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Ayushman

That is very true and very well put. It is one of the best guidelines when looking for a teacher. A good teacher points beyond himself to the lineage and to the authentic Dharma transmission. There is no ego trip involved. True humility, honesty and simplicity are the hallmarks of all genuine teachers.

Incidentally, there is a very good piece about the qualifications of a genuine teacher, posted on Shamar Rinpoche's own website. There is even a clear allusion about Mr. Nydahl inside...

[www.shamarpa.org]

By coincidence, I just found the same article you mentioned on Shamar Rinpoches website and wanted to post it here but then I found you citing it already. Funny enough, there is an earlier article on the same side which is even more clearly demonstrating what he thinks of Ole:

[www.shamarpa.org]

If I may, I add just two paragraphs from this article:

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Shamar Rinpoche
To need a teacher does not mean that you have to hang onto him like a blind person to his seeing-eye dog.

Kkö-info: What do you really mean by this example?

Rinpoche: I am talking about people who when they meet the Dharma become extremists and turn into groupies. They run around in tee shirts printed with OM MANI PEME HUNG mantras. They would love to slip into the skin of their teacher. They even try to sound like their teacher, to imitate him in a certain way.

Thanks all for keeping this thread alive and for the new insightful contributions.
Ole is meant to visit my hometown this month and I am stuggling to decide if I should try to organise a kind of protest or at least going to his "lecture" and confronting him directly by asking questions related to the issues discussing here? I know that some people suggested to report Ole's activity to the Home Office and try to stop him from coming on the ground of promoting racial hatred. Are all these tactics worth anything or eduction through this forum or others is enough to make people aware of Ole's fraud? I would like to know what are your thoughts on this?
I think it is our duty as buddhists to expose Ole's distorted views, but what is the best way to do it?

Confronting him in public is of no use at all. It has been done numerous times before. You will be quite surprised at how well organized his brainwashed students are and how you will be totally ignored or ridiculed. You don't stand a chance, I think, and it will be counterproductive because they will spin all your questions to make you look ridiculous.

Public education and some kind of protest activity may be a good idea though, as long as it all stays in the form of citizen initiative or something like that. I don't think you should do it using the name of a legitimate Buddhist group or center, though, since this too will be immediately portrayed as sectarian rivalry.

If I were you I would just print a short pamphlet simply stating that Ole is not a qualified teacher and is leading a cult, and giving a whole list of legitimate Dharma centers and teachers in the area, from all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. This way no one can accuse you of anything. If this is made in a very dignified way and handled politely to the participants as they approach the venue, it may have good effect.

What about contacting local/regional journalists beforehand, give them all the information which is stored here and let THEM ask all the questions? If they get ridiculed they will certainly expose this in their newspaper/journal article..... Not that I want to suggest to "abuse" them, they should be prepared of what they might be facing...

Thanks for the good tips, Of course I don't want to do anything outside the law or unethical. You are right regarding sectarianism, you could already see that DWB is using their minority status (regarding the karmapa controversy) to justify their paranoia and the control freakiness of their organisation.
Just a quick note, I am not affiliated to any center, I have been shocked and saddened by my short experience with DWB and I don't want people to get damaged or by association to give a bad press to tibetan buddhism in general.

Hi there, maybe some one can help me with a question/source.
Over the last years I heard from different sources that Chögyam Trungpa was very critical of Ole Nydahl and that he posted wanted posters in his centers in the USA which had an image of Ole on it and which announced that Ole Nydahl were not welcomed there.

As far as I recognized Ole seems to mention often Chögyam Trungpa in the presence of his followers to justify his own actions as "crazy wisdom", in such a context it would be interesting to know exactly what CT actually said about Ole Nydahl.

If there is anybody who has a copy of that wanted poster or the text of it, please be so kind to contact me.
A person I asked couldn't find it so far but confirmed its existence.

You can also contact me by email and in case you have a copy/scan of that wanted poster, please be so kind to provide it.
Thanks a lot,
tenzin

[www.flickr.com]

Recently heard direct from a disciple of Ole he following quote:

"If you commit suicide you will be reborn an African"

I kid you not, straight out of the horses mouth and so glaringly ignorant that it could only come from one consumed by the party line

[www.flickr.com]

Buddhist Marriage??????

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Outsider
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanghasuomi/2995834264/in/set-72157608599431719

Recently heard direct from a disciple of Ole he following quote:

"If you commit suicide you will be reborn an African"

I kid you not, straight out of the horses mouth and so glaringly ignorant that it could only come from one consumed by the party line

Wow... I don't know if I want to laugh or cry.

Do you think Ole woke up one morning thinking " I have a great business plan" let's mix pop buddhism and white supremacist theories and see if it becomes popular..."

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Alchi

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Outsider
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanghasuomi/2995834264/in/set-72157608599431719

Recently heard direct from a disciple of Ole he following quote:

"If you commit suicide you will be reborn an African"

I kid you not, straight out of the horses mouth and so glaringly ignorant that it could only come from one consumed by the party line

Wow... I don't know if I want to laugh or cry.

Do you think Ole woke up one morning thinking " I have a great business plan" let's mix pop buddhism and white supremacist theories and see if it becomes popular..."

I think the answer is much more simple: Having been a member of DWB for about 6 years and attending several of his lectures in that time I came to the conclusion that Ole is hopelessly naive and credulous. Thats in my point of view the source of most if not all problems of him, his teachings and his groups that have been mentioned here.
Remember someone mentioned here some time ago the story that Ole seemed to really believe that Uri Geller has some special powers? Goes in the same direction!

Being a scientist myself at one point I got curious about Ole's "scientific" arguments he often uses to back up his thoughts. When I started researching the foundations of the works he is "citing" I quickly came to the conclusion that his understanding of it is rather poor, to say the least. I think one can transfer this diagnosis to his world view and also his understanding of buddhism. To me this is simply sad but the consequences are dangerous because his students take over his naive and simplicistic viewpoints and believe system. However, the way I perceived Ole is not of one being knowingly manipulative to his students. His success has probably risen above his head and made him kind of "drunk" in a special way. Maybe amplifiying the effect I mentioned above over time.

Just an intersting thought: Maybe this is a pattern being more common that one would think: Being overly succesful in our society seems to make an individual euphoric and "drunk" and more and more separates him/her from reality, like pop starts, managers, bankers.... Is there any pschological study on this phenomenon?