I could virtually meet any huge guru I wanted, using my means and connections. but that was still within my habitual pattern. So I set out to become a grain of sand, to break my own pattern. Breaking pattern is a huge learning experience.

There’s no set path, because everyone’s habitual pattern is different. The only set path is that of seeing and breaking your own habitual pattern, until seeing itself is enough to dissolve the pattern. From acting dualistically in physical world of action and reaction, to returning to emptiness of not one, not none.

I read about the grain of sand concept from 秋阳创巴, the crazy guru.

The statement “once enlightened, everything he does is right; before enlightenment, anything he does is wrong” could easily be misunderstood, it’s not a good way to explain what it is like to be enlightened. Those who idolize 秋阳创巴 say he 以极其善巧的智慧，甚至摧残自身，奉上光辉短暂一生之大慈大悲，渡化、利益无数众生. No. He acted the way he did because that was who he was. His only merit was while being himself, he was squarely and fully in the nature of mind, and that is an assumption.

Any idolization is obviously dualistic, typical of ignorant sentient beings. Stop idolizing and beautifying your idol, then you can truly get on your way to enlightenment.