'Until the right conditions manifest, we will aim to rent new centers rather than buy them.'

This interested me--he is consolidating his empire in unstable financial times.
All the references to
'shoulder to shoulder' and 'Standing together and guided by the blessing of our unbroken transmission'........ make me think about him hunkering down in troubled times to preserve what he already holds, and ensuring that the faithful follow suit, despite any personal misgivings, in order to keep that 'unbroken transmission through 900 years of the Karmapas.....' intact.

Before deciding to keep something 'unbroken through 900 years' intact, it might be worth looking at it and deciding what exactly is worth keeping and what can safely be discarded as unnecessarily mystifying claptrap.

I really like your analyses, Suenam and SteveLpool-- made me think too.

Quote
Jakim Boaz
Hello everyone, I would like to share some of my experiences with the diamondway meditation group...

Thank you for your contribution Jakim.

It seems that these are common behaviours in these DWB groups - angrily blaming other people, nationalism, arrogance, and a lack of basic courtesy which doesn't even approach compassion or loving kindness.

To me this looks like a trickle-down effect of the example set by Nydahl, and I see it as more than just taking him literally, they are following his lead and mimicking his behaviour.


Returning to the letter, Nydahl uses the phrase "utimate meaning".
In Buddhism there is the ultimate, which is beyond conceptualisation and meaning, and then there is the relative sphere of the mundane.

Nydahl's "fundamentalism" is reflected in this phrase "ultimate meaning" and suggests that he has seriously misunderstood the doctrine of emptiness (which he translates instead as "space"). What he is doing here is the equivalent to "claiming to know God's will" which we also see in other fundamentalist fanatics from the "Abrahamic" religions.

Hi Jakim.

I have to agree with most of your experiences. In particular compassion and loving kindness really do seem to be lacking with many of the practitioners I encountered. It was almost as if it was a weakness to display such qualities. There seemed to be too much focus on centre building, obsessively so, but if, when you have built your centre, you have neglected core Buddhist values then your creation really isn’t a Buddhist centre. My experience in Liverpool was much like this. One of the founders was so focused on building the centre (in a way that made me think he was doing it for recognition and Ole’s praise rather than a desire to really benefit others) that friendship almost seemed like something one had to ‘endure’ rather than cultivate. The rhetoric was that “the best way to develop was to build centres”, but really this is only a ploy to exploit member into giving time and money.

Tomek kicking water into your face and not apologising… this kind of behaviour, or rather the lack of humility after such ill-mannered outbursts, was common. It was often passed off as my “lack of insightful wisdom” when I saw these occurrences for what they were (piss-poor, loutish behaviour) rather than the embarrassing spin attributed to them (that they are designed to test my development). People queue jumping, crushing the elderly, stealing alcohol from the bar, stealing mobile phones and using food tents as toilets (when the toilets were 20 metres away) at Karma Guen were all explained away as my not “understanding” when I voiced my disgust at such “Buddhist” behaviour.

I travelled with Nydahl to Spain once. I was to accompany the group to Madrid airport for a flight to Malaga (Tomek even took my passport) only to find out at the last minute that I was cut loose and was to find my own way to the airport. If it wasn’t for the kindly intervention of a couple from the Madrid centre who, seeing I was likely to miss the flight, offered me a lift (I thank them again here). I was only needed by Nydahl for the London – Madrid part of the journey to carry bags. Once in Madrid they didn’t give a damn about me. So I’m not surprised by your experiences. I’m just glad you are out of the cult and thank you for sharing your views so that others are more cautious.

Steve

Quote
SteveLpool
...were all explained away as my not “understanding” when I voiced my disgust at such “Buddhist” behaviour.

True as this is, I personally found that responding "in kind" also failed to achieve equality or acceptance - in retrieving items stolen from me by another member I subsequently found myself on the receiving end of threats, abuse, and condemnation from the whole group.

I was then told that my very presence was an "objective" cause of disturbance to others, very similar to where Jakim writes, "complaining in german about how i was going to disturb them in the plane if i sit next to them."

The counter example is of their perceptions that Nydahl is fundamentally "good" despite some of the liberties he takes, and regardless of the views he promotes which seriously undermine the foundations of a geniune Buddhist philosophy.

I witnessed a lot of this sort of "reifying" talk in regard to perceived good and bad qualities of the "object" rather than as a result of specific interactions - something I understand to be the opposite of Buddhist thinking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2011 08:56AM by suenam.

My crime was to simply ask for an explanation as to why some members were to be ejected for not being “Diamond Way enough”. This was the reason I was told to find another group to practice with (and, although not explicitly mentioned, move out of the centre I was living in). I had given many, many hours of my time on building work on the centre. I had opened the centre and guided meditations when the leaders were away. I cleaned the toilets, kitchen and bathroom and gompa every week. I was the photographer. I recorded lectures and edited them for inclusion in the centres library. I showed visiting travelling “teachers” around Liverpool. I made small donations. Then I was “slapped in the face” for having the audacity to ask for an explanation as to why some of my friends were to be expelled. Sound like cult behaviour to you? Herr Doctor’s (my name for the male leader) pinched expressions and general overbearing attitude of superiority ensured that we ‘knew’ we were not his equal.

I just had another memory return. When Karmapa visited the centre, in addition to scraping the old paint off the garden walls and gates and painting them gold and black, cleaning the windows and tending the garden, producing a PowerPoint presentation for the event, I was to take photographs and record Karmapa’s talk in the gompa. I’m a professional recording engineer and wanted to use my own equipment to ensure Karmapa’s words were captured in the best possible quality. The leaders thought my equipment too obtrusive and demanded that I use their ‘recreational’ MP3 recorder for the job. I protested but it is futile to try to change the minds of the ‘dear’ leaders. The centre belongs to them and they dictate how things will be done. Karmapa arrives and is about to enter the gompa when their MP3 recorder starts to fail intermittently. I mentioned this to Herr Doctor, who demanded I use his recorder in the first place, and he becomes angry with me (although in a very controlled manner because he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Karmapa and his group). HE becomes angry with ME because HIS recorder has a fault!!?? Now the pressure is on me to ensure the event is recorded when, if he’d just listened to me in the first place, I could have done the job without any glitches. No apology was given to me. He couldn't admit he might have made a mistake.

I remember also sitting with other members who were complaining about the way things were dictated to us. We were given the ‘illusion’ of being able to make decisions about the running of the centre but as the final say was always with our ‘dear’ leaders our ideas were usually bounced around until we arrive at the decision THEY wanted. This made the group think they had made the decision. There was to be a meeting to discuss the colour of the new carpet for the gompa. So I playfully suggested to the group (the ‘dear’ leaders were absent) that we ask for a black carpet to see if the centre was a democracy rather than a dictatorship. After all, they were buying the carpet with OUR money. We knew the result and laughed about the very idea so, to avoid any tension, we would just play the ‘democratic meeting game’. If our ‘dear’ leaders were going to have final say on the carpet there really wasn’t any need to have a meeting, was there? Herr Doctor would become exasperated that nobody seemed interested in taking part in the meetings. Well, if you’re reading this Herr Doctor (or if one of your cronies is reading this and can pass the message on) you now know the answer.

I’ve been out of DWB for two years this Christmas. It feels good! The scars are still healing. Thanks to everyone who posts their experiences here on RR. While it’s not nice to know others have suffered it is a comfort to know I didn’t suffer alone. I wish you a peaceful 2012.

Steve

Thanks to all who shared their experiences with us. Some are really heartbraking and I wish you to heal your wounds, beeing hurted so badly in some cases. I also wish you a peaceful New Year!

Since seven years now I broke with tibetan Lamaism, not only with Nydahl. I was mistaken when I had choosen that way and it was a long journey to disavouw in a normative, cognitive and emotive manner. I studied much, researched the conception of tantric-tibetan Lamaism from an outer view and found my former devotion a real misleading by myself.

I wrote a mail to Nydahl two days ago:

"What a website the silvestercourse has this year. A quite cool satanistc outfit, how suitable, wonderful! Yes, yes, sympathy for the devil... .

Quote: "In near every society exists an anti-ethical subculture towards the dominant religion of the culture. The counterpart of Christianity is Satanism, the counterpart of Hinduism is the "left-handed Tantra" ( worship of the Goddess Kali, especially in her manifetation as Durga, Goddes of Power), inherent are practises like drinking alkohol, eating meat, as well as ritualistic sex, sometimes human sacrifices."

As is well know Mahakala was the dark site of Shiva, his consort was Kali. A nice bogey to identify with! It suits you and you know it. A bad human, an evil ghost, that`s what you said about yourself. Between you and me there are universes, and between Buddha and you too.

Marte-Micaela Riepe

Hi, Karma-mudra. Nice to see you. Happy New Year. Take care of yourself--you've been through a lot.

Yes, it's sad all the pain and suffering that is caused by unethical teachers. So often the disciples are warned not to speak badly of the Dharma, because it's a root downfall to cause others to turn away from it. And yet, many teachers themselves have caused people to abandon the Dharma, and they think nothing of the consequences of this.

Be well, Marte. I hope we see you in the New Year.

Dublin, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dublin. Let’s don’t forget. Seriously unfinished business of Mr. Ole Nydahl.

Each member has an equal right to belong.
Nydahl has to apologize for Dublin.

Dear Rick Ross Forum participants,

I would like to ask you to do a favour. On 25th of February the Dublin Diamond Way will be visited by Tomek Lehnert. As you probably all know the access to the Dublin Centre has been monopolised. There is a group of people who have been banished from the centre and it is difficult to know why and for what reason. They are prisoners of conscience, I would say … expelled for their beliefs and their advocacy to a different model of diamond way Dublin Sangha.

Some of them gave up on Ole Nydahl but some would still like to be able to practice as they do feel connected to the Karma Kagyu transmission.

It goes without saying who is responsible for that situation. Yet, Ole Nydhal did nothing to help. On the contrary, he has been ignoring the situation since 2006.

I have started a campaign asking people to write letters to traveling teachers scheduled to visit Dublin. I wonder whether you could do me this favour and send an e-mail or an anonymous e-mail to Tomek asking one basic question…why have people; who are genuine Karma Kagyu and diamond way practitioners, been banned from the Dublin diamond way centre.

We have witnessed situations when Anna S (a Polish National) called the Police to people who genuinely came to the centre to practice meditation which they feel and believe; is the essence of their soul. These people were forcefully removed and informed they were banned from the diamond way Sangha, for life, no less, by the Sangha ‘pseudo” management itself.

Why this is still allowed to happen ?! More importantly, why is it tolerated ?!

[Moderator note: Please don't post contact information here. You can communicate through the private messaging feature]


I hope you can help.

With love,

Kevin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2012 06:02AM by rrmoderator.