Meeting the Buddha

Director: György - Kessler Márta

Written by: Márta György-Kessler, Tobias Doerr, Adam Penny
Producer: Márta György-Kessler
Co-producers: Adam Penny, Julianne Ferenczy
Editor: Ash Jenkins
Music: Simon Ravn

Cast: Ole Nydahl, Hannah Nydahl

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.

Amid political upheaval in Tibet and cultural transformation in the West, Meeting the Buddha tells the richly historical yet deeply personal story of how timeless wisdom found its way into contemporary life. Through interviews, animation, and never-before-seen footage, this documentary honours the profound bond between teacher and student that sustains the living transmission of the Karma Kagyu lineage.