Riding the Tiger Twenty Years on the Road : Risks and Joys of Bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West (Paperback)

by Lama Ole Nydahl (Author) "EUROPEAN AUTUMN WAS AT ITS VERY BEST when we landed in Copenhagen on October 7, 1972..." (more)
Key Phrases: phowa course, lineage holders, pure realm, Kalu Rinpoche, Diamond Way, Tenga Rinpoche (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In 1969 Ole and Hannah Nydahl became the first Western students of H.H. the Karmapa, the head of the Kagyu tradition of Yogis in Tibetan Buddhism. After their years of practice in the Himalayas, he authorized them to teach and start centers in his name. They have continued this work ever since. Today, Hannah translates and organized for the main Lamas of the lineage, and Ole, himself a Lama, has now started over three hundred and fifty centers around the world.

Work in the West starts with an audience with the Queen of Denmark. A basement in historical Copenhagen becomes the first Tibetan Buddhist center on the European continent, and rusted-through VW-buses with race-car qualities get them everywhere. The Karmapa's visit to Denmark, in 1974, then opens up the world ...

Riding the Tiger is the inside story of the development of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. In his refreshingly unsentimental style, Lama Ole shows all aspects of the work. With breathtaking intensity, he highlights both healthy and unhealthy tendencies in the light of the Buddha's ultimate aim: To bring about the fully developed beings whose every activity blesses the world.

The book describes the starting of the first 100 centers all over the world, with many intriguing cross cultural adventurs and teachings along the way - from the spiritually hungry of Russia to bandits in South America and travels in North America with Karmapa and Kalu Rinpoche.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Karmapa's next journey across Europe, a six-month extennsion of his visit to America, was sensed well in advance. It was like the pull back before a great wave strikes. Akong Tulku had the idea to transport His Holiness, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and their entourage of about twenty Tibetans in a used bus. This would avoid frequent changes of vehicles. Hannah came along to translate and I because of my connection with the people. My brother Bjorn and Joch from Scotland would drive. For this great visit, we had a month to prepare the mid-area, from Oslo to Athens. Fortunately, the French and British did their own organizing.

The most important event that month was meeting Kurt Nubling. Deeply touched by a slide-projection showing Karmapa with the Black Crown, he ran down the aisle past the line waiting for blessings. He spoke excitedly in Swabian, a South-German dialect only few understand. I told him to write me everything, and his letter in High German the next day showed amazing insight and motivation. "Get ready, you will be important in Germany," was my answer. After years of travelling with me and helping set up the groups south of Frankfurt, today he has immense influence from our main center in Schwarzenberg.

In Belgium, we picked up a Dutch bus which Akong Tulku had bought. Though hardly of German quality, our friends in Antwerp had painted it a bright red and explained its quirks to Bjorn before we drove south.

On the morning of June 20, he was with us again. Karmapa and Jamgon Kongtrul landed in Paris with their entourage. They greeted people from a V.I.P. room in the airport. New to us was a Khenpo - a kind of learned abbot - whom Karmapa introduced. His name was Tsultrim Gyamtso. Karmapa said he was sending him to Europe because his nose was as big as ours! His task would mainly be to teach philosophy. During the week there, Karmapa held Crown ceremonies in giant halls, and again and again my world exploded into golden light. His blessing got stronger all the time. There were endless meetings with the French, which mainly focused on cooperation. It was his intense wish to hold the Kagyu lineage together, and every day he asked everyone to assist in this.

While Karmapa drove to Dordogne, Hannah and I had work to do in North Europe. We met again at the old dairy north of Hamburg, which ws iin a difficult phase. The humorless and exotic tendencies I always warn against had struck. Some girls who had missed the youth-revolution of the sixties were the problem. They had created a church-like atomosphere there which was costing us a number of our most exciting and unconventional friends. The worst thing in my life was to arrive somewhere and hear that people like that had left, shaking their heads. In this context, it was important that Karmapa so frequently called me lama. Immature people trust titles more than the evidence of their own eyes, and even the fact that I had started all the centers east of France was not enough for some. I had viewed myself as a lama once the main purifications were over. But it was no secret that this ran contrary to Kalu Rinpoche's work. he removed the title when it was officially proven that his students no longer slept alone. In my own humble opinion, a day-and-night-Bodhisattva must be as good as one who brings joy only during day, and I was glad Karmapa thought the same. this became a reliable method for distinguishing the Romanic and Germanic spheres of influence: in the former, robes and celibacy are highly regarded, while in the latter they often evoke mistrust.

Norway and Sweden received five days each. Near Oslo, Karmapa jumped from rock to rock despite having so much sugar in his blood that a few drops could easily have sweetened one's tea. The doctors could not understand why he was not in a coma. All in all, it was great how "holy" Karmapa was in the true meaning of the word. He was "whole" and "fully functioning."

When work was over at night, and there were no new birds to teach meditation, he often winked and said: "Let's go." Then we would find the winding country roads which beautify Europe. If the car's tires didn't screech on most curves and we didn't at least double any speed limit, it wasn't fast enough for him. He was daily proof that insight into the conditioned "empty" nature of things brings absolute fearlessness, and it was good he showed it. Otherwise he could never have inspired such mushrooming numbers of strong and dedicated people today.

In Sweden, we enjoyed Crown ceremonies and inititation. The nights never got dark and we spent them with many old friends. During a dinner at the Tolstoy Castle, Akong Tulku was suddently pressed into his chair by invisible hands. The headless lady was there again. She was obviously of the old-fashioned faithful kind.

Since we had made the schedule, lucky Denmark got to host Karmapa for a full three weeks. This sufficed to give such lively impressions of our country's variety that they still joke about it in Sikkim today. Visiting our Danish-German retreata center at Rodby on his way north, Karmapa said that a thousand Buddhas would appear there. He liked the potential of this titally flat piece of Denmark and spontaneously blessed it with a Crown ceremony and a Milarepa initiation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 520 pages
• Publisher: Blue Dolphin Publishing (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931892678
• ISBN-13: 978-0931892677
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,277,262 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true treasure, March 10, 2003

By	"mishr" (Australia) - See all my reviews

I found this book really met a lot of questions which had formed over the years about lifestyle and the Buddhist view.
Lama Ole really presents joy and excitement with some rare glimpses of early interactions with the 16th Karmapa.
The freedom and acceptance of Kagyu Buddhism in non-judgement and fearless activity brings blessing to many around the world.
I am not suprised more and more that there are over 350 centers forming around the world. Id pick up this book any day, with the element that every part of it captures a unique and integral aspect of the development of Buddhism in the West. It is joy to read of Hannah and Ole Nydahl and their gift to bring lay buddhism to the West and in such a natural, unhindered way.
A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS LIFES TRAVELS

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Dharma Travelogue!, August 1, 2000

By	J. Anderson (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Lama Ole Nydahl is a unique figure in modern Buddhist history -first Western student of the Black Hat lama, H.H. the XVIth Gyalwa Karmapa, married, lama 'without robes', and spiritual figure personally chosen by the Karmapa to teach and make foundations in his name- and 'Riding the Tiger' is filled to overflowing with his particular energies and gifts. It is a galloping book that takes the reader around the world, inviting him in for a close-up look at the making of a Buddhist center for meditation and study, and Lama Ole has successfully started over one hundred such centers. And a deep look, as well, at the nature of Buddhism in the West, how it has been transplanted, how it has flourished. With due respect to another of the reviews on this page, Lama Ole's defense of Diamond Way Buddhism and of the singular wishes of the XVIth Karmapa, and his willingness to discuss the schism that has taken place within the Kagyu tradition, with two reincarnations of the Karmapa presently recognized by two differing factions, is certainly not childish, nor does the conflict itself necessarily reflect negatively on the Kagyu lineage. It is to Lama Ole's credit that while focusing his attention on the spreading of the Dharma, he does not shy away from the controversy. Perhaps that is because he holds the truth of this historical situation in his mind and heart, and therefore need not fear the light of day when looking at this controversy. It is certainly interesting that the 'other' 17th Karmapa, the one 'recognized' by Beijing, has recently escaped over the mountains to Dharamsala! Did not the Lord Buddha say "I show you suffering and the ending of suffering?" This is a magical book and a magical ride!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Successful to Transmit the True Aspect of Dharma, October 15, 1998

By A Customer

Lama Ole, One of the first western desciple of His Holiness Karmapa describes the joy and struggles of discovering the true nature of our mind.He honestly tells us about his feeling while taking the huge responsibility of bringing Tibetan Buddhist Teaching to the west. Plus, one can enjoy his travel adventure to south asia and Tibet and the description he gives about people and places he has confronted. This book is very much successful to shade light on the true nature of Guru- Desciple relationship. His devotion and confidence on Karmapa,( Reincarneted Buddhist Master, also Head of, one of the school on Tibetan Buddhism) is really Illustrious! Thanks! for sharing your treasure, Dear Lama Ole.