Most times we go through life oblivious of where we are, why we are here or what we are doing. Our purpose to live becomes a mundane cycle of waking up, work and sleeping.
That very fiber of my existence was shaken to the core a while back. I discovered Tibetan Buddhism! Looking back, I would say I have been spiritual from a young age. Hard not to be, being born in a staunch Roman Catholic family where religion was something we were told to follow. Something had to stick. It was not the religion per se but my mother’s way of instilling some form of spiritually she only knew how!
The reason I say that is because, since childhood, because I was brow beaten into believing in something beyond myself, in a higher existence to an extent, spirituality was something that had a particular meaning. It was something that was of importance that I could count on or turn to, if life took a strange or unfamiliar turn.
One such major turn of events happened close to five years ago. I was at the point in my life where everything was perfect. I had a perfect partner in life. I was at the height of my career. I had everything I could ever want, within reason of course! I had a luxurious lifestyle albeit a hectic one – travelling the globe attending to clients and projects. I had my exotic travels around the world too and my social network consisted of literally the who’s who in my industry. I was happy… so I thought! There was one problem. Something did not seem right. Something was missing. I did not know at that point what it was or if it was anything at all. It was just a nagging feeling that, I was not feeling happy but I was feeling I should be happy!
I started to look for answers. My curiosity led me to the Ban and the issues pertaining to Dorje Shugden. It made me question what was real, what was not, what was right and what was not. It did not make any sense at that point but I remember being very drawn to the whole ‘problem’.
It was then that I made a very strong aspiration, a prayer of sorts, to Dorje Shugden asking for answers and showing me a way where I could, by myself, find a way to make sense of my perfect life! To even find the time to do all that would take a miracle!
Little did I know that what I was asking for was going to turn my world upside down. Within a few months, my life was thrown asunder! In a nutshell, my company lost all its clients (combination of a regional financial crisis and unexplainable situations beyond my control!) and I suddenly found myself in debt and my perfect world had come crumbling down like a house of cards. The funny thing about all this was, in hindsight, it actually gave me the time to find a Dharma center, do research, read up and eventually find my Guru. Throughout this tumultuous time however, even in the dire straits I was in, I somehow always managed to scrape by at the end of every month. The funny thing was, even at the brink of bankruptcy, I was somehow strangely lighter, happier and I felt like I could breathe for the first time in my life.
Sure, I had my ups and downs and my “why me” moments but that was natural coming from the excessiveness I had. Even though I am nowhere near where I was financially and my career has taken a slightly different turn, I feel a lot less stressed than I was before. The importance I once gave to material gain is no longer present. Sure, I like the finer things in life like most people do, but the difference now is, if I have it, it is fine and if I do not, it is fine too!
So, the reason why I am sharing my story with all of you is in the hope that you too look into the priorities you put into your life. What we put emphasis on is of utmost importance as it creates the causes for us to further receive the benefits or dis-benefits accordingly.
In my case, if those attachments which I had held dear (and which I thought would make me happy) had not been mercifully eradicated, I would still be miserably immersed in my world of luxury, lost in the oblivion of the ‘pleasurable’ life and blinkered into thinking I am supposed to be happy so just don’t question.
I know without question that the bizarre situation I was ‘forced’ into was the best thing that could have happened to me, and that it was no coincidence and very much a blessing from Dorje Shudgen.
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Tibetan
Sunitta
August 31, 2015
Thank you for your sincere sharing. I am currently going through something very similar and I am happy to get encouragement and wise wordS from your sharing.
Most of the transformation needed for all our challenges revolves around “LETTING GO”. We subject or condition oursleves to certain expectations, and we make them into laws to rule our own lives. How silly !! Grossly ignorant and this can only bring sufferings to us.
I pray to the Buddha Dorje Shugden to help provide me the perfect conditions to learn and practice the Dharma so that I can remove the ignorance, attachments and anger !! OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA !!
Kelly
September 3, 2015
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story, everyone of us has a reason to look for spiritual help but sad to said not all of us can benefited from spiritual guide because even they have problem in life they still do not think what the Buddha impart to us which is Dharma is make sense so they rather use the wordly method to resolve their problem in actual fact however we samsaric way of resolving our problem is only short term the only way is to use Dharma to resolve our problem in actual fact all the problem arise from our ignorance so we need the Buddha wisdom to help us to uproot the cause of the problem.
Eli Buchen
September 6, 2015
The Dorje Shudgen controversy has brought Tsongkhapa’s tradition to so many people. Especially people who do not just believe blindly all they read on the internet or someone’s words or accusations.
Thats it, the people who believe in Dorje Shudgen and Tsongkhapa, have to sift through a lot of information and rumours to arrive at the heart of the matter and to discover that Dorje Shugden is an enlightened buddha,
Malefact
September 7, 2015
Your acceptance of your negative karma manifested is courageous, again different people ‘s positive and negative karma manifested at different timing and different phases in their lives.When circumstances surfaced throwing things topsy turvy, it may or may not be the intent of the dharma protector, true happiness comes from giving and loving others living an altruistic purpose; rather than living a life of glamorized selfie with loads of physical possessions. This I discovered is real happiness. There are a few Dorje Shugden practitioners who practiced 15 years (or longer)ago were earning approximately US$300 per month, who now becoming successful bosses running their own businesses too. This is the result of synergistic effort of practicing in accordance to dharma and praying to the dharma protector.
Read the story of a man who radiates happiness and love Scott Neeson.
Amber Sonam
May 19, 2016
This and many more similar cases have proven the efficaciousness and effectiveness of the Dorje Shugden practice. Many have received His support, guidance, help, and love that is selfless with compassion and wisdom.
Personally, I have seen how Dorje Shugden guided me in dire conditions and how things work out smoothly as how it should be. Not only did He guided and protected me, He did the same to my family and friends, as well as people who have an affinity with me. Everything is paved nicely for me.
SabrinaS
October 4, 2016
Thank you for sharing such an inspirational story of your “fall” in samsara and rise in spirituality. I too had always been seeking feeling that there must something more since I was in my early teens. Even when I am in the most busiest crowd having a ball of a time, a part of me would be watching and wondering why is everyone enjoying something so pointless. And yet I couldn’t fully find the answer in my religion then, Christianity. It seemed that there are a lot of gaps that leaves me with more questions. I am glad that I had finally found my Guru and the Protector Dorje Shugden.
Sierra
December 5, 2016
That’s a very frank and sincere sharing. I guess you are a strong person and lucky to be able to remember your encounter with Dorje Shugden. Your aspiration must have been very sincere and strong to connect so with Dorje Shugden and have his divine help for him to ‘break asunder’ your comfort zone and rebuild it for you.
Thank you for your heartfelt sharing.
Pema
April 21, 2017
It is true that when we have a good situation, we often think we don’t have the time to do other things and may feel that we are too busy to be spiritual.
Still, when this “reality” falls apart, we may need to reconsider what is truly important and spirituality may be the solution for us.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! Priorities can be changed.
Lhakpa Dhendup
August 11, 2018
What will the all the people around the world and in Tibet do now? Dalai Lama says he is happy that Tibet is a part of China and should remain a part of China. So many Tibetans self-immolated for Tibet to be independent and now Dalai Lama did a 360 degree turn and says he wants to go back to Tibet and China and Tibet should be a part of China. So unbelievable. So many are angry and disappointed.
Dalai Lama should set things right
August 12, 2018
Dear Dalai Lama,
Since you started the cruel ban against the 350 year Dorje Shugden practice, how has it benefit your Tibetan society and Buddhism in the world? Things have become worse and most educated Tibetans can see this. They don’t speak out not because they don’t see your ban as wrong, but you instill fear in them and not respect. It is like fear of a dictator. I am sorry to say so. Everyone is divided. There is no harmony. Before your ban there was more harmony and unity.
By enacting the ban, you split the monasteries, split so many families, split regions in Tibet apart, split your disciples from you, split your own gurus from you, split Tibetan Buddhism apart. You have created so much disharmony.
It is not democratic what you have done to ban a religion within your community. You always talk of tolerance and acceptance and democracy and yet you do not accept and tolerate something different from your beliefs. When people practice Dorje Shugden you ostracize them, ban them from seeing you, ban them from using Tibetan facilities. You know you have done that. There are videos that capture your speech and prove this point. You even had people expelled from monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. Some of the monks you expelled have been in the monastery for over 40 years. Many older monks shed tears because of this.
Many young educated Tibetans lost confidence in you as they saw the damage the Dorje Shugden ban created and they lose hope. Many have become free thinkers. They reject what you have done. So many people in the west left Buddhism because of the confusion you created with this ban against Dorje Shugden which is immoral.
You could of had millions of people who practice Dorje Shugden to support, love and follow you, but you scared them away. They are hurt and very disappointed. They loved you and respected you deeply before the ban. It has been 60 years and you have failed to get Tibet back. Your biggest failure is not getting Tibet back after 57 years in exile. Now you are begging China to allow you to return to Tibet to the disappointment of thousands of people who fought for a free Tibet believing in you. So many self-immolated for a free Tibet and now you want Tibet to be a part of China with no referendum from Tibetans. Just like a dictator, you decide on your own. It was your government and you that lost Tibet in the first place. Your policies and style of doing things do not benefit Tibet and Buddhism. You have been the sole ruler of Tibet your whole life and you still have not gotten our country of Tibet back for us. Our families and us are separated. Yet you create more pain by creating a ban to further divide people. Please have compassion.
No other Buddhist leader has banned or condemned any religion except for you. It looks very bad. You are a Nobel laureate and this is not fitting of a laureate. You should unite people and not separate them by religious differences.
You said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi did not do right to the Rohingya people in Myanmar due to religious differences, but you are doing the same thing to the Shugden Buddhists within your own society. There is a parallel in this. You separate the Shugden Buddhists from the others in Tibetan society.
You have lost so many people who would have loved and supported you. You have lost so much support around the world. The Shugden Buddhists who love you number in the millions. When you are fast losing support from governments and private people, it will not do you well to lose more.
After you are passed away in the future, the rift you created between the Dorje Shugden and non-Dorje Shugden people will remain for a while and that will be your legacy. Disharmony. You will be remembered for this. Not as a hero but a disharmony creator.
Dorje Shugden will spread and further grow, but you will be no more as you are a human. No one wishes you bad and in fact we hope you have a long and healthy life, but we have lost so much hope and have so much despair because of you. All the hundreds of Dorje Shugden lamas, tulkus and geshes are maturing and there are hundreds of Dorje Shugden monasteries in Tibet who will not give up Dorje Shugden. You have made a mistake. These hundreds of teachers and teachers to be will spread Dorje Shugden further in the future.
The gurus that gave us Dorje Shugden as a spiritual practice and you have called these holy gurus wrong and they are mistaken in giving us Dorje Shugden. How can you insult our gurus whom we respect so much? If they can be wrong, then you can be wrong. Then all gurus can be wrong. So no one needs to listen to any guru? You have created this trend. It is not healthy. Your own gurus practiced Dorje Shugden their whole lives. Your own gurus were exemplary and highly learned.
Dalai Lama you have created so much pain with this ban against so many people due to religion. You are ageing fast. Are you going to do anything about it or stay stubborn, hard and un-moving. You show a smile and preach peace and harmony wherever you go. But will you do the same to your own people? Please rectify the wrong you have done. Please before it is too late. You can create harmony again or you can pass away in the future with this legacy of peace. May you live long and think carefully and admit what was a mistake in having this unethical ban against Dorje Shugden religion.