All ‘Hannah Nydahl’ posts

Interview with Hannah Nydahl

Friday, May 4th, 2012
Hannah Nydahl, Leverkusen 2005

Hannah Nydahl, Leverkusen 2005

Hannah Nydahl, together with her husband Lama Ole became the first Western students of H.H. the 16th Karmapa in 1969. A qualified Buddhist teacher in her own right, she worked alongside Lama Ole from the early 1970s up to her death in 2007 to establish Diamond Way Buddhism around the world. A movie about her remarkable life and activity is currently in production. This interview was made with Hannah in 1995 and was published in the magazine Kagyu Life International. It addresses her own views about the development of Buddhism in the West and her unique role.

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Hannah Trailer

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

A glimpse at the film being made about the life of Hannah Nydahl – a Buddhist pioneer who with her husband Lama Ole Nydahl from 1972 helped to bring Buddhism to the West. The whole film will be available later in the year.

Kalu Rinpoche, Hannah and Lama Ole in the UK, 1975

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Kalu Rinpoche and students in Samye Ling 1975 (photo: Peter Mannox)

Kalu Rinpoche and students in Samye Ling 1975 (photo: Peter Mannox)

This historical picture was taken during Kalu Rinpoche’s visit to the West in 1975 at Samye Ling Tibetan Centre, Scotland by Peter Mannox. It was during the life of the 16th Karmapa, in the early years of the encounter between Tibetan Buddhism and the West, and the times when the Karma Kagyu school was united. Can you spot a young Hannah and Ole Nydahl on the far right of the shot? (click on photo to enlarge)

Lama Ole & Hannah Nydahl encounter the Karmapa – Video

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl describe going to Nepal in 1968. This is an excerpt from the final interview that Hannah gave before she died in 2007.

Hannah Nydahl “Mother of Buddhism” (17 April 1946 – 1 April 2007)

Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Hannah Nydahl (17 April 1946 – 1 April 2007)

Hannah Nydahl (17 April 1946 – 1 April 2007)

Three years ago today Hannah Nydahl left for the pure lands. Deeply respected for her work, devotion and accomplishments as a Buddhist practitioner, her life was dedicated to establishing Diamond Way Buddhism in the West and protecting the Karma Kagyu Lineage. Her wisdom, kindness and compassion is timeless, beyond coming and going and continuously blesses our work and practice.

17th Karmapa in London: A Retrospective Pt.2, 2007

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

In our second retrospective post, we would like to share some inspiring impressions of H.H. 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje’s second visit to the UK at the invitation of Diamond Way Buddhism UK, in June 2007.

Reports of other visits of the 17th Karmapa to London can be found here (2005) and here (2009).

Poster for 17th Karmapa in London August 2007

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Lama Ole Nydahl in Edinburgh 2000: a recollection

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

In this post we recollect Lama Ole Nydahl’s first visit to Edinburgh. Martin Dahms, who comments later in the post, was one of the founders of the original Edinburgh Diamond Way Buddhist Group which was active between 2000 and 2003.

Edinburgh Skyline

On Tuesday 28 March 2000, Lama Ole Nydahl gave a talk at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens lecture theatre, entitled “Basis, Way and Goal in Diamond Way Buddhism”. The talk was an introduction to Diamond Way Buddhism, in which Lama Ole pointed to the Buddha nature as the basis for our development, gave an overview of the methods the Buddha taught to remove the veils which prevent us from experiencing this potential, and explained how the goal – enlightenment – is the full development of mind’s inherent qualities. The lecture was attended by several friends who travelled from London, elsewhere in the UK and abroad, as well as many locals, including inquisitive members of what Lama Ole wryly described in his lecture as a nearby “Presbyterian Buddhist Centre”!

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17th Karmapa in London: A Retrospective Pt.1, 2005

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

We would like to share some inspiring impressions of H.H. 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje‘s first two visits to the UK, which happened before this blog was established. Gyalwa Karmapa’s first historic visit was in August 2005, when he stayed for four days in London at the invitation of Diamond Way Buddhism UK. He was joined by Lama Jigme Rinpoche, Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl and other distinguished lamas who were part of the travelling entourage of the 16th Karmapa in the UK during the 1970s.

Reports of other visits of the 17th Karmapa to London can be found here (2007) and here (2009).

Flyer 1 for 2005 course (front)

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