There's no Buddhism vs. Hinduism vs. Christianity vs. Judaism, vs. Islam. ~ They are all true as they arise the question "who am I?" All religions are just different frames around the same mirror: your consciousness.

My father, Ernest Ibañez i Neach, was my first teacher. Since I remember, we held animated spiritual conversations. And most of all he taught me through action: his art, his love, his devotion, his dedication to all.  In the early 70s he introduced me to Krishnamurti, his teacher during many decades.  I deeply pondered K's views, and that unleashed the enquiry within me. Krishnamurti has remained a lucid and uncompromising reference all along my life.  Simultaneously, I dived in my father's library where I found the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao te king, Plotinus Enneads, Theosophy titles, Benner's The Impersonal Life, and some New Thought books like In tune with the infinite.  I quickly started my own library, standing out the Isha Upanishad, Yogananda's autobiography and Ramana Maharshi's teachings. Also I read Alan Watts and books on Zen stories. Then the life of Ramakrishna.  This all happened between my 12th and 17th years. Enquiry unfolded spontaneously and constantly during that period, revealing absolute Truth, the infinite Self, and the functioning of thought within Consciousness projecting relative reality, the manifested world.  I remember being nine years old and asking my parents the meaning of the word "lama". An out of the blue question, and my first reference ever to anything Buddhist. Then, after the descent of Knowledge, I continued reading and exploring. I moved to Barcelona to attend college. There I made a friend who was into Yoga. Soon after he formed a group of people and we all started studying Patanjali's sutras. Also we did Kundalini retreats, practicing secret kriyas that my friend was learning from his teacher, Emilio Fiel. While in Barcelona I met Llum de la Selva, a 100+ years old hermit and vegetarian patriarch living in the countryside in a wild garden with a little hut for home, who was visited by many youngsters of the 'new age'. He initiated me and gave me a name. Llum was fond of me and always took me aside to tell me stories of his spiritual life. I was not yet 18.  Also in Barcelona I discovered Aurobindo's works, through a series of lectures at the Friends of India Association, and attended talks given by Swami Satchidananda (founder of Yogaville and hippy icon), the Tantra adept Swami Satyananda of Bihar, and Swami Chidananda (of the Divine Life Society, a very humble and decent sage). I dropped college and moved back to my hometown. I started to visit the new founded 'Sadhana Tantra Ashram' where Emilio Fiel intended to create an experiment in freedom and consciousness. My first retreat there was a 7 days Vipassana. Then some other workshops. The commune-ashram was heavily modeled after Bhagwan Rajneesh one. I took Sannyas with Emilio. New name, orange clothes. For six and a half years I participated in countless groups experimenting with the legacy of most Eastern traditions plus the practices formulated by the pioneers of the Human Potential movement. I also was selected to lead two of them: the seven days Catharsis Marathon (based in Rajneesh Dynamic Meditation and other energy groups), and the five days Vichara (based on Charles Berner Enlightenment Intensive).  Past the early Tantrika phase (1978-1980) dominated by worship of the Devi, mantra practice and maithuna, the community, led by Emilio, turned towards Zen as the main course of practice. Between 1981 and 1986 I went through dozens of sesshins. All in all that was a fertile time that allowed me to release a lot of samskaras and to recapitulate my knowledge and skills from past lives' involvement with the traditions of the East. From this period of my life is the discovery of many other invaluable teachers in print. Most of all, Jnaneshwar (author of the sublime Amritanubhava),  Shirdi Sai Baba (mentioned on Muktananda's Play of Consciousness), and Nisargadatta Maharaj. I used to introduce all the teachers I found interesting to my father. When he read Nisargadatta he declared that he found his satguru, and such has remained ever since. I also browsed many other books in the ashram library, from Gurdjieff to Satprem, Castaneda, Rumi, Shankara and all the classics of India. I quickly developed sympathy and devotion towards Shirdi Sai Nath, the supreme fakir/avatar. His picture, which concedes true darshan, has always accompanied me. And Nisargadatta, along with Sri Ramana and few others, have remained for me 'the' references among contemporary teachers of Advaita Vedanta. A short list that includes also Sri Ranjit Maharaj and Sri Siddharameshwar as my most beloved masters on the subject. I feel a special connection with the gurus of the Nav Nath sampradaya. After my ashramic experience, in returning to my birth town (1986), I started holding Satsang sessions at my home. Also I received training as a Yoga instructor (the more or less gymnastic variety) and founded a center from where I continued teaching Yoga, Meditation, and Vedanta (offering free Satsang once a week).   In 1987 I attended a week-long Raja Yoga seminar led by Vimala Thakar. She struck me as the embodiment of authenticity and modesty. A true jnani that made no fuss at all of her status. In 1990, karma wanted me to involve in Vajrayana Buddhism. This happened when my center was contacted by a nearby Kagyu monastery in request that a high rank lama might offer a lecture in our main room. That personality was no less than H.E. Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. The lecture was a success, the room crowded with people, and that caused me to become interested and to attend the Rinpoche's empowerments during the weekend. I was initiated in Tara and in Avalokiteshvara. Not by chance Arya-Tara was already the name of my center. Once into the study of Vajrayana, karma also wanted me to actualize my past lives connection with the Nyingma school. One day a letter came to my mailbox inviting me to participate in a Dzogchen weekend seminar. I attended and that was the beginning of 7 years of study under H.H. Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche, a highly realized lama in charge of a very low profile sangha of yogis and yoginis of the Great Perfection. Essentially he pointed me the Dharmakaya, the nonconceptual mind of Reality, for which unsurpassable generosity I consider him my Tsawai Lama. Among other great lamas from whom I received teachings, blessings, or empowerments are H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's Sangyum Kusho Rikzin Wangme, H.E. the IV Dodrupchen Rinpoche,  Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche (Ugyen Tenzin Jigme Lhundrup), Dudjom Yangsi (Tenzin Yeshe Dorje), H.H. Penor Rinpoche, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche, The XII Tai Situpa, Bokar Rinpoche, H.H. the Shakya Trizin, and Spiti Tulku. And also have experienced auspicious encounters with Sogyal Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche Yangsi, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, and Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche. In 1996 I received master training in Reiki from Carolyn Ford Taylor in the Essential Reiki style of Diane Stein. Consequently I discovered a strong connection with Kuan-Yin (the female form of Avalokiteshvara) as the ishta-devata and archetype running the dream of my incarnation. This experience and revelation caused me to originate Kuan-Yin Reiki, and to found Karuna center. Finally, after I moved to the U.S. in 2002, again karma put me in contact with Master Shanon Taicho, the abbot of the Hongaku Jodo order of Pure Land Buddhism. I received training with the Institute of Buddhist Studies associated to the lineage, and was ordained Sensei (Dharma master). This is the account of my main teachers, each of them playing a different role. In summary: my father (Ernest Ibañez i Neach), Jiddu Krishnamurti, Plotinus, Lao Tzu, the Gita, the Isha Upanishad, Ramana Maharshi, the Zen patriarchs, D.T. Suzuki, Ramakrishna, Llum de la Selva, Aurobindo, Patanjali, the Swamis of India, Emilio Fiel/Rajneesh, Castaneda, the Human Potential pioneers, Vimala Thakar, Jnaneshwar, Shirdi Sai Baba, The Nav Nath Maharajs: Nisargadatta, Ranjit, and Siddharameshwar; Shankara; Guru Padmasambhava and all the Dzogchen Vidyadharas, and the Mahayana traditions of Honen's Pure Land, Nagarjuna's Prajnaparamita/Madhyamika, and Vasubandu's Yogachara. These have modulated my original understanding with a variety of languages and resources for which I am very thankful to them all. Clara Llum, 2009