By the way, has anyone seen the baby girl,who must be about 2 years old now??? Any pictures????

I saw Anne carrying her around in one of those 'strap onto your body' carriers, so that no-one actually saw the baby's face. The baby girl must be running around in the garden now at the EC, where they mostly live. Where is the baby??

Karmapa came to visit with his son a few years ago and showed him proudly around to the crowds with his wife. I find it rather strange that someone like Nydahl doesn't even think about the prospect of showing his kid to his followers. If for nothing else but to make money out of the poor thing...

Hello everyone,

I was also part of the Diamondway for over 6 years (active).Since I left, I am struggling to understand and sort out what was introduced to me as genuine modern „Buddhism“. This has been going on for many years now and it is very burdensome. I will be happy if one day, I don‘t have to think about it anymore and be completely free of DWs influence and beliefs.


I am very thankful for this forum, that gives space to talk openly and to be protected. Thank you very much for that.

Freedomofspeechmetoo# I agree with you a lot and it would be a very helpful to have a group of survivors. But I do not know how to organize it, how to build up a protected space for people to talk open and be safe.

The doctrines and beliefs communicated by the Nydahl groups are so weird. When I talked with a therapist about it, he said: „ I have never heard of this in buddhism, it must be a very primitive kind of buddhism“ so it would make sense to discuss it with people who know.

In my case, there I felt like being locked in a kind of „Borg“ cube. ( Hope here are some Trekkies around :))

Nobody forces you, yes, - BUT- if you want to go this way, being part of the centers and their habits is part of it. I remember Ole Nydahl giving refuge literally „ to the „friends“ in the center“. For me this was like have to choose between my life and the diamondway teachings.

I had doubts from the beginning and not much sympathy for Mr. Nydahl but I wanted desperately to learn about dying and death. My first thought of Mr. Nydahl when I saw him on the TV was:“Wow- great -there is knowledge about these things -but this man is presenting himself with a spiritual authority he is not entitled to.“ This is exactly what I think after all those years in DW now.

For me, Diamondway is a completely out of control personality cult about a person with a questionable high spiritual realisation and the charisma of a superstar ( or one of these skandinavian childrenbook heroes…) embedded in a culture of spiritual bypassing.

I would like to share a link, this work is quite new(2021) and I found it really interesting - it is in german and you find information about O.N. starting on page 128:

[rw-ktf.univie.ac.at]

I am struggling right now to find my way back into buddhism, which appears to be something complete different than I learned in my Diamondway days.

I have resistance to take refuge and to meditate because it reminds me of the time in the DW- a lot of anger comes up.

From my experience I advise against DW.

I hope everybody who got into this will find their way out into a truly happy authentic life with a genuine supportive spiritual guidance.

Hi :-)

thank you so much for sharing! I feel it is very important to carry on writing about our experiences with this group. Of course there are lots of messages here, also a lot about older insider information, which I found very helpful in making my decision to definitely leave the group and never look back.
However people who newly left ( I started leaving about 2 years ago the completion is done now. How sad.) have very important views, especially now that the whole thing is collapsing.

I think Europeans just about wake up and realise that buddhism was not that perfect after all and new support discussions are being held and uploaded on you tube. for those who speak German, I can recommend 'Buddha Talk' from Hamburg. There is a podium discussion and many other interviews about abuse in Buddhism. (Sexual as well as psychological.)

It would be great to have a group specifically for those who left dw, as we understand each other best. However because the group is notoriously known for suing the hell out of anyone seriously critisizing them, I'm afraid I won#t establich such a group by myself based on meeting people via here. I'm quite surprised no-one has (until now) responded in some disturbed dw manner to our recent comments as it is.

As for me, I meet up with two people who spent decades in dw and recently left, more or less with me. They help and understand me and I'm very thankfull to them for all the conversations and theit immense amount of time they have given me!!! If u ever turn up here, I love you both!!

I also found out that there are support groups in the German speaking community, they are called 'sekten Aussteiger Hilfe' for example. I myself thought of joining them and helping others, who need help to get out of any kind of cult dw or otherwise.

Also, I found a new podcast in English: Cult Hackers - The five stages of grief - but mostly anger.

[open.spotify.com]

7 of 108, you might find it helpful.

It is an ex JW podcast but I find it immensly helpful.

Well, that's all that came to my mind for now, take care and just do as much as u find right and helpful, meaningful and benificial for u. All I do nowdays is shine- meditation on the breath ( according to Shamar Rinpoche) even Chenrezi is too much of a humbug. But everyone has to decide for themselves what's right :-) if it wasn't a mormon slogan, I would say 'Choose the right' but it is just as stomach turning as any other organised religion. That's just my oppinion.

Take care!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2023 09:52PM by freedomofspeechmetoo#.

to answer my own question, I have recently heared Anne was pushing some pram around in Immenstadt, somebody saw her. Well, this somebody I talked to saw her personally. so the little girl must be at least alive. hurray!!!

How sad for her to have to be involved with this lot .. what karma... if there is such a thing at all. oh man.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2023 10:01PM by freedomofspeechmetoo#.

Dear freedomofspeechmetoo# ( couldn‘t you find a longer name ??? ;) )
Thank you for your all input!

I will not start a group either- I made my way almost out. I am not real insider, just someone who visited the center. The center I went to refused to invite a well known travellng teacher because he refers to Karmapa as his root lama and NOT Ole… this is so unbelievable! Even people who stay there ( maybe because it is their social surroundings) speak about a „ cult“ when I talked with them privately.

I have nice contacts to the Dhagpo Mandala and also to Bodhipath.

Do you know that you can join the Shine Sessions of the Bodhipath Center via zoom?

Stay strong!

Hi :)

I've chosen this name because of the T-shirt they were selling to a point. The statement 'freedom of speech' on the shirt boils my blood. Because in dw there is absolutely NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH!! So sick...

Yeah, I 've done the bodhipath thing. Whereas one thing I don't want to do anymore is cult-hopping. I' m just doing the stuff I find right, things that make sense to me only, from whatever tradition. I prefer simple things nowdays.

There is a book, printed on charity money for free: Ajahn Amaro : den fehlenden Frieden finden. It's straight forward no-nonse buddhist meditation. Great book. In any shape or form, this guy is really OK. For me, that is. He did quite a lot of podcasts as well.He is just a monk. Without a sex-cult or racist paroles or narcissistic personality traits.

Good luck with your search!
I for myself believe that we all have to find out our truths for ourselves. No schemes, no role models.

Take care!!

7 of 108 I just remembered, if u speak German u might find Stephan Pende Wormland's Podcast 'reines Gewahrsein' on Spotify interesting. He used to be in a cult and made his way out, his own views, teaching meditation I believe mostly in Austria.

Of course I remember those t-shirts, and more with some printed bs statements ,preferably combined with army shorts , tennis socks and trekking sandals.

I don‘t fear hell, I have been there! Lol

As bad as those shallow project commercials they imposed on you an their courses in order to pull your money out of pockets…
By the way do you know the film „ transmission“ they made? All these dumb standard phrases about O.N., the red eyes, the fake frozen smiles- spooky!

I am so glad, I am out!

I am also not fond of being part of a new organisation, I love to listen two different teachers of different traditions. This no problem anywhere, except in the DW .

Here is the video mentioned above

[www.youtube.com]

Here is the video „ transmission“ mentioned above

[www.youtube.com]