BackAtHome iam not sure about this part of your reaserch:
""... my own experiences with DWB (since about 7 years) ... most important issues I second have been raised by several member of the group here, most prominently by SteveLpool, suenam, Outsider, kate, and Wangdrag but also others. ... Ole was giving empowerment in Kalachakra. ... he motivated this with all who took part ... to promise to defend Dharma actively against Islam. ... I refused two times to take this empowerment. ... most of the other sangha members around me were dissapointed if not angry in my denial. ... I do not know a lot about the true nature and history of the Kalachakra. ... even the Dalai Lama was accused to give teachings about it without revealing its true nature ... I got the feeling that Ole is even proud to collect such an 'army' of followers who are willing to fight to protect Dharma against Islam." (page 48, herbiezh, july 21 2010) "
I don't think Ole ever gave any empowerments. May be he advised people to get Kalachakra empowerment from other Lamas,Dalai Lama or Sakya Trinzin and others. He does not have relevant "education" to give empowerments. Lama Ole and DW work in very traditional way talking about teachings it is "Four Prelimienaries" and (usualy) eight Karmapa practice. All together they practice Phowa be it a course or in a centre. In my experience I never heard of Ole giving empowerments.
While writing this I am realising one thing, Ole with Diamond Way always had some enemies to fight, how bizzare is that
be it Orgley Trinley Dorje followers or German Buddhist community, Muslims and Christians in London, Shamarpa at one point. There seems is always someone against them, may be that is what make them tick together , "them against us"
Hopefully one day someone will tell them that there is no them or us.
I realy hope, as I said before DW has a lot of potential to be exellent Buddhist organisation.

Some words of wisdom from Shamarpa...

[www.shamarpa.org]

Good meditation teachers…

will likely stay in a quiet, isolated place such as a cave or small hut in the mountains. For the most part, great meditators are not people who are known widely as highly ranked spiritual teachers. Instead, they have spent many years of their lives in retreat…

Teachers who travel regularly may not be the best meditation teachers.

Add to that the more exceptional experiences like having devotees invite one to many events, and it is not difficult to understand that such a mind may already be distracted.

Just like a good meditation teacher, someone who wants to be a good meditator must also renounce attachment to worldly life. A meditator should live simply, without too many responsibilities, and without ambition. In order to focus, you must be willing to renounce.


[www.shamarpa.org]

We are often impressed by speakers who dazzle us with their charisma. Powerful personalities can bring out strong emotions in their audiences. Speakers or teachers who are entertaining, provocative or engaging can motivate us to act. Today, it seems as if a teacher must become a “motivational speaker” to have any students at all.

Buddhist teachers should teach the teaching of Buddha, not their own teaching.

Depend not on dualistic or logical and conceptual mind, which is illusion, this maxim says, but on non-dualistic mind. Go underneath, don’t follow illusion as usual. Please do not forget that no matter how impressive or convincing our thoughts are, ultimate reality is beyond their reach.

Is it a sign of a decadent age that most people today behave in a way opposite to these precepts? They pile up one mistake on top of another without respite. People mislead themselves and then one person misleads another who in turn passes on wrong thinking to yet others, creating an endless chain of error. Please, don’t let yourself get caught in this chain.

He probably relies on people to heed these indirect hints.

Wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

And let us not forget, in the cultures where these teachers originated from, nothing and no one could be allowed to interfere with getting crops planted and harvested on time.

@ seunam

You may dismiss my opinion since I do not have any time for Shamar but it seems very strange that he would make veiled suggestions as you imply that people should stay away from Nydahl and then write a completely clear and forthright letter dismissing all allegations against Ole and providing unequivocal support.

The article you quote dates from June 21 2009. the letter on Ole's site appears to be a lot more recent than that. If it is a veiled attack on Nydahl it represents a period when relations were more frosty than they are now apparently. I can understand why you do not want to think that Shamar supports Nydahl unequivocally but trailing out an old teaching that might be construed as referring to Nydahl does seem like catching at straws.

Shamar's letter says that Ole's centers are "free from any scandals or fabricated teachings" and "Lama Ole is a genuine teacher". You know as well as I do that neither of those statements is true.

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warrenz
@ seunam

You may dismiss my opinion since I do not have any time for Shamar but it seems very strange that he would make veiled suggestions as you imply that people should stay away from Nydahl and then write a completely clear and forthright letter dismissing all allegations against Ole and providing unequivocal support.

The article you quote dates from June 21 2009. the letter on Ole's site appears to be a lot more recent than that. If it is a veiled attack on Nydahl it represents a period when relations were more frosty than they are now apparently. I can understand why you do not want to think that Shamar supports Nydahl unequivocally but trailing out an old teaching that might be construed as referring to Nydahl does seem like catching at straws.

Shamar's letter says that Ole's centers are "free from any scandals or fabricated teachings" and "Lama Ole is a genuine teacher". You know as well as I do that neither of those statements is true.

I view it as sound advice and a reinforcement of what I take to be sound Buddhist practice rather than an attack on anyone in particular - that's why I fail to see why the dates are relevant - given that the ideas found there may also be found in texts from over 1000 years ago, I fail to see how one from 3 years ago could be called "old".

You may wish to speculate on Shamarpa's motivation and political intentions, but it seems to me that one thing remains clear, at least at face value Shamarpa is teaching the Dharma.

It strikes me that what Nydahl teaches is something different, but whether it has struck Shamarpa yet I cannot say - I've never seen him in a Nydahl lecture, and while it is possible that he has a hidden agenda, at least from where I'm looking he has seemed to make some effort to encourage Nydahl to get back in line without alienating him completely. I find it hard to believe that Shamarpa is unaware of the situation, but clearly he isn't ready to give up DWB as a lost cause just yet.

While the apparently recent letter may suggest his support is unequivocal, the message from his website is fairly clear - personal views involving political and dualistic grasping at relative worldly truths only serve to detract from the genuine teachings of the Buddha, as Corboy says, "He probably relies on people to heed these indirect hints."

Do you seriously think that just because Nydahl hasn't developed the subtlety to understand that yet invariably means that Shamarpa should just write him off along with the whole DWB following?

Recently there have been some speculations here why Sharmapa might speak out for or against Ole Nydal. I can not imagine the Sharmapa to speak out against Ole, if Ole does not attack TB or all the Lamas or Sharmapa directly. Why should he? He might say Ole is a genuine teacher even if he does not aggree with several standpoints of Ole, like view on Islam or his sexual behavior. He does not have to demand Ole being perfect. He knows Ole is getting old. Ole will die someday. Nobody knows what will happen wit all the Diamond Way Centers and their followers. Chances that Sharmapa and his organizations will profit from that are good, so why should he waste this potential by making Ole his enemy?

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Nyalaana
Recently there have been some speculations here why Sharmapa might speak out for or against Ole Nydal. I can not imagine the Sharmapa to speak out against Ole, if Ole does not attack TB or all the Lamas or Sharmapa directly. Why should he? He might say Ole is a genuine teacher even if he does not aggree with several standpoints of Ole, like view on Islam or his sexual behavior. He does not have to demand Ole being perfect. He knows Ole is getting old. Ole will die someday. Nobody knows what will happen wit all the Diamond Way Centers and their followers. Chances that Sharmapa and his organizations will profit from that are good, so why should he waste this potential by making Ole his enemy?

Yes, this is one aspect of the situation. I think that also there seems to be a tradition in Tibetan/Buddhist politics to play one's cards close to the chest, which also overlaps with the idea that it is somehow viewed as un-Buddhist to openly and directly attack others. The fact that Shamarpa may profit is one side of the equation, but he has also taken a Bodhisattva vow to help all beings attain enlightenment, and those two aspects are not mutually exclusive.

This wait and see by the Sharmpa may be rationalized as skillful means.

*Assume what Ole is doing is already known about. Why add fuel to the fire?

*Figure that at least people who might otherwise never be exposed to the Dharma are hearing about it from Ole. This will give them a better future lifetime and they will advance on the Dharma path

*Waiting until Ole N becomes incapacitated will buy time, and eventually the Sharmapa will be called in to mediate and be in a position to take some or all control of the DW Gompa. (I would term it a fiefdom, but thats my cynical opinion)

Skillful means.

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corboy
*Waiting until Ole N becomes incapacitated will buy time, and eventually the Sharmapa will be called in to mediate and be in a position to take some or all control of the DW Gompa. (I would term it a fiefdom, but thats my cynical opinion)

Skillful means.

While I appreciate your cynicism, and equally warrenz's reasons for viewing Shamarpa in that way, I can't help but see that scenario as several steps in the right direction.

I attended a local DWC for two years and this June I decided to attend the Powa Course with Ole L. in Karma Guen - Spain. It was really a nightmare.
We were in 600 to attend the first Powa. Ole L. from the stage above us followed the meditations, ehich almost always ended at midnight. More than 1400 followe the Powa (no for the first time) and we are all sit in a Gompa. Really press. It seemed to be at a U2 concert non at a Buddism praticve seclusion. Peple brough him the photos of people who died less than a month and he said that he would help these dead people to go into the land of Dewachen. He heps people, who already died to go to Dewache. But is it possible?
All the marketing that surronds it is incredible. All the shops sold photos of him and his wifwe.
I had non help from Powa and ene not the famous sign on my head. People in DWC said me that is the reason because I don't want to follow Ole any more. But is not the reason. I found that the Buddism of DW is too superficial to be a good Buddism. I received three initation in three daus. How is it possible.
After Powa, arrived the XVII Karmapa. Pedro, the owner of Karma Guen, donated the entire center (bulding - Gompa - Fields - everything) to Karmapa and the Buddism Center in New Dehli.
Is this the reason why the XVI and the XVII Karmapa acceped the Buddism of the DW Center and the life of Ole? The people followed Ole followed the Karmapa. That's the reason?. Peope,money and real estate increases.
The last day Ole ask all the people to donate money for the costuction of new dormitories and new Gompa for the European Center in Monaco.
They raised €. 6.000.000,00 and they need €. 8.000.000,00 not to run up debts with banks.
He said "if during the last year you've bought something new you have holes in your pockets or you really not needed it. Donate money to the European Center?.
He always says that he travels around a world twice a year. How does it pay the airplane tickets?Taxi? I ask all of you: Is this the real Buddishm?