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Lama Ole Nydahl Lama Ole Nydahl

Lama Ole Nydahl is one of the very few Westerners who is fully qualified as a Lama and Meditation teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In December 1969 he and his wife, Hannah became the first western students of His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpai Dorje, one of the greatest yogis of this century and the head of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness had a profound influence on their lives. He asked Hannah and Ole to bring Buddhism to the West. For the last 22 years they have been traveling non-stop, teaching and setting up meditation centers around the world.

Lama Ole did his graduate work in Philosophy in Denmark and wrote his thesis on Aldous Huxley's Doors of Perception. He is the author of six books translated into many languages. He and Hannah have founded over 150 centers in the United States, Germany, Poland, Russia, South America, Japan, Australia, Canada among other countries.

"My recipe is simple: tell people the necessity of finding something which can carry them through sickness, aging and death, and don't be afraid to give them a glimpse of your joy of life. Tell people that the mind is like space: open, clear and limitless, and talk about both way and the goal."
Lama Ole Nydahl
Check his travel plan to meet him personally. Also look at the calendar of events.

Letterhead

Certificate issued by the Buddhist Institutes of the Gyalwa Karmapa regarding Lama Ole Nydahl

From 1969 until 1981 Ole Nydahl has received the Refuge, Genyen-vows, Bodhisattva-vow and many Vajrayana empowerments and instructions from the late 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and was under his direct guidance. For several years he practised and studied intensively in the Himalayas under the diredion of his Holiness Karmapa. The long Bodhisattva vow he received from Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche.

His Holiness Karmapa personally asked Ole Nydahl to spread the Dharma everywhere. He instructed him to teach with genuine compassion and loving kindness as motivation and without any wordly concern. Following H. H. the Karmapa's advice, Ole Nydahl put all his energy into teaching the Dharma all over the world, often using the nights for travelling and the days for teaching. His activity includes also helping people stop taking drugs, overcoming mental crises and supporting them in leading a normal healhy life.

After His Holiness passed away in 1981 Ole Nydahl continued his teaching activity, working even harder than before. In his constant effort, he put more energy into spreading the Dharma than most of the Buddhist teachers from the East. In 1987 Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche who represents the Karmapa's religious administration asked Ole Nydabl to see to it that people in the West do not become religious fanatics but develop a sound and practical style in their Buddhist path.

Ole Nydahl is very familiar with the Dharma, is capable to present Buddhism clearly and is therefore very successful in his teaching activity. Rumours which are spread regarding his qualification or doubts which are created concerning him are merely brougbt about due to jealousy and in order to disturb his beneficial activity. We have checked the quality of Ole Nydahl's teachings from recordings and have found nothing which is not in accordance with or against the Buddha's teachings.

Ole Nydahl does not present the Dharma in the framework of the traditional Tibetan style, such as wearing a certain robe when teaching. This, however, is also not necessary and it is complletely up to his own choice to, for example, dress himself in an informal way during teachings.

Being someone who is familiar with the Buddha's teachings and passing them compassionately on to others, Ole Nydahl therefore is a qualified teacher or Lama in the Tibetan language. In Indian and Tibetan Buddhism teachers can either be lay people or monks and nuns.
For this reason we hereby recognize Ole Nydahl as a qualified Buddhist layman-teacher, as a Lama.

On behalf of the Buddhist Institutes of Gyalwa Karmapa

Signum
Khenpo Chodrak Tenphel Rinpoche

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Most recent update: December 16th, 1996
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