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SteveLpool
I sat through many talks given by travelling teachers over the years I was involved with DWB. Almost all of the travelling teacher talks were recorded at the centre I attended (and lived in for the last 12 months of my involvement) and I had the task of editing and making these recordings suitable for inclusion in the centres library resources. As a result I was able to listen to the talks by many different teachers in great detail several times over.

Without a doubt there are some very learned individuals who were able to explain the often complex Buddhist teachings in great detail. I think of Manfred Seigers as one example. I never really had an opportunity to sit and chat with him to see if all his knowledge had been put to good use thereby revealing a humanist with great compassion a quality I feel is appropriate for a Dharma teacher.

I raise this point because my experience of several travelling teachers left me quite disappointed and often had me question whether the practices actually worked!!?? I found several who were able to regurgitate what they had studied, academics amongst them, but when it came to putting the teachings into practice I found little empathy, compassion and warmth. Of course this is a subjective assessment and I am prepared to conceed that I may have been mistaken. Perhaps what I mistook for a lack of the above qualities may simply be due to cultural differences. But what I found with a number of travelling teachers was that they had filled their heads with these difficult concepts and overlooked what I consider to be a fundamental part in Buddhist teaching; the development of compassion and wisdom in equal measure.

Still other travelling teachers would arrive and talk about their adventures with Ole Nydahl. I always felt it was my duty to sit and feign how impressed I was with these Indiana Jones like adventures. Tales of Nydahl smuggling a hand gun through customs in South America, performing miracles during various stages of travel such as crashing a car into a tree only to discover that there was no impact but that the cars tyre track passed eaith side of the tree trunk (as if the car had somehow passed through a solid tree) and of his "superhuman" ability to work with almost no sleep for so many years.

I know that these talks were intended to present us with an example of a liberated teacher we could emulate. The idea being that this would propel us towards enlightenment. Nydahl would often say (and I grew tired of his clones trotting it out parrot fashion also) that it is pointless to keep checking experiences and your teacher. Perhaps he meant experiences with your teacher? But as I have said before on this forum, if we wish to cross a frozen lake we would quite rightly check the integrity of the ice before we ventured out across it. Only a fool would assume that because the ice didn't break for the first ten steps that the integrity with hold all the way to the other side!!!

This seemed to me like Nydahl (and his devotees) were trying to influence us. "If you check it and it seems OK then don't keep questioning it..... just relax and accept". If something seems to go against your values (Nydahl calls these "stiff ideas") then it is simply down to you lack of realisation.... because the Lama (in this case Nydahl) cannot be wrong!!!

So what did I learn from Nydahl's travelling teachers? A couple of them really did present some excellent talks which resulted in a deeper understand for me and a wish to understand more of the Buddhas profound teaching. To these few I say thank you. I feel your motivation was to share something precious out of a genuine wish to benefit others.

From the rest of his teachers..... I was given the impression that Nydahl is a juggernaut of an ego!!! I was left wondering just what these people really knew of Buddha's teachings? To wax lyrical about your adventures with Nydahl does not constitute a Dharma talk.... in my opinion.

And for the handful of others I encountered who saw the travelling teacher program as an opportunity to propogate race hate then shame on you.

Several UK travelling teachers I spoke to were also often dismayed with Nydahls rants against Islam but as far as I know never made a formal protest to him. I suspect this was so as not to lose their privileged travelling teacher status? Travelling teachers have their expenses met by the centres they attend on their itinery. They are given free food and lodging by the centres they visit. I do not find anything untoward in this. As far as I know non of the travelling teachers are paid for their work. But still there is a degree of kudos to be had as a travelling teacher. I have seen how they are fawned over at courses. I can only guess but I suspect the ego must bask in a warm glow of satisfaction given the amount of attention given to travelling teachers.

These are just my observation. Of course you must go and check out DWB for yourselves. But just because it "feels good" doesn't mean that it is good. Many find an active social group and friends to hang out with. This is fine. Just do not confuse this good feeling with a developing understanding of Buddha's teachings. If you find something is uncomfortable or doesn't meet with what you have come to accept as decent moral conduct then question it. DO NOT accept the idea that it is because of your lack of understanding. It might be due to a lack of understanding BUT it is your duty of care to yourself to question and check and oppose those things that are deemed unhealthy.

Afterall this is what Nydahl claims he is doing by being so forthright in his views on other religions, sexuality and politics.S

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herbieZH
Hi all,

after reading through the whole thread here almost continuosly because most of it reflects my own experiences with DWB (since about 7 years)
I also want to add something on my own even though 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.

In the last courses I attended (sometime around 2008) Ole was giving empowerment in Kalachakra. This alone may be OK but he motivated
this with all who took part in this empowerement - by doing so - to promise to defend Dharma actively against Islam.
Being always critical about Ole talking about Islam I refused two times to take this empowerment. When I did so most of the other sangha
members around me were dissapointed if not angry in my denial. This really puzzled me.

Anyone else having these experiences? I do not know a lot about the true nature and history of the Kalachakra. I only remember reading somewhere
that even the Dalai Lama was accused to give teachings about it without revealing its true nature which might really has something to do with anxiety about
being dominated by Islam once. In this regard Ole may be even more open about that. But the feeling that by "group force" you are asked to take
part in this even if you don't like it is not OK to me. And 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.

Cheers,

Herbie

BTW: I got to find this place here because - by chance - I found in the DWB newsletters some messages about the recent Shamarpa letters. Since
they have been removed before I got to read them myself I searched for ressources where to find them still. So I am really thankful to have met
many people here which are truely independent and critical thinking people, just the "brand" Ole thinks he is surrounded by. What a pity that DWB
is suffering from such a brain drain! Maybe, if we all had stayed, we could have made a difference! Not enough energy on my side though. I am now
looking for new teachers. Any suggestions where I can start my search (living in Switzerland).

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jah
herbieZH,

I am really curious what kind of kalachakra empowerment Ole was giving. Traditionally, if I am remembering correctly, there are a series of eleven possible empowerments. Was he giving one for the whole thing, do you recall. I'm also wondering who empowered him?

And yeah, that is pretty weird making people take a vow like that before an empowerment like that. Kalachakra is all about the energy of time and can thus have a very powerful effect on the world. Dalai Lama comes under criticism mainly because it is possible to have a destructive influence if the intent is not correct. He does it for peace. But doing it to resist Islam?!

What was your sense of this?