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Diamond Way Buddhism

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This article concerns a specific organization. See Vajrayana, which can also be referred to as Diamond Way Buddhism.

Diamond Way Buddhism is a new religious movement originating from the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. that was founded in 1972. Ole Nydahl is the group's founder and leader. It was created as an attempt to create a 'western Buddhism', from Tibetan Buddhism, by removing certain practices and adding others.[vague]

Founding of Diamond Way

The development of Diamond Way Buddhism began in 1972, when Hannah and Ole Nydahl returned to Denmark after meeting the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.[1] On his return, Ole Nydahl founded Diamond Way, with the first centre in his home town of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Development of Diamond Way

in 1973, The 16th Karmapa visited Europe. Ole and Hannah Nydahl once again met with him and followed him during his travels in Europe.[2][3]

After the 16th Karmapa left Europe, Ole Nydahl himself began travelling across Europe and founding new centres following his Diamond Way group. The number of Diamond Way centres steadily increased over time, particularly in Germany and Poland.[4] He later also travelled to the United States and across South America and Russia founding more Diamond Way centres.

The first Diamond Way Buddhism website was launched in 1997.[5]

Karmapa Controversy

In 1992 controversy erupted over the recognition of the 17th Karmapa when Tai Situ Rinpoche announced Ogyen Trinley Dorje as his candidate for the title. The scandal forced Hannah and Ole Nydahl to take sides. They felt they could not accept a Karmapa who was accepted by the Chinese government.[6]

Although an alternative candidate to Ogyen Trinley Dorje had not yet been revealed, they trusted Shamar Rinpoche, who stated that the prediction letter presented by Tai Situ was forged. Although the majority of Tibetan lamas, including the Dalai Lama, supported Tai Situ’s choice, Hannah and Ole Nydahl supported Shamar Rinpoche, who stood in opposition.[7]

During the two years before Thaye Dorje was announced as Shamar Rinpoche’s candidate for the title of 17th Karmapa, all Karma Kagyu Buddhist centres choose whether to accept Dorje, who was recognised by Tai Situ, the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government, or to support Shamar Rinpoche. During the 1990s, while the majority of Kagyu monasteries chose to accept Ogyen Trinley Dorje, all Diamond Way centres under Ole Nydahl accepted Thaye Dorje. [8]

Ideals of Diamond Way Buddhist Centres

Diamond Way describes itself as an adaptation of the Karma Kagyu to Western culture, combined with a need to dispense with unnecessary Tibetan customs, trappings and organisational structures,[9] They feel this has culminated in a distinct Western approach and style of practice.

Ole Nydahl describes Diamond Way as a lay tradition offering methods for people who have jobs, partners, families and responsibilities, and calls the hierarchy a 'meritocracy'. He states "...our work is grown on the basis of friendship and trust... since the Diamond Way teachings aim to bring freedom and independence, it is people who already have those qualities who are generally attracted to our centers."[10] He also says he is keen to avoid what was perceived to be the more exotic or ritualistic aspects of Tibetan Buddhism such as pujas sung in Tibetan with Tibetan musical accompaniment. In 1998 Ole Nydahl stated "I simply don’t want the gifted and critical people who discover us to step right into a puja, as has repeatedly happened in the past. They then think they landed with the Catholics or some sect, and we won’t get a second chance to benefit them or their like-minded friends." [11] Instead, most mediation texts (except mantras) are translated and used in native European languages.[12]

Practices

Diamond Way has many meditation and ritual practices. At a typical group meeting, members will do the "16th Karmapa meditation", where the practitioner identifies with the enlightened qualities of the 16th Karmapa, in order to develop these. This is then usually followed by the "Invocation of Black Coat", sung in Tibetan.

Individual practitioners then usually do a preliminary practice called the ngöndro, consisting of 111,111 repetitions each of 4 different meditation rituals. The ngöndro is required to be completed before practitioners can move on to other practices. In most cases, following completion of ngöndro, students practice a meditation on the Eighth Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje, called "The Guru Yoga in Four Sessions" (Tibetan Tun Shi Lame Naljor).

Other practices include a variant of the meditation on Chenrezig (Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara) composed by the 12th Century siddha Tang Tong Gyalpo and the phowa (transference of consciousness at the time of death).

One must receive a "transmission" from Ole Nydahl at one of his lectures before being authorised to practise any of these rituals. [13] [14]

Controversies

See also: Ole Nydahl - Controversies

Template:English sources

Ole Nydahl, founder and leader of Diamond Way, has been criticised for using the title of Lama, despite having not completed the usual three year retreat often required to take on such a title.[citation needed]

The Willamette Week newspaper, winner of the Pulitzer prize for Investigative Reporting [15] describe him as "a friendly person who does really care for the person he's talking to", and that "it's easy to understand why people flock to the Lama."[16] However, "some Buddhists are turned off by his skydiving, openly sexual, rockstar personality, in many ways the opposite of the common image of the Buddhist as a monk who stays above the sins of the world by retreating from them the meditate his life away in a temple. Others can forgive him the sex and motorcycles, but simply find his remarks about Islam to be xenophobic."[16]

Oliver Freiberger assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, noted in year 2000 that Ole Nydahl “makes statements and takes part in activities that offend a number of Buddhists who claim that his conduct is not appropriate for a Buddhist teacher.”[17] He refers to the German Buddhist Union's periodical Lotusblatter, where Ole Nydahl has been accused for speaking in a conceited and militaristic way, being right wing, racist, sexist, and hostile to foreigners. Activities like bungee jumping, fast motor cycles and parachuting also annoy some Buddhists.[17]

Martin Baumann, Professor at the University of Bern (Swiss), remarked in a 2005 interview that critics accuse Ole Nydahl of teaching a kind of "Buddhism light" or "Instant Buddhism" and that he agrees with them when he hears Nydahl's "alarmingly superficial phrases".[18]

Responses to the controversies

Ole Nydahl has said that "the teacher must act as he speaks. He should also not simply avoid confrontational subjects but point out the causes of future trouble like overpopulation in ghettos and poor countries, and the growth of Islam. If a teacher always tells sweet nothings he is not protecting his students. He must be willing to offend some. This is his responsibility." [19] and "one should always insist on a healthy sense of humour and check that one’s helpers and examples on the way are not strange and don’t take themselves too seriously. It is especially important that they have a healthy, not frustrated view of sexuality, and they do not blindly follow politically correct trends but trust themselves.”[20]

Trinley Thaye Dorje, one of the two 17th Karmapa candidates and head of one of the branches of Karma Kagyu, states "Lama Ole Nydahl is one of the closest disciples of my predecessor (the 16th Karmapa) and qualified teacher who transmits the flawless teachings of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Through his activity over the last three decades, he has benefited many by presenting the profound methods of the Buddhas and the Diamond Way is one of the many methods relevant to the people in the West"[21]

The 14th Shamarpa, Mipham Chokyi Lodro, the second highest lama within the same branch of Karma Kagyu, refers to Ole Nydahl as a "Buddhist Master" who "transmits the blessing and activity of the Karma Kagyud Lineage" (1983)[22] and stated that it is "absolutely appropriate" for him "to hold the title of Lama" (2006)[23]

The London Diamond Way group has issued a statement responding to these controversies, stating that they believe them to be part of a "smear campaign" and call them "false, libelous allegations". [24]

See also

Template:Buddhism2

References

  1. ^ Nydahl, Ole "Entering the Diamond Way, Tibetan Buddhism Meets the West", Blue Dolphin Publishing (1999). ISBN 978-0-931892-03-5
  2. ^ Karmapa.org website
  3. ^ Nydahl, Ole "Riding the Tiger, Twenty Years on the Road - The Risks and Joys of Bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West", Blue Dolphin Publishing (1992). ISBN 978-0-931892-67-7
  4. ^ Nydahl, Ole "Riding the Tiger, Twenty Years on the Road - The Risks and Joys of Bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West", Blue Dolphin Publishing (1992). ISBN 978-0-931892-67-7
  5. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.kkbn.com Archive of early Diamond Way Buddhism website
  6. ^ Lehnert, Tomek "Rogues in Robes, An Inside Chronicle of a recent Chinese-Tibetan Intrigue in the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Diamond Way Buddhism", Blue Dolphin Publishing (1998). ISBN 1-57733-026-9
  7. ^ Lehnert, Tomek "Rogues in Robes, An Inside Chronicle of a recent Chinese-Tibetan Intrigue in the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Diamond Way Buddhism", Blue Dolphin Publishing (1998). ISBN 1-57733-026-9
  8. ^ http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/export/en/content/olenydahl/bt4ole.html 1998 Interview with Ole Nydahl
  9. ^ http://www.shamarpa.org/teachings/no-need.php teaching by Shamar Rinpoche from his personal website
  10. ^ http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/export/en/content/olenydahl/bt4ole.html 1998 Interview with Ole Nydahl
  11. ^ http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/export/en/content/olenydahl/bt4ole.html 1998 Interview with Ole Nydahl
  12. ^ http://www.dwbuk.org/buddhism/meditations
  13. ^ http://dwbuk.org/buddhism/meditations/ Diamond Way's descriptions of their rituals
  14. ^ https://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/Ole_Nydahl_Diamond_Way_Buddhist_books Diamond Way ritual books on Wikileaks
  15. ^ http://wweek.com/about/
  16. ^ a b http://wweek.com/wwire/?p=16747
  17. ^ a b Oliver Freiberger, Department for the Study of Religion University of Bayreuth, Germany, in Inter-Buddhist and Inter-Religious Relations in the West
  18. ^ Baumann, Martin 2005: Interview Neue Luzerner Zeitung, 04/11/2005, "Eine Art Buddhismus Light?"
  19. ^ http://www.lama-ole-nydahl.org/olesite/pages/dway/teacherstudent.html
  20. ^ http://www.futureofbuddhism.com/budlamateach.htm
  21. ^ "The Way Things Are"; 2008 edition; O Books, www.o-books.net
  22. ^ see document 2 on Ole Nydahl's website
  23. ^ see document 3 on Ole Nydahl's website
  24. ^ Statement by London Diamond Way group about controversies surrounding them
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