, but Ole Nydahl allows abortion if it is prescribed for medical reasons to preserve the life of the mother or is associated with defects in the development of the fetus. When asked about the dangers of abortion, he answers the following: “There are many families who would like to have children, but cannot have them. If the child is clearly handicapped, ask the doctor what he thinks. But if the child is clearly healthy, then don’t kill him, give him to someone who clearly wants a child.” [ Olga Zaets. Article based on materials from a lecture by Ole Nydahl (2000, Russia) [http://religion.ng.ru/facts/2000-02-09/2_nidal.html]]
Criticism of the courses
Despite support for Ole Nydahl's activities from Künzig Shamar Rinpoche and Gyalwa Karmapa Thaye Dorje, some observers? note the differences in Ole Nydahl's style and practice from traditional ones:
* The Ole Nydahl Course does not include Mahamudra itself (including initiation and corresponding practice), but only lectures are given that comment on the poetic description of Mahamudra compiled by the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje.
* In 1972, Ole Nydahl received the transmission of Phowa practice from Lama Ayang Rinpoche of the Drikung Kagyu school. Ole taught the first Phowa course in 1987. Ole Nydahl conducts Phowa courses that are different from the one he received from Lama Ayang Rinpoche (traditionally, the practice of Phowa is associated with a vow to practice Phowa 2 times a month and Tsog Amitabha or Milarepa once a year, which Ole Nydahl does not talk about). Ole Nydahl explains that he stopped using the transmission received from Ayang Rinpoche because in 1983 the latter took a political position different from that of Künzig Shamarpa. After this, Ole Nydahl abandoned the Phowa lineage received from Ayang Rinpoche and received Phowa practice through the Nyingma school lineage from Lama Tenga Rinpoche.
* Ole Nydahl began to organize three-day seminars on the practice of Phowa, simplifying the traditional forms (without requiring the corresponding tantric initiation and vows, limiting himself to three days instead of the traditional seven). The correctness of this simplification has caused controversy in Buddhist circles.
Ole Nydahl's position on Islam
Ole Nydahl's position towards Islam and Muslims has been seriously criticized; he has repeatedly made politically incorrect statements, which were also regarded by critics as racist and xenophobic [ Lotusbl?tter 13, no. 4, , 64f., and Lotusbl?tter 14, no. 1, , 56-61)].
Here are some examples of similar statements from Ole Nydahl:
* In one published interview, he stated, “I have two concerns for the world: overpopulation and Islam. These two things can destroy a world that could otherwise be a beautiful place.” He explains that "men who suppress women are likely to become suppressed women in the next life" [ Duh?rov?, Bibi?na.[ http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2007/07/11/ace-of-diamonds.php Ace of Diamonds: A conversation with Lama Ole Nydahl] in "The Prague Post", July 11, 2007.].
* “And also, I think they need to make sure that some Arabs live with each other also, who don’t like each other, it’s very simple. So that they would always fight with each other..." [ ]
* “Question: – Countries with bad karma?
*: Answer (Ole Nydahl): – Africa and Muslim countries, everyone there is unhappy. Also, if you look at all the Muslim republics, there is a lot of anger. It is simply the kind of faith that keeps people angry and makes them fight. Also in Africa there is very bad karma. Everywhere. A quarter to twenty-three percent of all black men between 20 and 30 years of age are now in prison." [ Ole Nydahl. Questions and answers at Phowa July 7-8, 1992 [http://praktika.narod.ru/budd/book/nidal-phowa92.htm]]
* “In fact, all races in the world have been above and below except the Slavs. All. At first it was all southern countries. First Africa, then China, then many other places, then it was the Romans, now the Germans. But we are already in decline. We fill our cities with people who do not belong to our culture... When the Germanic culture falls, the only race in the world that has not yet risen is the Slavs. It's you. Your big problem is that you are aggressive towards yourself. You always beat yourself up." [ Ole Nydahl. Questions and answers at Phowa July 7-8, 1992 [http://praktika.narod.ru/budd/book/nidal-phowa92.htm]]
: “I think you will be smart enough to create a strong connection with Europe and cut off the Muslim republics...” [ Ole Nydahl. Questions and answers at Phowa July 7-8, 1992 [http://praktika.narod.ru/budd/book/nidal-phowa92.htm]]
Responses to criticism
Regarding his anti-Islamic position, Ole Nydahl says that this position is the personal opinion of an experienced, well-traveled person, and is not directly related to Buddhist teachings. Ole Nydahl explains that he also uses criticism of Islam as an upaya to test students' ability to think independently.
When asked whether discussing social and political problems is the task of a Buddhist teacher, Ole Nydahl answers: “... If people who can see the future do not speak, then they are irresponsible. I always say, “I don’t need to be popular, but I guess I’m right.” Interview with Ole Nydahl [ http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/content/olenydahl/text/bt4ole.html]]: “... The teacher must do what he says. He should also not simply avoid controversial topics, but point out the causes of future troubles, such as overpopulation in ghettos and poor countries and the rise of Islam. If a teacher talks sweet nonsense all the time, then he is not protecting his students. He must be prepared to offend some people. This is his responsibility." [ Learning in a Total Way: Teacher – Student Relationship [http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org/olesite/pages/dway/teacherstudent.html] ]
Supporters of Ole Nydahl point out that he often says: “the best approach to the world's problems is to pay poor families, especially women, so that they do not have more than 1-2 children and help them educate these children”:: “... Can you imagine what a relief it is when you can go to Africa and meet healthy, free and educated people, like in our current societies?”
In response to criticism that the teachings are superficial, Ole Nydahl says: “Learned people make simple things complex, but yogis make complex things simple” (Oral Teachings, Hamburg (Germany) December 29, 2007).
title = A modern introduction to the teachings of the Buddha. What everything is
original = Wie die Dinge sind. Eine zeitgem??e Einf?hrung in die Lehre Buddhas
edition = 1st edition
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Peter
pages = 160
title = Fundamental Exercises
edition =
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Diamond Way
pages = 176
title = Six Liberating Actions
original = The Six Liberating Actions
edition =
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Diamond Way
pages = 32
title = Great Seal. The space and joy are limitless. The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism
original = The Great Seal. Limitless Space and Joy. The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism
edition = 3rd edition
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Diamond Way
pages = 248
title = Discovery of the Diamond Way
original = Entering the Diamond Way
edition = 4th edition
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Diamond Way
pages = 296
title = Riding the Tiger
edition =
place = St. Petersburg.
publishing house = Diamond Way
pages = 494
* [http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org Personal website] ref-en
* [http://www.buddhism.ru/ Diamond Way Buddhism]
* [http://www.diamondway-buddhism.org/ Diamond Way Buddhism]
Lama Ole Nydahl appears in London twice a year. "Lama" is neither a monk nor a saint. This is a person who teaches Buddhism. Lama Ole teaches Tibetan Buddhism in the Karma Kagyu tradition. He and his wife Hannah are the first Westerners to receive direct transmission of this knowledge from the “King of Yogis of Tibet,” the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. Ole remembers that in a previous life he was already a lama in Tibet. It is difficult for a non-Buddhist to understand what all this means. The Buddhist folds his hands on his chest with gratitude and asks for blessings.
When the Chinese captured Tibet and many residents of this mountainous Buddhist country were forced to flee across the Himalayas from the invaders who destroyed ancient monasteries and shot lamas, the Tibetans, as they themselves believe, began to be reborn in the West.Since childhood, Ole, a Danish boy from a professorial family, dreamed of how he leads small, Asian-looking people through the mountains, saving them from Chinese detachments, shooting back... Now he is sure that in his previous life he lived in Tibet. The same thing was told to him by those people from whom, after spending three years in the Himalayas, he received the transmission of knowledge.
"On new moon day in September 1970 in Sikkim, in the Himalayas, I took the name Karma Lodi Jamtso, which means "Ocean of Wisdom". The teacher who gave me this name is Karmapa. He is the first consciously reborn lama of Tibet. He does this , starting in 1110, and has already taken 17 incarnations. Our line of succession is called Karma Kagyu."
Different religions for different people
A master of meditation, the author of books translated into dozens of languages, Lama Ole founded more than 400 centers in the world, about 80 of them in Russia, and now he has no home - each of these centers turns into his home when the lama arrives. He spends no more than two days in each.
Even if it was just to move from place to place, such a lifestyle would knock anyone off their feet. But Ole Nydahl also gives lectures, conducts collective meditations, and provides refuge for those who decide to become a Buddhist. And at the same time, he is alive and well at over 60 years old. Still skydiving. Still hasn't spent a single night without his wife Hannah, who travels with him. As before, whenever possible, he rides a motorcycle at a speed of 200 km per hour along mountain alpine roads. Buddhas keep?
Dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, lean and relaxed, the man looks like a successful businessman on vacation. It’s just that this man’s eyes are filled with crazy joy. “I am not enlightened... I myself believe that I am liberated,” the lama says at lectures, answering questions. “This means that I do not take things personally, and if any troubles arise, then I do not feel target."“The idea of Buddhism is very simple, it is that our mind is a pure, clear light,” he says as we sit in one of the rooms of the London Diamond Way Buddhism Center, hidden from the noisy breakfast sangha - Ole's disciples and those who hopes to become his disciple on the path to liberation and enlightenment. “Some Christian mystics also spoke about this. But we also say that all people are free, and this is our difference from Christianity.”
Lama Ole has a completely peaceful relationship with Christianity. Christianity, he says, is for those who need some kind of god who prescribes what should and should not be done, and punishes mistakes. This suits some people.
Lama believes that different religions are for different people. “Our peculiarity is that we are not missionary. Whatever a person believes in, whatever makes him happy, we wish him all the best.”
However, there is an ideology that the Lama cannot reconcile with, and sharp statements addressed to it have become a kind of trademark of his lectures: “Democracy, free life on the one hand, and Islam on the other, are incompatible; it’s like water and oil.”
But if Islam, according to the lama, is dangerous, why then do so many millions of people around the globe proudly call themselves Muslims? The lama's answer is metaphorical. "Because there's a lot of steel in it, but not a lot of gold. It also gives their lives a very high degree of certainty."
From sour milk - champagne
Karma Kagyu became the first Buddhist organization officially recognized by the Russian authorities. What is a good attitude? Did this alert the lama?
“No, and I will explain why. We have evidence that we were in Siberia already in 1257. Hundreds of years before Christianity arrived there. When Yeltsin introduced his law about the required 15 years [for registering religious associations], we said: “Fifteen?!” We’ve been here for almost a thousand years!” I remember I had a meeting with the KGB, I gave them all the evidence, and they agreed.”However, the Russian authorities did not allow the Dalai Lama into the country... “I think Russia has one big neighbor whom it does not want to irritate. It’s just ridiculous - China is afraid of one old man. He is 67 years old, he underwent stomach surgery. .. He is not dangerous. A whole army of Chinese officials against one poor Dalai Lama. This is not very worthy. I don’t think Russia needs this, it is too big to play these games.”
Lama remembers very well his first impressions of Russia in 1988: “The country then resembled a large wounded animal.”
Is Russia changing? “If we compare the country with drinks, then before our eyes champagne is formed from sour milk. Especially, of course, in Moscow, where up to 80 percent of all money ends up. But in other places everything is changing. Everywhere you meet representatives of a new generation of people who do not waiting to be told what to do, who are self-sufficient and independent, and that’s wonderful.”
Buddhist country Russia
But Russia is a country with a strong Orthodox background. Tell a Russian that Buddhism does not recognize the soul!..
It's okay, the lama laughs. “For example, I am very happy that I don’t have a soul; I can do quite well without it. Russians are very receptive to new ideas, their antennas are tuned to several bands at once. Russians have highly developed abstract thinking - much better than Americans.”Here I involuntarily remember one of Boris Grebenshchikov’s songs, where he called the Volga a Buddhist river... Doesn’t Lama Ole think that Russians have a Buddhist mentality?
"Nations of the heroic type - and Slavic peoples, as a rule, are like that - those who want to find happiness understand Buddhism very well. Russians are poetic. If they trust you, they take risks and go straight to experience. There are countries where not everything is so simple For example, in France, in Britain, in America, people want to be led by the hand along this road step by step..."
I look into the serene gray Danish eyes of the llama and understand that this man prefers not to lead by the hand, but to do something that sends you straight to your goal. Like a skydive. Does the lama tell his disciples about the purpose of human life?
"I tell them that the goal of my life is to reach a level where I can act for the benefit of all people. To eliminate all stupidity from my life so that only compassion remains - that is my goal. I think it is the same for my students."This answer is a little disappointing. What was I waiting for? That now a Tibetan lama will surprise me with some special meaning of life? Okay, I'll try to catch him on another...
What thought does Ole Nydahl wake up to every morning? What's the first thing that comes to his mind? The lama's answer makes me laugh involuntarily.
"What a wonderful woman next to me!"
The lama also begins to laugh, and we are still laughing when the same woman with whom Ole Nydahl has not been separated for a single day or a single night for more than 30 years comes into the room. She smiles softly and quietly asks, "Are you finished yet? Is everything okay?"
Finally, I take a few pictures of Ole. I hope that you can see in them that radiant joy in his eyes that amazes you from the very beginning.
The only thing I regret now is that I did not photograph them together, the Buddhist family of Hannah and Ole Nydahl. Because their life is the best illustration of Ole’s words: “In Buddhism, if you suffer, there is nothing special or sacred about it. You just made a mistake somewhere.”
Report at the international conference "Totalitarian sects and a democratic state", held in Novosibirsk on November 9 - 11, 2004
"...the central path in Kagyu is the path of "Guru Yoga", meditation on the Lama. Through devotion and
the ability to see the Lama as Buddha is revealed
precious qualities of our mind, and we
identifying with the perfect state of the Lama."
Lama Ole Nydahl
All-honorable fathers, brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen!
I have a task no less difficult than the one that Andrei Dmitrievich Redkozubov tried to solve, discussing whether Wahhabism is a sect in general and totalitarian and destructive in particular or not. In this case, we will have to find out the same thing about the mission, more precisely, the network of centers founded in Western countries, as well as here in Russia, by a modern Buddhist missionary, Danish by birth, Lama Ole Nydahl.
This problem can be presented in the form of the following questions:
Can Ole Nydahl's mission be considered neo-Buddhist? Can Ole Nydahl's organization be considered a cult? If so, is it totalitarian? What are the social consequences of Ole Nydahl's activities, is it destructive?
Before attempting to answer these questions, it is necessary to make a few preliminary remarks regarding the history of Buddhism in Russia.
Buddhism in Russia has existed since the 17th and early 18th centuries, when Mongolian tribes of nomadic herders came to the territory of our country: Kalmyks (Oirats) - in the lower reaches of the Volga and Buryats - in Transbaikalia. They brought with them Tibetan Buddhism, or Lamaism, in the form of Gelugpa (Tib. “school of the Ge monastery”), which began to spread among the Mongols in the second half of the 16th century. The term "Lamaism" comes from the word "lama" (Tib. "highest"), which is the Tibetan equivalent of the Sanskrit "guru" - "teacher". In Lamaism, the traditional tripartite formula of the confession of Buddhism, including the invocation of the “three jewels” - the Buddha, the dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) and the sangha (the Buddhist community), is supplemented by the vow to the lama, and the lama is considered the quintessence of the first three refuges; without his help it is impossible to achieve salvation, understood in northern Buddhism as the awakening of consciousness and the achievement of Buddhahood.
It should be clarified that there are four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Gelugpa, the dominant school in Tibet, was created at the beginning of the 15th century. reformer Tsonghapa (1357-1419), who streamlined various Buddhist traditions, restored the celibacy of lamas and created a system of 20-year regular education of the clergy. The Dalai Lama, one of the first hierarchs of the Gelug school, is the head of Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists.
Only Gelugpa Lamaism is a traditional religion for Russia, primarily in three regions of our country: Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva. Currently, the majority of Gelugpa Buddhists are united into three ethnic communities: the largest is the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia (Buryat associations), headed by Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayushev; Association of Buddhists of Kalmykia and the Office of Kamba Lama of the Republic of Tuva.
Since the late 1980s, traditional Buddhism has been experiencing a revival in Russia, but at the same time we have missions of other directions of Buddhism, including the missions of the three so-called old, that is, pre-reform, schools of Lamaism. They carry out active proselytizing work both among traditionally Buddhist peoples and among Russians and other ethnic groups of Russia.
The number of Russian Buddhists today is several thousand people, while literally only a few belong to traditional Russian Buddhist associations. Of the more than two hundred Buddhist associations in Russia, less than half are traditional ethnic ones.
The largest non-traditional Buddhist organization in our country has become the Russian Association of Buddhists of the Karma-Kagyu School, which includes 66 local organizations in Russia and Belarus. Thus, more than a quarter of all Buddhist associations in Russia are Karma Kagyu communities. The formal head of the “Russian Karma Kagyu Association” is the president, but in reality all communities are subordinate to their founder - the Danish lama Ole Nydahl, the most active preacher of the Europeanized version of Karma Kagyu in the West and in Russia.
What is the Karma Kagyu school and who is Lama Ole Nydahl?
Karma Kagyu is the largest and most influential subtradition within the Kagyu-pa, one of the three pre-reform schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The name "Kagyu-pa" means "School of Tantra", or "School of Continuity". Its foundation is attributed to the famous tantric yogis from India Tilopa and Naropa (11th century), who are considered magicians and miracle workers. In the same 11th century, thanks to another famous figure of Tantric Buddhism, Marla, Karma Pa came to Tibet. Many tantric yogis were not monks or were only formally monks. They got married or led a promiscuous lifestyle. In the reformed Gelug school, tantric practices are available only to those lamas who have shown the greatest success in mastering Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and sexual elements are left in these practices only in a symbolic form. Whereas in the old pre-reform schools, including the Karma Kagyu, which are based on Tantrism, married lamas are still found, although not often.
The Karma Kagyu school is headed by a first hierarch with the title Karmapa. Today this is the 17th Karmapa. According to his status, the Karmapa is considered the third hierarch of Tibet (after the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama). In the Karma Kagyu school, the veneration of lamas is especially strongly developed, which is a characteristic feature of Tantric Buddhism. First of all, this veneration relates to the Karmapa, towards whom the followers of the Karma Kagyu should, at least according to Ole Nydahl, show boundless personal devotion.
After the occupation of Tibet by communist China in the mid-20th century, the Dalai Lama, Karmapa and many other lamas emigrated to India. After some time, some lamas moved from India to Western countries, where they began to acquire followers among Europeans and Americans. On the other hand, from the West to the “India of the Spirit”, starting in the 1960s, hippies and representatives of other youth subcultures moved in search of adventure. Some of them were looking for a deeper “religious experience”, some psychedelic, some “tantric” (in the sense of exotic forms of fornication), for some it was all one, and some generally combined “pleasant with useful": "spiritual search" with the search for suppliers of cheap drugs to Western markets.
At first, the object of interest of Western “seekers” was Hindu, and even more often neo-Hindu, gurus. But soon the pilgrimage became widespread, and Hindu gurus, especially the popular “business gurus,” acquired a certain “pop” tinge in the eyes of nonconformists. And then the most persistent “seekers” found Tibetan lamas in northern India.
One of these “seekers” was the Dane Ole Nydahl. He was born in 1941. From I960 to 1969 he studied and then taught at the University of Copenhagen. In parallel with his studies, from the early 1960s, Nydahl joined the early European hippie movement. He also enjoyed racing motorcycles and was a regular participant in street fights. In his own words, he used all types of drugs, which, as he believed, following the preachers of the “psychedelic religion,” open the “gates of perception,” expand consciousness and promote “travel” to completely unusual worlds. Finally, Nidal began smuggling gold and drugs from Asia to Europe. In search of new strong sensations and new sources of cheap drugs, he traveled around Asia with his wife Hannah. On one of his trips to Nepal, Nidal met the lama of the Karma Kagyu school. In 1969, during his third trip to Nepal, he met the 16th Karmapa and became his disciple. In 1970, Ole and Hannah converted to Buddhism. Having prostrated before the Karmapa and taken a vow of complete and unconditional devotion to him, Ole received the name Karma Lodi Jamtso. At the end of the initiation ceremony, the Karmapa said to Ola and Hannah: “You must have confidence in me as a Buddha.”
Nydahl claims that already in 1972, that is, only two years after the formal adoption of Buddhism, the Karmapa ordained him as a lama and sent him to Europe with the task of creating Karma Kagyu centers in the West, which he began to actively do.
Soon Ole Nydahl obtained an audience with the Danish Queen Margaret and organized a visit of the Dalai Lama to his center in Copenhagen. In the 1970s Nidal organized trips for the Karmapa and other Karma Kagyu lamas throughout Europe. In addition, until the early 1980s. Nidal and his students made annual pilgrimages to India to the Karmapa with brief visits to the Dalai Lama.
In the second half of the 1970s. The Karmapa declared Ole Nydahl to be a "radiation" of Mahakala. It should probably be clarified that Mahakala (Sanskrit “Great Black”) is one of the dharmapalas, that is, “defenders of dharma (Buddhism)”, which Buddhist missionaries at one time declared to be the demons of Indians, Tibetans and Mongols. This was a kind of missionary technique - to declare that the gods and demons revered by this people accepted Buddhism, which means that the entire people should follow their example. Buddhist figures did not generally seek to eradicate local forms of witchcraft, shamanism and polytheism, but tried to introduce them into the Buddhist context. Thus, the veneration of dharmapalas was gradually rethought in a Buddhist manner. Many of them came to be considered wrathful forms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. retaining their demonic appearance, which is reproduced in their images and in the mind of a Buddhist during meditation.
Mahakala, whose phenomenon Nidal considers himself to be, is Shiva who “accepted Buddhism” in his tantric form as the lord of demons. He is depicted with a body of black and blue, with a necklace of death's heads and earrings of bones, with three bloodshot eyes, with a bared fanged mouth, with a ferocious muzzle, surrounded by tongues of flame. Mahakala holds a weapon in his hands to destroy internal and external obstacles in Buddhist practice, including the enemies of Buddhism.
Often Mahakala is depicted copulating with a dakini (demoness) or with the Tibetan goddess Baldan Lhamo (riding a mule, in the middle of a sea of blood and fire), which, according to tantricists, symbolize wisdom. From the point of view of Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism), veneration of the wrathful forms of Buddhas and bodhisattvas should lead to an early realization of the nature of all beings without exception as the single, non-dual nature of the awakened Mind, that is, the Mind of the Buddha.
For the second half of the 1970s. accounts for the founding of the first Karma Kagyu center in Eastern Europe - in Poland. Then, according to Ole Nydahl, the Karmapa entrusted him with the entire “eastern bloc,” right down to Japan.
Today there are more than 400 centers around the world founded by Lama Ole Nydahl and his students. About half of them are in countries of Eastern and Central Europe, including Russia. The number of Ole Nydahl's students in the world, in his own words, is 6 thousand people. It turns out that the average number of adherents in Karma Kagyu centers is 15 people. However, the number of people who come to Nydahl's performances during his visits to local centers is much greater. For example, more than 35 thousand people have taken the course of Phowa (yoga of conscious dying) since 1983. Most of those who attended Lama Ole Nydahl's speeches and courses, listened to his lectures and received the initiations that he gives to everyone indiscriminately, did not become followers of the Karma Kagyu, many did not even become Buddhists. This audience perceives Nydahl through the prism of the New Age worldview as one of a number of “spiritual teachers.”
In 1988, Nydahl received state recognition of his status as a Buddhist clergyman in Denmark, which, in particular, gives him the right to officially perform funerals and marry (religious organizations recognized in Denmark are given the right to register civil status acts). That same year, Ole Nydahl visited our country for the first time, entering incognito across the Finnish border. From morning to evening he preached and gave initiations in Leningrad apartments, and as a result the first centers arose in Leningrad and Tallinn.
In 1989, Ole Nydahl visited Moscow, where he gave a lecture in an architectural workshop located in the Nativity Monastery. But the center in Moscow appeared only in 1991. The “Moscow Buddhist Center” (officially the name of the organization of Moscow followers of Ole Nydahl) moved from place to place until it occupied a large communal apartment on Petrovsky Boulevard. There are communities of the “Russian Association of Buddhists of the Karma Kagyu School” in all major cities of our country. They are divided into nine regions (including Belarus). The headquarters of the association is located in St. Petersburg. The association has its own educational institution, a branch of the International Institute of the Karmapa (Elista, Kalmykia), and has its own websites on the Internet. The number of Ole Nydahl's followers in Russia and Belarus is about 2 thousand people.
We can now return to the questions posed at the beginning of the speech.
According to Ole Nydahl, ethnic Buddhism in the countries of its traditional distribution has practically outlived its usefulness, having become overly formalized, clinging to the external. The culture of peoples who profess Buddhism has no special value and should not be transferred to the West. That is, Buddhism must be separated from the traditional culture it generated, in this case Tibetan, and in such a purified form united with European culture. Lama Ole says that he brings people a new, young, Western, advanced, fresh and strong Buddhism. Thus, he himself calls his version of Buddhism new. “New Buddhism” is neo-Buddhism, to put it briefly.
How is this orientation toward neo-Buddhism implemented by Ole Nydahl? First of all, in his lifestyle. He abandoned the traditional robes of the Buddhist clergy. He usually speaks in front of an audience in denim trousers, a jacket and a black T-shirt or vest. He behaves quite cheekily, he can, for example, take off his socks and put his feet on the table for everyone to see.
He continues to engage in extreme sports: skydiving and riding motorcycles at a speed of 200 km/h on mountain roads, believing that the Buddhas are protecting him.
In his missionary work, Ole Nydahl uses elements of the methods of American evangelical preachers. The basis is public speeches in front of large audiences, after which Nidal calls for taking “Refuges,” that is, Buddhism. In the early 1990s. in Russia, within a few days, more than a thousand people took refuge after Ole Nydahl's performance. As has already been said, not all of those who accepted Buddhism in this way went on to attend the local Karma Kagyu center or otherwise practice Buddhism.
But all this could be classified as special Buddhist techniques - "upaya" (Sanskrit "tricks") - to attract the public to the teachings of the Buddha, even if they are not used very successfully.
Much more serious are those aspects of Ole Nydahl’s teaching and life that conflict with traditional Buddhist (and not only Buddhist) ethics.
Ole Nydahl eats meat and drinks alcohol, following the example of the founders of the Kagyu school. However, for many centuries in the Karma Kagyu school, such provocative behavior that violates the basic precepts of Buddhism has been considered special techniques of the great yogis of the past and is not approved for lamas. Moreover, Nidal drinks alcohol, of course, not alone. For example, Lama Ole began his first sermon in Moscow by treating everyone present to cognac.
Ole Nydahl is married. He denies the need for celibacy for lamas and generally preaches non-monastic, lay Buddhism, which, of course, is quite scandalous for Tibetan Buddhism: even in the old tantric schools, married lamas are rare and do not occupy a serious position in the hierarchy. As a result of such views, soon after Ole Nydahl began his activities in the West, he began to have disagreements with those lamas of the Karma Kagyu school who represented authentic Tibetan Buddhism in Europe, in particular with Lama Kalu Rinpoche, who was at one time one of Ole Nydahl’s teachers, B As a result, Ole Nydahl was forced to renounce the title of lama for more than 10 years. However, despite the controversy with Buddhist teachers in Europe, Ole Nydahl maintained some status through his personal devotion to the Karmapa. During the period from 1976 to 1981, the Karmapa, while in the United States and France, publicly confirmed several times that Ole Nydahl was a lama.
However, it was not until 1988 that Künzig Shamar Rinpoche, one of the supreme lamas of the Karma Kagyu, officially proclaimed Ole Nydahl a lama.
Next. In traditional Buddhism, activities such as trafficking in drugs and one's own body, that is, prostitution, are prohibited. Regarding drug trafficking, Ole Nydahl does not say that it is strictly prohibited, he says that it is difficult to be a Buddhist and at the same time sell drugs. After all, he himself, having actually already become a Buddhist, did not immediately stop drug smuggling. But Ole Nydahl fully justifies prostitution and believes that prostitutes and those who use their services may well be Buddhists.
Ole Nydahl generally allows such types of sexual relations that are considered unacceptable in Buddhism. In fact, he promotes "free love" without any restrictions, with the exception of sexual violence, incest and "destroying other people's relationships."
He also considers various forms of sexual perversion, including homosexuality, acceptable for a Buddhist. Ole Nydahl himself seems to be setting an example of “free love”. He has a constant mistress, Katya Hartung, who accompanies him on his trips (people who know him talk about this, and he himself does not really hide it) and, judging by his revelations with adherents and other indirect evidence, he enters into sexual relations with his followers. During one of his speeches, when asked if he had children, Ole Nydahl replied: “I think I have a child in Paris. Of course, our family is very healthy, and sometimes you really think about passing on to someone.” some kind of my genes. If a smart woman comes to me with the desire to raise a child from me without involving me in legal formalities, I will give her this child... I cannot afford to have many children, since in many places I sign up as a child. responsible for the property for the Karmapa. If I have heirs, it will be problematic."
The emergence of AIDS, as is known, forced supporters of “free love” to remember caution. Ole Nydahl, among others, became an ardent supporter of condoms, which he even supplied to our country as humanitarian aid. Lama Ole encourages the use of all contraceptives, without going into the fact that many of them are abortifacient, whereas, according to Buddhist teaching, the mind is united with the body at the moment of conception and, therefore, abortion is murder (which Ole Nydahl does not deny) .
Such “liberation” of Ole Nydahl, of course, cannot but cause confusion and even indignation among traditional Buddhists in Russia. Sanjey Lama, Moscow representative of Hambo Lama Damba Ayushev. When asked by the author of the report about the attitude of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia to the activities of Ole Nydahl, he answered that although Ole is a legally ordained lama, “he is corrupting our youth.” Indeed, Ole Nydahl preaches a morality unusual for Buddhism in the regions where Buddhism traditionally spreads.
In addition, Sanjay Lama referred to the changed position of the Dalai Lama in recent years, who no longer supports Ole Nydahl. The latter, in turn, criticizes the Dalai Lama for his efforts to normalize relations with the Chinese government. In fact, Lama Ole Nydahl found himself at odds with the majority of Tibetan Buddhists. This split, which arose in the early 1990s, became especially aggravated in 2000, in connection with the escape of the young 17th Karmapa from China.
Here we need to make a small digression and recall that in the Middle Ages in Tibet, thanks to the Karma Kagyu school, the institution of “incarnates” was established. It is believed that the highest lamas are consciously reborn in new bodies after their death. To search for such a “reincarnation”, the instructions of the late hierarch made by him before his death, the prophecies of the oracle, astrological calculations, as well as special procedures for identifying applicants are of great importance. During the search and education of a successor to the next hierarch, the regents must fulfill his duties. It happened that various interested groups among the Buddhist clergy, for political and other reasons, entered into a struggle among themselves for recognition of their candidate as a “reincarnation.” This happened in the case of the search for a successor to the 16th Karmapa, who died of cancer in Chicago in 1981.
The Buddhist lamas of Tibet, and with them the Dalai Lama, who referred to the secret letter of the 16th Karmapa, recognized Urgyen Trinley as the seventeenth rebirth of the Karmapa. As such, he was recognized by the Chinese authorities. However, some emigrant lamas, who were strongly anti-Chinese, declared the 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje. Lama Ole Nydahl also joined the latter. In 1992, Thaye Dorje, being nine years old, in turn recognized the authority of Ole Nydahl. In January 2000, Urgyen Trinley fled Tibet for India. Today, most lamas, led by the Dalai Lama, recognize Urgyen Trinley as the legitimate 17th Karmapa, and schismatic lamas, including Ole Nydahl, consider him an agent of the Chinese intelligence services.
We will not consider the question of the authenticity of Ole Nydahl's transmission of the teachings of Buddhism in the Karma Kagyu version of the school, since this would require too much time. Let us only note that Lama Ole strives for the maximum simplification of Buddhist teachings, even translating the proper names of the characters of the Lamaist pantheon into European languages.
So, the mission of Lama Ole Nydahl can be confidently considered neo-Buddhist in socio-cultural terms.
We mean the concept of “sect” as a religious term. A sect is characterized, firstly, by opposing itself to the religious tradition from which this sect separated; secondly, opposition to culture-forming religions traditional for a given country or region (the “mother” and “dominant” religious tradition in a country can be one and the same). In the second case, we are talking about, in relation to the West, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, in relation to Russia - about Orthodoxy and, at the regional level, about Islam and Lamaism of the Gelug school.
The fact that Ole Nydahl in a certain way contrasts his “new Buddhism” with the traditional one and even ended up in a schism with the Dalai Lama was mentioned above. It may be added that in 1989 he published a book criticizing the mission of traditional Buddhists in the West, and as a result his relations with many traditional lamas deteriorated further.
There is one more circumstance. Europeans and Russians who have converted to Buddhism are characterized by a multi-school system. Even if converts identify themselves with a particular branch of Buddhism, they usually take initiations in several schools, often even from different regional traditions (both Tibetan and Far Eastern). The Tibetan Buddhism movement, which arose in the 19th century, is popular in Rome. and those who advocate joining all three pre-reform schools of Lamaism (for example, rock musician Boris Grebenshchikov belongs to Rome).
But Ole Nydahl does not allow his followers to take initiations in other schools and use the instructions of their teachers. In addition, he recommends reading only your own books.
Since 1978, Nydahl has written several books, some of which have now been published in Russian. True, after the student has mastered them well, he is allowed to read the books of other teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, primarily the Karma Kagyu school.
As for Christianity, Ole Nydahl, while recognizing its success in social work and superiority in organization, believes that in all other respects it is inferior to Buddhism: Christianity is illogical, based on blind faith, not on experience, so Christians believe in a “god with a beard.” ", and in general, Christianity is for the stupid and narrow-minded, and Buddhism is for the smart and broad-minded.
True, by Buddhism Ole Nydahl understands mainly Western neo-Buddhism, and he also calls traditional Buddhists not too smart, stupid and the like.
Nidal tends to speak very harshly about other religions and their leaders. He calls the Pope “completely crazy” because he does not allow Roman Catholics to use condoms. He attributes to the Russian Orthodox Church “a pronounced paranoia towards other religions,” apparently referring to the concerns of Orthodox Christians about his activities. But Ole Nydahl has a particularly negative attitude towards Islam. His claims
boil down to three points: 1) Muslims persecuted Buddhists in the Middle Ages (Ole Nydahl also blames the oppression of Buddhism in the past and present on Hinduism, which dominates in India and Nepal - countries that gave shelter to Tibetan immigrants); 2) Islam treats women poorly, especially those who “force” them to have many children (and it also blames Hindus for this); 3) Islam threatens Western liberal values and therefore must be expelled from Europe. It should be added that some of Lama Ole's statements about “black and brown” (in his terminology) peoples, especially about Arabs, border on racism.
It turns out that all the major religions in the world have become the target of attacks by Ole Nydahl. At the same time, he spoke very favorably, albeit with slight irony, about Shoko Asahara and wished him success (though even before Aum Shinrikyo was convicted of terrorism) and about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the leader of the pseudo-Hindu sect “Transcendental Meditation” .
On the other hand, Ole Nydahl, as you probably already understood, is not an opponent or critic of the way of life that dominates the West and is based on liberalism and rejection of the basic moral values of Christianity. His followers do not have to change their lives in any way, except perhaps to give up some extremes. Even though Nidal does not encourage drug use, he does not prohibit it either. Thus, Ole Nydahl’s organization operating in the West does not have such a sign of a sect as closedness in relation to the outside world.
However, it cannot be said about Russia that the lifestyle of the majority of its citizens is determined by specific Western liberal values, the acceptance of which in their totality means a departure from traditional religious ethics. For the youth of Russian megacities, most of whom are far from traditional culture and have no religious roots of morality, joining Ole Nydahl’s organization does not mean a change in the cultural and ethical paradigm. But for young people in medium-sized and small Russian cities, this seems to be largely the case. Let me once again recall the words of Sanjay Lama about Ole Nydahl: “He corrupts our youth.”
Based on the above, Ole Nydahl’s organization in Russia can be considered a sect, although with some reservations.
3. Is Ole Nydahl's sect totalitarian?
The presence in the group of an authoritarian leader endowed with an aura of mystical power is, as is known, one of the main characteristics of a totalitarian sect. In traditional Lamaism, the principle of honoring a teacher is limited by many factors, including the presence of other authorities. Lama Ole Nydahl focuses his missionary work largely on countercultural youth, who, on the one hand, are characterized by rejection of all kinds of authority, especially family authority, and on the other hand, infantilism and an unconscious craving for authority. This makes possible the adoration of an authoritarian leader, in this case Ole Nydahl, and blind obedience to him, which, in turn, gives scope for abuse and all forms of exploitation by the leader of his followers, including sexual exploitation.
Nidal demands complete devotion and submission to the lama. To strengthen the connection with the lama, you need to give him gifts, donate money and work in the centers. Everyone who works in Karma Kagyu centers does it for free. Moreover, all lectures and classes are paid. In Russia, a four-day course now costs 900 rubles.
As the number of people attending paid programs at Karma Kagyu centers grew, Nidal was able to lead the life of a traveling preacher: almost every two or three days he finds himself in a different city or even in a different country. Sometimes he stays a little longer to conduct an intensive multi-day course. Gradually, Nidal also made some of his students traveling teachers.
A characteristic feature of a totalitarian sect is moral relativism, expressed primarily in the use of lies and omissions to achieve the goals of the organization. Lama Ole teaches his followers to avoid only lies about their experiences during meditation and lies that are aimed at harming living beings. Any other lie can be tolerated.
For example, the official position of the “Russian Association of Followers of Ole Nydahl” is that Buddhism of the Karma Kagyu school has existed in our country since the 13th century. among the Kalmyks and, thus, is traditional for Russia. Even if we assume that among the Kalmyks from the 13th century. There were individual followers of the Karma-Kagyu school, then, most likely, in the 17th century, when this people came to the territory of Russia, they disappeared, since at that time Buddhism of the Gelug school was professed there. There is a deliberate misleading of the authorities and society.
Karma Kagyu Buddhism is not traditional for any of the peoples or regions of our country, and although this fact does not carry any legal consequences, it must be clearly understood that the neo-Buddhist mission of Ole Nydahl has nothing to do with the Buddhism that is mentioned among other traditional religions of Russia in the preamble to the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations” (1997).
If we talk about mind control in totalitarian sects, then we need to pay attention to Nidal’s instructions to his students “not to listen to people who spread doubts and argue about the doctrine.” But at the same time, as far as is known from those. who has become a follower of Nidal is not required to break off relations with his former environment.
The question of the degree of control Ole Nydahl has over his followers is the same. as well as the presence in his organization of other signs of a totalitarian sect, remains open and requires further study. So far there are no sufficient grounds to qualify his sect as totalitarian.
4. What are the social consequences of Ole Nydahl's activities? Is it destructive?
Ole Nydahl's active work can lead, and is already leading, to conflicts with traditional Buddhists in Russia and increased inter-religious tension.
Ole Nydahl promotes contraception because, in his opinion, a woman should have as few or no children as possible in order not to lose her “freedom.” He calls women who give birth to many children “hens who lay eggs all the time.” He says that being born a woman in "black" and "brown" countries is a consequence of bad karma, because they give birth a lot. In the conditions of the current demographic catastrophe in Russia, this position, of course, cannot be considered constructive.
The only socially positive consequence of Ole Nydahl’s activities can be considered that part of the countercultural youth who use drugs he attracted reduces their use or stops using them altogether, since Nydahl promotes meditation as a more effective and qualitatively better means of changing the state of consciousness than drugs and says that drugs interfere with meditation.
So, the teaching (especially ethical) and practice of Ole Nydahl’s mission are destructive in relation to the traditional moral values of the peoples of Russia, including those professing Buddhism.
And finally, we can draw a final conclusion: the mission of Lama Ole Nydahl is a neo-Buddhist sect that is non-traditional for Russia, whose active activities have generally negative social consequences.
Mikhail Plotnikov, deacon,
Candidate of Theology, Senior Lecturer
Orthodox St. Tikhon's Humanitarian University,
Vice President of the Center for Religious Studies
in the name of St. Irenaeus of Lyons
Photo lama Ole Nydahl - www.wday.ru
