Hotchkiss Preparatory School, Year Abroad Program: Connecticut, USA, 1959

University of Copenhagen, 1960 - 1969

• Studied Philosophy, English, and German

• Exchange Program for one semester at Universities in Tuebingen and Munich, Germany

• Philosophy and English literature degree, dissertation topic: "Aldous Huxley and the Gratifying Vision"

Buddhist Training

1968 - present

Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah made their first direct contact with Buddhism in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1968 through Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, a prominent lama in the Himalayas. The following year they became the first Western students of H.H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.

• Since then Ole Nydahl and Hannah have received and practiced the most important empowerments and teachings within the Karma Kagyu School such as:

  • Mahamudra (The Great Seal - Tib. Chag Chen, the highest Buddhist view on the nature of mind) and Kagyu Nagdzo (the collected treasure of the main Karma Kagyu transmissions) received from the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa (1976).

  • Bodhisattva promise (the commitment to dedicate one's life to the enlightenment of others) received from Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, the second lama in the Karma Kagyu lineage (1970)

  • Ngondro (the preliminary practices) received from Kalu Rinpoche (1970-71)

  • Kagyu Nagdzo received from Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1989)

  • Kalachakra (The Wheel of Time transmission) from Kalu Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche (1985),
    H.H. Dalai Lama (1985), Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche (1994)

  • Six Yogas of Naropa (advanced tantra practices within the Kagyu transmission) received from
    Situ Rinpoche (1975)

  • Phowa (the practice on conscious dying) from Ayang Rinpoche (1972)

  • Chik Sche Kundrol (a collection of Kagyu empowerments) from Tenga Rinpoche

  • Rinchen Terdzo (treasure of Nyingma transmissions) from Kalu Rinpoche (1983)

  • Various other empowerments and teachings from the above masters as well as from Beru Kyentse Rinpoche, Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Ogyen Tulku Rinpoche, Bokar Rinpoche, Gyaltrul Rinpoche and others.

• Ole Nydahl was given the title of Buddhist Master and lama from Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche in 1982. Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche asked Lama Ole to give the Phowa practice to Western and Chinese students of Buddhism. Lama Ole taught his first Phowa course in Graz, Austria in 1987. He has given the Phowa practice to over 50,000 students around the world to this day.

Organization of Buddhist Teachers' Tours in the West

1973 - present

• Arranged tours and lectures in Europe, and later in the Americas and Australia for the highest Tibetan Buddhist teachers including: H.H. 16th Gyalwa Karmapa (1974 and 1977), Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Beru Kyentse Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, Topga Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, Bokar Rinpoche, Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, Ayang Rinpoche.

• Invited H.H. 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje to Europe for the first time (2000). Karmapa initiated and taught over 15,000 students in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, and Denmark.

Teaching Activity

1972 - present

• Following the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa's wish, Ole Nydahl returned to Copenhagen in 1972 "to make the deep wisdom of Tibet accessible to our part of the world and open the minds of the extroverted West to things as unfamiliar as mantras and meditation."

• In 1972 Ole Nydahl and his wife Hannah were received by Her Majesty Margaret, Queen of Denmark and presented the Queen with a letter from the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa introducing Hannah and Ole Nydahl as qualified Buddhist Teachers. Hannah and Ole Nydahl offered Queen Margaret a statue of "White Liberatrice" from the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa's monastery in Rumtek, Sikkim, India.

• In November 1972, Ole Nydahl lectured for the first time at The Teachers' College in Denmark. He has been on a constant teaching tour since, lecturing nearly every day in a different city around the world.

• In 1972 he gave for the first time the Buddhist Refuge to a group of friends in Graz, Austria. Lama Ole has given Buddhist Refuge to over a quarter of a million people all over the world to this day.
  

• Lama Ole introduced the Karma Kagyu Buddhist Dharma in Denmark (1972), Sweden (1972), Norway (1972) Austria (1972), Germany (1974), Greece (1974), Finland (1975), Belgium (1975), Poland (1975), South Africa (1978), Malta (1986), Czechoslovakia (1987) and later in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary (1988), Soviet Union (1989) and after the Soviet Union collapse in Russia (1992), Ukraine (1992), Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (1996). In Peru (1990), Yugoslavia (1991), Romania (1991), Bulgaria (1992), Guatemala (1999).

• Established Karma Kagyu Diamond Way Buddhist centers in the above mentioned countries and in the following countries around the world: Italy, United Kingdom, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, El Salvador, Uruguay, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Japan. Lama Ole has established over 400 Diamond Way Buddhist centers to this day. He also lectured in Ireland, India, Nepal, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Ecuador, and Tahiti.
  

• Due to his activity, Karma Kagyu Buddhism became an official religion in the then communist Poland and in Austria, Denmark, Russia, Ukraine and Greece.

• Since 1975, Ole and Hannah Nydahl have been regularly taking groups of Buddhist friends on pilgrimages in India and Nepal. The tours included Buddhist Dharma programs. In 1986 they traveled to Tibet with forty friends where they helped to rebuild Tsurphu, a Kagyu monastery near Lhasa. In 1987, Ole and Hannah Nydahl organized the first western Buddhist pilgrimage to the kingdom of Bhutan.
  

• Since the mid 1980s Lama Ole has sent his trained students from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Russia, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States to teach Buddhist philosophy and meditation worldwide.
  

• Lama Ole has further spread the Buddhist teaching through frequent appearances in the media of TV and radio in several countries including, the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Denmark and Latin America.

Organization

Lama Ole's activity has been organized into non-profit, religious, national associations under the spiritual guidance of the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Thaye Dorje. For example, the Diamond Way Buddhist Centers, USA, were established as a North American non-profit umbrella organization in 1994.

English Publications

Entering the Diamond Way (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1983. 3rd printing). Describes his and his wife's, Hannah, meeting with their Buddhist teacher, 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, in the Himalayas.

Practical Buddhism (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1989) The beginner student of Buddhism learns how to make all experience into a step on the direct path to Enlightenment.

Ngondro (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1990. 2nd printing) An instructional guide to the four foundational meditation practices in the Karma Kagyu lineage.

Mahamudra (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1991) A brief commentary on a wishing prayer for the attainment of enlightenment by the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339).

Riding the Tiger (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1992) Continues the story of Ole and Hannah's journey to bring Tibetan Buddhism to the West.

Teachings on the Nature of Mind (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1993) A condensed version of Kalu Rinpoche's teachings, made accessible to Westerners.

The Way Things Are (Blue Dolphin, Nevada City, 1996) A clear and concise introductory guide to Buddhism, as well as a tool for more experienced practitioners.

Lama Ole's books have so far been translated and published in the following countries: Denmark, Germany, Austria, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Holland, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Colombia, Japan and Finland.

In 1994 Lama Ole initiated the publication of Buddhism Today Magazine in the United States, a magazine with worldwide distribution. He continues to contribute numerous articles to Buddhism Today. His articles have been translated and published in many Buddhist periodicals such as Kagyu Life and Buddhismus Heute in Germany, Diamentowa Droga in Poland, Budhisme Idag in Denmark, Budismo Hoy in Spain.

German Articles Highlights

Kieler Nachrichten (Enlightenment in The West). Lama Ole Nydahl has a great task: to bring Buddha's message into the Western world. Portrait of a Western Buddhist. 200,000 circulation.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Danish Lama Ole Nydahl teaches "The Diamond Way for Peace of Mind" at a camp in Kassel, Germany. 400,000 circulation

Bild Der Frau.(Buddha's Best Man in The West). 1.2 million Circulation

Elle, March 1998. Buddha's Right Hand. As highest Buddhist dignitary on this side of the Himalayas, the Danish Lama Ole Nydahl cares for the spiritual enlightenment of European seekers.

German Television Highlights

September 1, 2000, 6:00 p.m. HR3 TV, Hessen Studio. Live show about Ole as a person and about Buddhism, with a question and answer session from the audience. 1.5 million viewers.

August 3, 2001, 11:00 p.m. SWR3 TV. One-hour long discussion among the guests, including Lama Ole, a physician, a Protestant priest, and a Jewish religious scientist. Half a million viewers.

1992 9:00 p.m. ARD TV. Boulevard Bio: 60 minute talk show with three celebrities, including a 15 minute discussion between Lama Ole Nydahl and the talk show host, Alfred Biolek. 5 million viewers.

August 1992, 3:00 p.m. RTL TV. Appeared on the Ilona Christensen Talk Show. 3 million viewers.

May 25, 1990, 7:30 p.m. North TV. Good Morning with Sat 1: 10 minute interview about Buddhism and Ole Nydahl's life as a Buddhist teacher.

April 2000, 8:30 a.m. Radio One Breakfast Show: Live radio interview.