In May 2011, I flew to Beijing for a business conference. I was not part of the team that was supposed to attend the conference but somehow my boss decided otherwise at the last minute and asked me to pack my bags, which I did. 24 hours later I was flying Business Class to Beijing.

Our hotel was in the Chaoyang District – comfortable and a passable example of an international 5-star chain. Upon check in, I literally did not leave the hotel for three days. The conference was in full swing, and the hotel service was pretty good.

On the 4th day, I woke up at dawn. I had planned to sleep in as my day would only start in the afternoon, but I just could not rest any further. I had a nagging feeling that I had to leave the hotel. Perhaps staying in a hotel for 72 hours would drive anyone to feel that way?

Unable to push the nagging sensation out of my head, I ended up having an early breakfast and decided to take in some of the sights with my colleague. We had no idea where to go, but one thing that I always do when I’m abroad is to pay a visit to the religious places. So, our driver took us to the nearest temple in the district.

We visited an ancient Taoist temple with beautiful carvings depicting Taoist lore. I enjoyed the visit – I have always loved Buddhism, which led to me embracing Buddhism despite my whole family being staunch Catholics. We spent some time there, taking pictures and walking around the temple grounds – it was good to be in the fresh air.

On our way back to the hotel, our driver pointed out a local teashop and gave a thumbs up. So my colleague and I decided to ditch the hotel lunch and try some local food instead. While waiting for our meal, I felt that strange sensation again; it was not long after that I realized I’d lost my Buddha pendant. It was a pendant of Dorje Shugden, a gift of protection from a close Mongolian friend. I always wore it when I travelled, being very sensitive to the energies of unfamiliar places and unseen disturbances.

I dreaded spending the rest of my trip in Beijing without its protection and decided to make my way back to the temple in search of it. My colleague and I searched the temple grounds looking for a needle in a haystack until she finally spotted it dangling from one of the noticeboards. Some kind soul must have picked it up and hung it there – I was amazed it was not stolen!

My colleague was quite agitated on the way back to the hotel – traffic had worsened and we were going to be late for the conference. However, as we approached our destination, I saw to my shock that there was lots of smoke coming from the direction of the hotel.

We decided to walk the rest of the way and I froze when I realized the hotel we were staying in was on fire! The police had blocked off the road – there were about 3 fire engines trying to extinguish the flames and a few ambulances tending to victims. It was a horrific scene. Worst was when I realized I could have been in there while it happened.

Later on, I learned that the fire had started about 30 minutes prior to my arrival. If not for my lost pendant, my colleague and I would have been right in the thick of things when the fire started.

What initially turned out to be a nuisance when my pendant went missing became the very reason why my colleague and I were spared from harm. I knew in my heart that it was my protector Dorje Shugden who created the conditions for me to be out of danger.

I have always known that Dorje Shugden would protect me, but to experience it for real has taken my trust in the Protector to a whole new level. Another bonus is my colleague has become very interested in Dorje Shugden too. We both knew that what happened that day was too much of a coincidence to be mere luck.

~ Indira Sadb

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.

I’ve always known that life is unpredictable. From the time my father left us so suddenly after the family business collapsed, all he left my mother was debt. Life was difficult, so difficult that it was a miracle she put my siblings and I through college, but somehow things worked out. It was these bleak moments in life that drove me to be successful in my career later on, but none of these early beginnings prepared me for what I was going to face in my mid 30s.

At the height of my success, I did everything, tried everything I could imagine, living each day as if it were my last. It was all I ever knew and along the way I earned many enemies for being a world-class annoyance. In the midst of enjoying life to the fullest, my life took an about turn during one of my regular social gatherings with friends and colleagues.

Unknowingly, I had consumed a drink containing illicit drugs. Within minutes, I fell into an epileptic shock and later into a coma. After 17 days absent from the world, I woke up to find the left side of my body completely paralyzed. I fell into depression; it was easier being dead than living with a disability.

That was just the beginning. Throughout the following months, countless problems arose from my being paralyzed. The mismanagement of my companies leading to the closure of one of my factories and 300 people being made redundant was just one of the many. There were also other problems that were fairly insignificant but added to my worries. Worst of all was the disappearance of my fiancé – the person I planned to spend the rest of my life with conveniently left because I was becoming a burden.

I was devastated. Close friends and relatives tried to console me but failed. Even my mother, the person I admired most for her strength, could not do much for me because I could not accept the situation I was in. I became completely self-absorbed, self-pitying and people visited me less often until it reached a point when no one came.

Months of depression went by painfully slowly. My life was a living death, and if euthanasia were legal, I would have lined up for it in my motorized wheelchair. It was during this time when an old friend of mine dropped by for a visit.

She gave me a bag with a present for me and also in the bag, there it was – a little green brochure (similar to the one on this website). I tossed the brochure away; I did not want religion. My friend started explaining how this meditation could heal body, mind and spirit. She was so persistent that I finally gave in, thinking I had nothing to lose, and after all, I could definitely use some healing.

I found my way to this website and devoured its contents in less than a month. There really isn’t much for a partially paralyzed person to do besides reading. I never considered myself a religious person; however I found the Dorje Shugden controversy fairly interesting and that got me reading. Over time, I also started reciting Dorje Shugden’s prayers and even printed out a picture of him that I found on the website.

My interest in Buddhism grew alongside the prayers I was reciting daily. I began reading more extensively about Tibetan Buddhism, particularly Lama Yeshe’s books, which helped me regain some of my confidence and optimism. Dorje Shugden’s prayers in particular eased my mind and after so many months of being trapped in depression, it was a relief to have my mind unclouded gradually, so much so that I was willing to give physical therapy a try.

One year on, I am still partially paralyzed, and my problems are still present, although many of them are slowly dissipating. But I am happier and each day passes with greater hope as I have a more positive outlook on life. I just wanted to share my chance meeting with Dorje Shugden and how it changed my life for the better. I hope this story can perhaps inspire others with similar or even worse conditions, to not give up. Dorje Shugden’s practice is amazing; he lifted me up from my depression and I truly appreciate what he has done for me.

~ Fiete Michi

I was introduced to the practice of Dorje Shugden more than fifteen years ago and I have kept up with the practice until today. I thank my kind and compassionate lama for this wonderful practice without which I would not have progressed as quickly in the study and practice of Buddhism.

Back when my lama gave me the practice, he said that I should call upon Dorje Shugden and rely on him when faced with difficulties in life. And I did. After all, Dorje Shugden is The Uncommon Dharma Protector, the Enlightened One who manifested to protect the Dharma during difficult times like now when distractions are plenty.

For instance, a few years ago I was hospitalized with a viral infection, a common yet potentially life threatening disease without a known cure. All the doctors could do was to hook me up to IVs and prescribe plenty of rest so that my body could regain its strength and for my immune system to kick in.

I prayed hard, rested well and listened to the doctors and nurses’ advice. Within three days, my blood palette count practically returned to normal. I was discharged on the fourth day with a clean bill of health. The doctors and nurses were amazed with my swift recovery. Of course, they attributed the success to their advanced medical attention and to my cooperation. But I knew Dorje Shugden played a big part in it.

There were also many instances when I was in deep financial trouble and I prayed fervently to Dorje Shugden, requesting Him to help me ride through the difficult times by removing some of my obstacles. Sure, I had to put in a lot of effort too but there were some insurmountable odds that were stacked heavily against me. There was no way that I could have physically and humanly pulled through without divine intervention and assistance from Dorje Shugden.

Yes, I should not depend on Dorje Shugden for mundane affairs. But just like everyone else, when I was faced with life threatening situations, I prayed and asked Him for help; when I was faced with financial problems, again I prayed and asked Him for help. For I firmly believe that Dorje Shugden helps and assists Dharma practitioners like me, relieving me of sufferings albeit temporarily, so that I can continue on the Dharma path.

Now my business is stable, my relationship with my family is good, my health is good. I have the right conditions to continue with my Dharma learning and practices. I say these are opportune conditions provided through the compassionate love, care and protection from my beloved lama and my enlightened Dharma protector, Dorje Shugden.

In the past, I would never hesitate to explain Dorje Shugden’s practice to those who wish to know more. But with the ban enforced by the Dalai Lama and blindly carried out by his more than eager followers in the Central Tibetan Administration and beyond, it makes sharing of this wonderful Dharma Protector’s practice very difficult.

Not only has the ban made the practice of Dorje Shugden very dangerous for the Tibetan people, it has also greatly affected non-Tibetans around the world. I was refused entry to a Dharma teaching by a visiting Geshe in the country where I live. I was told the reason is because I was a Dorje Shugden follower. How absurd is that? A dog has a better chance to receive Dharma from such Dharma centers.

Buddhism is a religion that is supposed to teach loving kindness, tolerance, generosity, etc. but the Dalai Lama is now turning it into a cult. How can the world just sit by and allow the Dalai Lama to enforce a ban on one of the most established Vajrayana Buddhist practices and instead declare it to be demon worship? Moreover there are people who with blind faith follow and enforce what the Dalai Lama says. If these undemocratic actions are not considered to be inhumane acts that infringe on religious freedom, what is?

It is getting more difficult to share Vajrayana Buddhism with my friends and the people I meet. This is just one of the many obstacles that this ridiculous ban has created for the propagation of Dharma. Therefore it is imperative that the ban be lifted so many more will receive the benefits that I have through practice and reliance on Dorje Shugden.

The world must know of the unfair and unjust religious ban imposed by the Dalai Lama. A ban that infringes on religious freedom; a ban that has brought untold sufferings to people who have been practicing for decades; a ban that leaves most Tibetans between a rock and a hard place.

Some are voicing their right to religious freedom through peaceful demonstrations, others have started websites to provide more information about the truth. For those who are not able to do these things, you may talk to your friends and co workers about how the practice of and reliance on Dorje Shugden has benefited you.

And for those who are not Buddhist, please look at how innocent people are being deprived of their religious freedom. All because of what the Dalai Lama has done i.e. creating a ban on a religious practice which is enforced by the Central Tibetan Administration in such a manner that has negatively affected the lives of Tibetans and non-Tibetans alike.

All I am asking is that I, and millions of people worldwide, be left in peace without fear of bodily harm to continue with our practice of Dorje Shugden.

You have to get that deal, the pressure is on. That multi-million dollar project will either make or break your career, and you know that you need to ace your sales pitch to the right person to catapult you onto a fast-track path to success.

So there I was, stressing out for a month before our sales pitch for a massive project. We were in full force for our preparations – our presentation, ideas, concepts, strategy and plans had to sell. I had heard that we weren’t the only ones tendering for the project and we were up against some of the top players in the industry. What kept me grounded during the late night slogging was my prayers and faith in Dorje Shugden. That’s about it.

After a month of late nights and meetings, we were up for our presentation. It was finally here, and we were all ready. We had given it our all and were mentally prepared. As we walked into the meeting room, to our horror, we found out that the man-in-charge, the director, couldn’t attend the meeting. He was the one that would be key in deciding who gets the tender, and he wasn’t there.

So we had to present, to 3 other guys, the executives, who would then convey their thoughts to the director. It wasn’t the same, and we were dismayed. After our presentation, we thanked them and left, knowing that luck wasn’t on our side and that the message from our presentation wouldn’t be conveyed to the director by the executives in a manner we would’ve liked. This promising 3 year contract we had a shot at was fast slipping away.

I called them up a few times after to ask for another meeting with the director, this time to present our pitch to him directly. I didn’t get any callbacks – I was desperate and so were my prayers. Each night, I had prayed for another opportunity. It was all I asked for. One day, a thought struck me, that instead of sitting around and waiting, I should go directly to the office, to create an opportunity for myself. Why not? There was nothing to lose.

So the very next day I went to the office, and just as I was walking to the entrance of the building, the director, the guy I needed to see, was walking out! So I stopped him on his way, and literally introduced myself and a short brief of what our company had to offer in less than 2 minutes. I think I must have made an impact and did a pretty decent job – he immediately scheduled in an appointment for us the very next day to give our team an opportunity to do our full presentation again! I was over the moon.

We did our presentation, and we nailed it. There were some negotiations on the quote, but after that was settled, we got the contract! The director was impressed with what we had to offer, and he did say that when his executives told him about our team, he was half-hearted and wasn’t very interested. He was glad we were able to present what we had to offer directly to him.

Sometimes we just need the right conditions to appear, and this time, I believe very much that it was because of my consistent prayers to Dorje Shugden that we got a second chance. I do not think that it would be so coincidental that all the right thoughts and conditions arose from sheer fate. I also reckon that I was blessed with the power of persuasive speech, to turn the mind of the director around! It definitely is the divine help and protection that my guiding light, Dorje Shugden, gave to me and I am eternally grateful for the boost He has given to my career.

~ Marc Evans ~

I was first introduced to Dorje Shugden by a close friend, who told me to read an article about him in this website.  Since then I have been following this website but not so consistently.

A few months later, I was once again introduced to Dorje Shugden by another dear friend, who asked me to learn more about this Protector, the Gelugpa lineage and if possible, to also do his prayers.

I followed her advice to understand and learn more about Dorje Shugden, I started incorporating his prayers into my own and have been doing this for quite a while now. Interestingly, I started noticing some changes in my family environment.

• My husband who works on his own has been given jobs consistently from the time I started with the Dorje Shugden prayers.
• My son landed his first job  in a big company just a week after completion of his 3-year degree. All his friends are still job-seeking with no success.

Ever since I started my Protector practice, my whole family has benefited from his blessings and protection from harm one way or another.

I sincerely wish and hope that the ban on Dorje Shugden be lifted as soon as possible so that more people will be able to benefit from his practice as I and my family have.

~ Jillian Lepore ~

I can’t say that I was ever interested in religion. I had been raised in one of the world’s major religious traditions but over the years, some of the things I witnessed led to my disillusionment. I’d pretty much lost faith in anything to do with bettering myself, with spiritual progress, with helping others.

I figured if the people who were supposed to possess the wisdom to help me could not even help themselves, why bother? Why not just try and do the best for me, for my family and not look beyond that? If things were really that bad for other people, I was sure they’d find their own way to salvation or whatever you want to call it. I lived this way until my late 20s, when I came across someone who would eventually change my life.

I was 28 and had just split up with what seemed like my 100th girlfriend. As she was leaving, she said it was because I was cold. Although I professed to care for her and for my family, she said she had never known anyone so afraid to open up. Say what now? It was a shock because I’d never thought I was this way. What guy thinks of these things anyway, right?

During one of the days that followed, I was commuting to work, sitting in the train and contemplating my next move. The fact that I couldn’t keep it together with my partners led me to consider that maybe I really did have a problem. For the first time in 10 years, I said a silent prayer to whoever was listening, “Please help me to change myself. It’s okay if I don’t find The One but if there’s really a problem with me, please help me to change.”

My train reached its next stop. As the doors opened, I looked up and in walked this monk. There was something about him that kept me looking. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The monk looked secure, happy, at peace. Like he wasn’t suffering the same kind of thoughts I was suffering.

The monk noticed me staring and smiled the warmest smile I had ever seen. It was kind and giving, and yet unnerving all at once. It was like he knew what I was thinking and what I was suffering. I hated him knowing how I was feeling, but something about him also seemed comforting, almost familiar.

The next stop was mine, so I got out and noticed the monk getting off too. Already late for work, I made my way to the ticket barrier. It was then I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Stupid tourists,” I thought to myself, “Why can’t they walk without bumping into me?” I turned around, ready to tell off whomever it was.

“Lama asked me to pass this to you.”

“Sorry who are you?” I’d never seen this person before, never heard the word “lama” before. At that moment, I didn’t really care; I just wanted to get to work on time.

“My teacher, the monk over there. He asked me to pass this to you.”

I was so preoccupied with staring at the monk that I hadn’t noticed his attendants. The man passed me a slip of paper and then went back to his teacher. I looked down and saw an address and a phone number, then put the paper in my pocket.

I didn’t go back to that slip of paper until a few weeks later when I finally got around to doing my laundry. As I was clearing my pockets, the paper fell out and I remembered what had happened. It couldn’t hurt, right? I picked up the phone and dialled. Clearly my own suffering trumped whatever aversions I had to organized religion.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“Hi, my name is Tom. You gave me your address a couple of weeks ago at the train station.” I wasn’t sure how I should identify myself. Did monks give out their contact details? Is it something they did all the time?

“Oh yes, hello Tom! Lama was wondering why you hadn’t called yet. Are you well?”

“I’m okay, I guess. Actually no, not really.” No one had genuinely asked me how I was in such a long time, I didn’t know how to react. “I don’t know how this works. Do I go for a confession or something? Can I talk to… the monk? I think there’s something wrong with me.”

“Well, Lama is quite busy at the moment, but we can arrange for one of his senior students to speak with you. Why don’t you come to visit our centre? See if there’s anything here that can help you.”

I looked again at the address. It wasn’t too far away, just a 20-minute train journey. I could do that. Yeah, I could do that.

I went down to the centre the very next day, and the day after that… and the day after that, for many weeks. During one of those afternoons, I was fortunate enough to meet Lama. After speaking to me for three hours, he gave me the practice of Dorje Shugden. There I was, having rejected religion for 10 years, suddenly being given a practice.

“I’m not a Buddhist now, am I? I mean, I’ve got nothing against you guys but I don’t think it’s for me.”

Lama laughed a hearty laugh and said, “No, you are not a Buddhist. You be whatever you want. Just ask Dorje Shugden for help and you will be okay.”

It took me a few more weeks before I began to recite Dorje Shugden’s mantra. I was still grappling with the idea of engaging in religious practice. In the end, I thought, “It couldn’t hurt, right?” It was hard at first – the weird syllables were a mouthful – but Lama was very patient with me and I’m glad I stuck with it. The rhythm was soothing but powerful and for the last 35 years, I’ve relied on Dorje Shugden to get me through good and bad times.

After a decade as a sworn agnostic, I know it was Dorje Shugden who drove me out of my apathy for myself and those around me. It was also Dorje Shugden who brought Lama onto the train that fateful day, at that stop, at that very moment in time because it was through Lama that Dorje Shugden taught me how to be compassionate to myself.

Somewhere in my readings, I learnt that the Protector doesn’t just help us materially but also provides us with spiritual support, strengthening our minds and guiding our thoughts at the most crucial moment. Why else would I have been prompted to pray to become a better person? You might not be able to fathom how some simple syllables can bring so much calm and security to a person, but now I understand where Lama’s serene demeanor comes from. Dorje Shugden’s mantra is his energy, and his energy is protection, blessings, compassion and wisdom.

Haimo Lacchus

By: Ari Joaquim

About 5 years back, after graduating from college, I felt an intense need to search for spirituality. It was quite a testing period, and I had a strong urge to take stock of my life before life took over me.

I woke up one day and thought to myself, where is life taking me? I had been studying all my life, and now that I had graduated, I’ll work an ordinary job, have an ordinary family, and then die… an ordinary life, just like my parents. I couldn’t quite accept that life was that mundane, and that I was to trapped in the same unexciting cycle.

So I decided to embark on a spiritual experiment, looking for a deeper, higher “meaning” in life. Sounds cliché, doesn’t it? Anyway, I did my homework and researched the various religions of the world and it wasn’t long before I stumbled across Tibetan Buddhism. It appealed to me but the more I read, the more confused I became, particularly as there were a few schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Which school of Buddhism should I explore? As it turned out, there was a Tibetan Buddhist center near where I lived, and I decided to give it a go, regardless of which school it was from. I wouldn’t have known the difference anyway.

On my first visit, I saw a nun seated in meditation in front of a large Buddha image. I was drawn to how peaceful the nun seemed to be, almost palpably so. The energies of the temple calmed the anxiety I had been experiencing, and I decided to come back again.

I began volunteering a few times a week – cleaning, preparing for meditation classes, prayers and other events. I also found my spiritual teacher in the center’s resident nun. Eight months passed and I found myself not wanting to end the experience. This was truly the life I wanted.

Buddhism changed my perceptions of how life should be lived. Everyone had their expectations of me, and yet those who lived an ordinary life were not happy. A spiritual life, serving my spiritual teacher and all who come to this humble center for help – I wanted to do that so much but the opportunity never arose.

Out of the blue, my spiritual teacher sat me down and asked what was bothering me. I expressed what I wanted to do in life, how I wanted to serve the Dharma until the end of my days but I felt that I did not have the opportunity. My teacher just laughed, and told me, “Do your serkyem (a tea offering ceremony requesting the Dharma Protector for help) with great conviction in what you have just told me. All will be good.”

I didn’t know what she meant at that time, but I followed her advice just as I always had. I did my serkyem offering to Dorje Shugden daily, with the appropriate requests and supplications. Dorje Shugden is one of the core practices at my center, and we were taught that he had taken on a worldly aspect so that practitioners such as myself could easily connect with his enlightened nature.

Just three months after starting my serkyem to Dorje Shugden, things started to clear up for me. The first was a gradual dissipation of my fears as to the uncertainties along this path. Then, one of the center’s resident staff relocated to another city. And just like that, there was a vacant position in the Dharma center and I jumped at the opportunity. I even found sponsorship so I didn’t have to work and could spend most of my time with my teacher.

I thought I’d share my story so that others could rejoice in how Dorje Shugden helped me in my spiritual path, and how having great faith in my spiritual teacher and my protector is one of the keys to progression along the spiritual path. I‘m sure my story isn’t unique but I hope it will be inspirational to others.

When it comes to gaining quick results and what I need to progress in my spiritual practice, without a doubt I fully trust Dorje Shugden to help provide the right conditions for me. The Protector has helped me many times more since then and if there is one thing I swear by, it is Dorje Shugden.

By: Freya Mandes

The rain had been lashing down for the last four hours, and the wind was still howling through the trees. Loose soil had washed down all over the roads, hiding the potholes, and there were broken twigs and branches everywhere. “There is no way in hell I’m driving in that weather,” I told my friends.

So as soon as it all died down, we all piled into my car, ready to make our way home. It was pitch black outside so I was driving slower than usual. We were relaxed, talking excitedly about what we would do once we got home, when it happened.

It happened slowly at first, like nothing out of the ordinary. I felt the tyres give way a little and a thought flashed through my mind, “Yeah, I can handle this, I’ve skidded before. Just keep calm.” It was all very different seconds later, when the skidding continued and my car spun violently out of control, landing with a loud thud inside a muddy ditch.

When stuff like this happens, you react in one of two ways – either total shock, or total autopilot. To this day, I’m still not quite sure which I felt. All I remember was realizing that my engine was still running and that my car still worked. I threw my gear into reverse, hoping I would be able to pull myself out but no such luck. We were deep in a ditch, stuck on a dark on a rural road (isn’t that how every serial killer movie begins?).

“Never mind,” I thought to myself, “There’s no use sitting in the car and fretting, I just have to get out to survey the damage and then figure out what to do next.” Killing the engine, I clambered over to the passenger seat (the driver’s door was stuck) and jumped out, straight into knee-deep mud. I began to walk around to inspect the damage, an exercise that soon proved to be futile because the entire front of my car was submerged, so any damage was hidden.

You know when you walk into really soft mud and get stuck? Then try to pull yourself out but you can’t without leaving your shoe behind, because there’s a strong vacuum in its place? Well, in my case, that ‘mud’ was the ditch and that ‘shoe’ was my car. There was no way it was going to come out without the almighty (hydraulic!) forces of a tow truck. It was then that relief that everyone was unharmed gave way to panic – it was 2am in a tiny rural town, so what tow truck service would still be available?

I was a split second away from walking in the dark to try and find some help, when out of nowhere a motorbike showed up. Two teenage boys were out on a joyride and had decided to turn down our deserted road (yes, at 2am!). Excitedly, we flagged them down, ignoring all the horror stories we had heard about rapists and murderers scouting for their next victims.

After explaining what had happened, we asked them, without much hope, if they knew of any tow truck operators. As luck would have it, they immediately answered yes, their neighbor was a tow truck operator and yes, he operates 24 hours a day. After exchanging phone numbers with us, they left to call on their neighbor, promising to return as quickly as they could.

Flash forward half an hour later, when my car was pulled soaking wet out of the ditch. A closer inspection of my vehicle showed that aside from a dented fender, and a dented passenger door, not much else was wrong. The engine was still running and all the electricals were good to go. The estimated damage? Approximately US$500.

In a small rural town where most go to bed at 10pm, where did those boys come from? Why did they choose to turn down our road? How is it they had a tow truck operator as a neighbor? Why wasn’t my car more badly damaged, considering the scale of the accident? All these questions, I believe, can only be answered by Dorje Shugden. I firmly believe that it was Dorje Shugden who cushioned my car during the impact, then spurred those boys on to take that joyride and encourage them to turn down our road for without them, perhaps my friends and I would have been stuck on that road for a much longer time!

By: Chrissa Sim

For information about the Healing and Wisdom Meditation of Dorje Shugden, please click here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/a-healing-and-wisdom-meditation-of-dorje-shugden/