Buddha, Dharma , Sangha The three jewels and man are they the three jewels for a reason. I say this because I am often reminded of this fact. Take Sangha I started out in the Theravada school of Buddhism. It is what first made since to me. I liked this idea of shutting up sitting down and meditating to uncover and clear away the delusion from my heart. I liked the fact at least from my limited view at the time that there was not a lot of ritual in it. There was a lot of emphasis on quiet meditation and the four noble truths and the eight fold path. I had a few friends that where of the Vajrayana school. I often would go to The Sakya monastery in Seattle to meditate and do Chenrezi practice. Never really committing to being one school of Buddhism or another, To me Dharma is Dharma it all came from one source there are just many different roads to the same ends. Or so I thought time went on and I kept up with the Sakya I really enjoyed the chanting, the mantra, and the visuals to me it seemed to prepare my mind somehow make it more fertile in a way for the teachings and for my meditation.
I took refuge there with H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya and continued my weekly practice of Chenrezi sometimes I would show up for a Puja, Still not putting myself all in and not really identifying with that Sangha. It was odd because if you had come to my house during that time and looked at my practice space it looked like a Tibetan monastery with thangkas brocade and bowls everywhere.
My practice at home stayed pretty steady mindfulness meditation. Then I heard about ngondro the preliminary practices of this tradition. Something about this idea resonated deeply in me. The night after I had heard about ngondro I had a dream about someone reading me the Bardo Thodol. I remember waking up with a feeling of no time to lose. I knew I had this perfect boat to help me and other beings out of the sea of Samsara and I felt as if I was wasting it.
I told my friend about all this and she got me the book on the practices of ngondro from the sakya and went over how to do them. I started them as they can take years to complete. Over the next two years I did my practices on and off with no real resolve. It was not until I made a resolve to finish my practices in a very timly manner that I started daily practices of ngondro.
Now the more practices I did habitually the more I started to see the reasoning behind them and the more the path of Vajrayana started to unfold and make since to me. The more effort I put in the more Dharma bloomed in my mind. My view was adjusting and I knew this was my Sangha this was my school. I went to a Talk by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche a man who upon sight made me realize the truth behind Guru devotion a practice which up until that point I had an aversion to, due to my incorrect view. However merely upon seeing this great man I was put in an environment that had the correct causes and conditions for that view to be corrected. He said that it is our Karma that brings us to our practice not the other way around. That is my past lives the actions and practice in them is what has shaped my mind to be the vessel for the dharma I am to carry in this lifetime. Upon hearing that I knew it was truth. There was no need to explain no examples needed I just knew it was truth when I heard it.
So even though it’s all one dharma I found at least for me some roads are better to walk then others. Some ways of teaching and preparing my mind move me more than others. This does not mean one school or tradition is better worse or indifferent than any other it just means that my cup seems to hold this one better than others.
I have been given a great opportunity I have achieved precious human birth I have encountered the dharma I have access to not just one great teacher but three and I have a Sakya linage monastery not more than 20 minutes away from me. I am very grateful that I get to practice this profound path for the benefit of all beings.