Talk:Diamond Way Buddhism
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Controversies around the self-denominated Lama Ole Nydahl
The first thing which is misleading is, that he spread the idea of being realised, this charisma of being a realised bodhisattva (Mahakala) is used and designed in order to give him a stronger standing, without explaining Karmapas historical quotation in relative terms, there are many levels of emanations. Even it can be said in a joke, this was never clarified by him, but only used as strategy.
He relies on this charisma quite extensively and it is used by him and by his students as a kind of replacement of real knowledge of the dharma. This charisma of being a dharma protector is used as authority for being qualified to be able to teach the Buddha-dharma. Which can be likely the other way round, lack of knowledge about the subject dharma needs other strong authority as replacement. Meanwhile he has a large number of students and they watch carefully this kind of charisma is not damaged or put in question by outsiders. (I am sure what i am now saying will bring in trouble soon or later) So what he did establish is a kind of sect called Diamond-way which has more or less one thing in common with the original Kagyu School both embellish the same name. The main focus in Diamond-way is on the person Ole Nydal, very similar like in the history in the Karma Kagyu lineage was on the Karmapa, in case of the Diamond-way things did deteriouate into a Buddhist personal cult sect. He established himself to the extant of being considered as equal of Mahasiddha.
I know some examples who did study with me in the same shedra with me under the same Kenpo, some points of exposition of the dharma did contradict Ole's behaviour and the students did protest against it, later this was told to Ole directly and he advised his followers not to visit again the shedra in Delhi, with the effect that nobody came and continuate their studies. This is ridiculous, since the Kenpo in question was the director of the shedra and he was the director of the Nalanda shedra in Rumtek Sikkhim before and enjoyed his education directly from the 16th Karmapa and also from different well known and recognised Kenpos and Lamas from the Karma Kagyu Lineage as well from other lineages. Nalanda was even visited by Gelugpa students and there was some exchange between both schools, as well well known by the Gelugpas by the high standard this institute operates. So the director as wel all other Kenpos were educated to the highest degree and hence authentic teachers.
To advise his followers not to go to places where the Dharma is taught in a perfect and authentic way because of being afraid this can contradict Ole's style and behaviour is a major mistake and contradicts the whole idea of Buddhism. Diamond-way is used and administrated by him like a private company and those who follow have to swallow the whole bunch of culture ritual. So people (new and old) are more or less in a situation hwre they have to swallow the whole personal cult behaviour "of Ole is the hero and the greatest" in order to come to the actual thing, the Buddha-dharma. This is a wrong approach and not part of any historical tradition. The person, the Lama in question is not the main focus of devotion, but his actions and his activity, the dharma and his deeds helping others towards liberation. Any cult which confuses this little but important detail, that the main focus of devotion is not towards the 5 skandas of the teacher but towards his activity is a vital point of understanding in all Mahayana Buddhism. Let me clarify one thing more, even the Karmapa is in the process of studying although he is a realised bodhisattva and resides on the 10th bodisattva level , how much more are we in need of studying and practice? Meanwhile some handselected Kenpos are allowed to teach in some (handselected) centres with success. I think this is due to some influence of the previous students of the Shedra in Delhi. And this company Diamond-way became too large for him, so he was in need to get some help.
The second big mistake is, that he defines his (new school) as Vajrayana, but rejects the whole selfliberating part which is the integral part of Mahayana. Because he simply don't like it, i did ask him several times for many years ago, he simply don't like everything which has to do with vows, celibation, discipline, moral and the more. The whole spectrum what you can find in every Lamrim text is reduced to one small tenet, devotion towards the Lama, which will bring everybody into the right direction. With this new freedom (the lack of definition) what is the path towards liberation he can fill it out with his very personal way of interpration of the Buddha-dharma. With other words, the traditional way to teach students are rejected out of dislike and this lack of knowledge is his free room to arrange his personal dharma-exposition.
What he teaches is very basic Buddhism and some Mahamudra (i can not say what he taught is wrong or not) but what i know is, that he simply get destruct and carried away during his teachings and offer the audience more or less longer excursion about his new projects (in Spain Karma Gon) or some other places. In my time he was telling from Schwarzenberg a spot in Germany. (Very nice people there) So there is nothing wrong in informing people about different projects, but if people are coming to learn the Dharma and they are faced with a situation where they first have to listen his excursion about this and that (regularly his dharma teachings develops into this kind of chattering) Instead of giving the people the pure dharma they first have to swallow this hero acrobatic exposition what he is doing in the world (selfpraising) and how great everything is in the world with him, and people belief it! So instead of teaching the Dharma people have to swallow his charisma of being the greatest among men, this kind of pattern developed into a kind of business, you all can be part of my Greatness. OK enough from this.
The third thing which is misleading, he is promissing that his path will lead towards liberation. People are allowed to learn higher methods like powa (this is borrowed from the Vajrayana) and with this technic it is promissed that people will go easily to the Buddhaland of Buddha Amitabha. This is not the full truth, because one can't go easily to such a pure realm. There are certain things more one has to do in order to be qualified (accumulation of merit) before one has a chance to go there. So it is not a question of the right tantric technic to be able to go to the pure realm of Amitabha but a bunch of several things, which inclouds proper lifestyle (ethic), aspiration towards liberation (selfliberating vows, refuge vows) developing true bodhiitta, and making wishing prayers to be reborn in the land of Amithabha and last, to meditate on the pure realm of Buddha Amitabha. Ole just cuts the whole tail of the before mentioned necessity and just offers the last technical aspect as the true authentic path. THIS IS VERY MISLEADING AND WRONG!!!
The fourth mistake which is misleading is, that Ole says Karma Kagyu is the practice lineage and we are not doing study so much. This wrong idea is spread wide and large in all directions and westerners are tired of schools and universities so this news meet open ears. But in fact, in order to be able to understand the path correct, to avoid all the little and greater misperceptions and mistakes we need to study the path. There is one tradition in Tibet to follow an authentic teacher without studying and without much meditation this path is basd on pure devotion towards the teacher. In order to make that happen the teacher needs to be qualified and he needs to be a Mahasiddha, which excluse all common teachers. A great bodhisattva residing (and not advertising) on the bhumis (8th and above) can maybe lead some extraordinary disciples who did show great devotion towards the Lama towards liberation through different skillful means like a ring and the hoke, the disciple needs extraordinary trust and confidence and devotion towards the Lama as well develop pure vision about him. So, this devotion is no blind devotion, but based in the knowledge that the Lama is authentic. During my 28 years of observations i came to the conclusion that this devotion method was used be several Tibetan Lamas and from Western teachers in order to make students follow him and to avoid critical questions. This devotion trip was in fact many times misused and i am afraid in case of Ole Nydal this happens again in a large scale. I was fortunately enough to find an authentic Lama who was able to use the before mentioned method in a pure manner during my 3 year retreat. Not all students were so fortune to find such a qualified Lama!
AdamHolt 02:26, 22 June 2007 (UTC) I just want to add one thing, that is actually pretty relevant to the above post. Both the travelling teachers which Ole has appointed as such and Ole himself do not claim that Ole is fully enlightened. Ole always refers to the quality of his teachers when asked about his own accomplishments, especially the 16th Karmapa, and he actually often says that he thinks that many of his students are better than he.
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- I have removed the 'Self-appointed' reference as this is not true. Please see:
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- There are two letters from Shamar Rinpoche, the second highest ranking Lama of the Karma Kagyu Lineage, and one from Khenpo Chodrak Rinpoche, the director of the Shedra in Delhi that you mentioned. All confirm Lama Ole's qualifications as a teacher of Vajrayana Buddhism in the context of the Karma Kagyu School.
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- I have included a link to Kagyu Net in the links section, this shows that Ole Nydahl's Diamond Way Centres clearly belong to the Kagyu Lineage and are not a 'sect' as mentioned elsewhere by the author of the essay above. I have included the above link to the documents clarifying Ole Nydahl's qualifications, which refute the allegation made on earlier on the page that he is 'self-appointed'. I have also removed the link to the Buddhist Channel. The reason is that this is article is pure vilification written by a Christian who is clearly antipathetic towards Buddhism in general. User:Vajraspanner 24.10.06
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- As a former "diamond way student" I am familiarized with this supossedly written letters from Shamar Rinpoche. This are the same letters that are included in Ole's book "Entering the Diamond Way". For me this letters probe nothing. They could be forged. Diamond-Way Buddhism is a personal cult sect about the super-ego-maniac charming fascist racist womanizer Ole Nydahl. He and people close to him (Center directors and Thwe so-called travel teachers) use the same technics present in any cult, see [1]How cults work
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