Meeting the Buddha

Incoming Editorial·Reviewed June 21, 2026

Meeting the Buddha presents the life and legacy of the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje—the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The film captures the remarkable presence of this spiritual teacher, known as a Living Buddha and the King of the Yogis. We meet Ole Nydahl, a wild young hippy from Denmark who, as a small child, had declared his wish to become the "Danish champion of mind." His life is radically transformed by a chance encounter with the Karmapa in Nepal in 1969. Ole and his wife, Hannah, become key figures in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding hundreds of meditation centres—from Mexico City to Vladivostok—and carrying forward their teacher's vision with unshakable dedication.