How I entered the Buddha's Teachings.

Avalokitesvara, Buddha of Great Compassion... saved my life on more than one occasion. I will tell you a story from my own meandering experience...

Many years ago, I had a nervous breakdown. At the time, I met a new friend that was a social drug user. I, myself, didn't partake in it, but as you keep the company of fools too long, soon you become a fool. Since I did not know how to deal with my life's affliction's, soon I too became a drug addict. During the course of my addiction, I felt immense shame, and I tried different approaches of rehab to end my suffering, but to no avail.

One day, I was browsing the book store, I bought a book by Thich Nhat Hanh called the Heart of the Buddha's Teaching's. In the course of three months, I tried to read this book, but didn't understand it's meaning, most likely due to the drugs still in my system. I put the book down. A thought arose, "I remember in the past, I was told if I was ever in danger to call out to Kuan Yin, the Great Compassionate Buddha!"

Fastforwarding...One day, in the wee hours of the morning, I was hallucinating on drugs. I saw demons in the backyard starring at me. Some had smiles on their faces. These demons I saw were nothing I had seen in movie's nor television let me add. I was immediately frightened out of my wits, of course being on drugs we are already out of our wits in the first place. Hah! At that moment, I remembered that if I was ever in danger to call out to Kuan Yin, the Buddha of Great Compassion. So when I saw the demons, I screamed to the top of my lungs, "KUAN YIN! Please help me STOP!"...guess what happened after I woke up next day? I never touched it again. I didn't even have craving nor withdrawals. It was an efficacious and miraculous event!

From that moment onward, I wanted to know what it was that saved my life. So I picked up every free distribution books on Buddhism I could get my hands on, and I spent the next year, from when I awaken in the morning to time I rest at night, I read, read, read, read. After I read those free distribution books, I bought Sutra's, and read those. Some I continue to read over and over again. That's my story of how I entered the Buddha's teachings.

I learned an important lesson. You see, I used to look down on other's that were drug addicts. I had to learn compassion the hard way. I no longer look at drug addictions with a discriminating mind, I try my best to accept all people with all faculties and conditions with a sense of understanding, empathy, and compassion. If you have an arrogant mind, and think yourself better than other's just because your situation is more pleasant, do take heed and learn from my own experience so you too do not have to encounter such a test yourself.

I hope my story will benefit other's now and in the future. No matter how doomed one may feel, there is help. There is a way to redemption. Always remember and keep in your heart and your mind that if you are ever in compromising situations call out to Kuan Yin, the Great Compassionate Buddha that Hear's the Cries of the World.

The reason why this Buddha is depicted as having so many arms is because it takes so many to reach all living being's.