Removing a 10-year Obstruction

A few years back I had taken many years away from attending the Dharma centre, 10 years actually, but I wanted to get back into it because I was starting a new relationship and could feel I needed the Dharma in order to make and keep the relationship happy.

My Root Guru, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was giving a teaching and empowerment of Buddha Prajnaparamita and the oral transmission of a secret Highest Yoga Tantra practice in Portugal but I lived all the way in Portland Oregon, USA, across the world and I wanted to go so bad! My teacher said that I should develop the wish to go and to nurture that wish, so I did just that.

I looked at the Dharma centre’s calendar and noticed that there was Kangso, the extended puja of the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden, one of my favourites. I remembered that he is the remover of obstacles and the one who arranges things for the success of our Dharma practice, so after a 10 year break from Dharma I decided to go! It was powerful! Even my friend to whom I was texting with after the puja said he could feel my energy through the text message!

That night I woke up very early in the middle of the night and there was a message from an old friend, a nun, who was the resident teacher at a Kadampa Temple in Florida, on the other side of the country. I hadn’t spoken to her in over 10 years as well and I was blown away about the content of the message. She asked if I was going to the teaching and empowerment in Portugal, I told her that I had the wish to go and she replied by telling me that if I went she would pay for my whole accommodation for the entire festival! What!!!!!!????? I knew it was because of the Dorje Shugden puja that night, there was no doubt.

I still had to find enough money to buy a round trip ticket to Portugal and there was little to no way I could afford the ticket myself, I would need about $1,200 to appear in some way but I just had this feeling that I was going to make it happen, I had faith. The weather in Portland at that time was super cold, it was winter I believe and the heater in my house was not keeping me or the house warm so I decided to go and buy a small heater at the store. When I got there I pulled down a box to check out the specifications of the heater and wham!, the box was not secured and the heater fell straight out and onto my foot! The box was still in my hands! Thankfully I didn’t break anything and only had minor injuries. I found an employee and filed an injury complaint and asked for compensation from the store to help with doctor visit bills. The store was the consumer giant Wal Mart and I felt there was no way they would pay out as they probably have thousands of claims a month but I went ahead to file anyway.

About a month or so later after going back and forth with the Wal Mart claim department, I finally got a settlement check in the mail for, guess how much? Yup, $1,200, the cost for my plane ticket to Portugal! After that big 10 year break from Dharma and then the swift but slightly wrathful foot blessings from Dorje Shugden, I have been re-engaged fully into Dharma and even deeper and more sincerely than ever.

My realisation from all of this is that Dorje Shugden does not only use our karma to help our Dharma practice but He also uses the karma of others to help us in our Dharma practice. It is interesting that both Buddha Prajanparamita and Dorje Shugden function to remove obstacles to our Dharma practice and that is exactly what happened to me and they removed a 10 year obstruction from Dharma.

How lucky am I!

Jay Freeman