My first encounter with Dorje Shugden was after I met my spiritual guide, who took Dorje Shugden as his main Protector. Dorje Shugden thus also become my main Protector. In the beginning, I was not very attracted to the Protector practices as I was more interested in the Yidams.
However, I later realized the importance of Protector practice. Buddha taught us 84,000 teachings to gain enlightenment and Protector practices like that of Dorje Shugden’s is one method of helping us to gain merits and purify our negativities quickly. If I focused on my Yidam practice alone without doing the Protector practice, attainments would be harder to achieve. This was what my spiritual guide had taught me.
Dorje Shugden – who is inseparable from my Guru and Yidam – has been helping me along the spiritual path until today and I know that he has come to my rescue many times. For example, whenever I travelled around the world to attend teachings and retreats, I would pray to Dorje Shugden for a safe journey, to arrive at the intended destination safely. I did not experience many obstacles during those journeys, and even if I did, many people I met while travelling, even complete strangers, would come to my assistance if anything went wrong.
I strongly believe that Dorje Shugden has played a part in ensuring that I fulfilled my spiritual goals and created the above-mentioned conditions for me to experience this. Even when I slip in my practice, Dorje Shugden never fails to protect and create the conditions for me to persevere and apply effort to get back on track again.
~ Ted M ~
English
Indonesia
Tibetan
SabrinaS
October 10, 2016
Thank you Ted M. for sharing the importance of a Protector practice in our spiritual path and how Dorje Shugden had helped you to remain steadfast in your practice. I understand that during our practice, may obstacles will arise to distract us either physically or mentally. Samsara is a hard place to let go off after our strong habituation over the many lifetimes. Whenever we face these obstacles, we just need to trust and rely fully on the Protector to help us remain in our practice. Trusting in the Protector is trusting our Guru as he is the one who gave us the practice out of his compassion. May you always be blessed by the Protector Dorje Shugden and gain realisations on your spiritual path.
Sierra
December 23, 2016
Thank you, Ted, for showing us the importance of Protector practice. Though our Guru can drum it into us, there is nothing that draws our faith out like a common shared experience from another practitioner. We always think that attainments are beyond us and are sometimes disheartened.
Thank you for your sharing.