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26 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS
What School
of Buddhism Is
Right for You?
By Dr Lobsang Rapgay
Lobsang Rapgay is an People turn to Buddhism for a variety individuals’ temperament and
assistant adjunct professor of reasons ranging from emotional emotional and intellectual makeup.
and research psychologist or psychological issues, family If newcomers had a way to find
at University of California, conflicts, health problems, and a the school that was best suited
Los Angeles, and the feeling of emptiness in their lives to them, perhaps they could find
former director of UCLA’s to dissatisfaction with the religion refuge instead of confusion and
Behavioral Medicine Clinic they grew up with. But with the alienation. No tradition is the “best”
and Program. He was born overwhelming variety of Buddhist one, but you can find the practice
schools, teachers, and centers, it is most suited to your needs. Doing so
in Lhasa and was a monk
difficult to know where to start. requires familiarizing yourself with
for 18 years. Dr Rapgay
the various traditions, researching
was a speaker at the Global
Some newcomers end up at a center teachers and centers, and allowing
Buddhist Conference in
associated with a teacher whose yourself to experiment with different
Malaysia in 2012. This work caught their attention. Others communities until you find one where
article was published with may follow the recommendation you feel comfortable and supported.
the permission of the author. of a friend or family member to
go to their first local Buddhist First, be honest with yourself about
center. Before they know it, they what your personality style is. If you
find themselves engaging in the feel like you can’t accurately judge
practices of a particular lineage often yourself, the online DISC personality
without questioning the underlying test is an excellent free self-
meaning. Then, many people end up assessment. Unlike most personality
abandoning the practice because they tests that are based on assessing
aren’t able to relate to the traditional psychopathology, DISC is determined
setup or hierarchy at a particular by a person’s day-to-day behavior
Buddhist center. pattern.
While this variety of schools and To match your personality style
styles can be disorienting, it’s also with the appropriate Buddhist
one of Buddhism’s greatest strengths. tradition and school, you need
The Buddha adapted his teachings to familiarize yourself with the
to meet the needs of people with main ones, each of which has its
different personalities. He recognized own underlying philosophical and
the importance of difference in conceptual framework and practice
