[!!!maryann!!!]

It was the Vajrayana tradition (Tibetan) that I happened to come into contact with, so that "how" I practice. But in terms of "what" I practice, My first readings were Japanese Zen. I have gotten some of my best instructions from a Korean Zen master. I have learned a lot from the Theravada tradition and many Bhikkhus who are friends of mine. And I also study what the Japanese & Chinese Pure land teachings have to offer. My own teacher (lama) taught me how to take every experience as a teaching. So, I think if somebody can learne from the various traditions without watering them down, that this is a good thing. But for some people, this can be confusing and not so productive. As one lama said, "It's like mixing oils paints and watercolors. You can choose to paint with one or the other, but combining them doesn't work". So it probably depends on the student and what the student and teacher think is a good idea.