#Ngondro

[empress-lotus]

Wisdom dakinis, sky dancers, are the feminine embodiment of bliss and freedom that are at the essence of enlightenment. They can arise in any form, terrifying or stunningly beautiful, to aid tantric practitioners in cutting through their ego.

Dakinis will reveal that which you yourself are blind to and that which gets in the way of your path to truth.

All women are dakinis one way or another.

I rest within the one taste of the sphere of absolute being, the great female principle ♾️

[dudjomngondro]

The Three Supreme Methods

Whatever practices we do, whether the common ones of taking refuge and making prostrations, the various trainings in bodhichitta, the methods for purifying the defilements of body and speech, or the uncommon practices of the Secret Mantra (the visualization and recitation of Vajrasattva, guru yoga, or meditation on the yidam deity), all that we do — and this is very important—should be…

[aerial-jace]

It really is a shame that there's no online Tendai sangha that meets at a time that is convenient for me or even just has a presence somewhere less ephemeral than video calls because the idea of an integrated Precepts + Meditation + Pure Land + Vajrayana approach held together by the glue of the Lotus Sutra seems ideal for me but as it is I'm just left to cobble my own practice out of my forays into the disparate schools of Chinese Pure Land, Gelug, and (to my great surprise) Nichiren.

[mahayanapilgrim]

In some other ngondro practices, the Longchen Nyingthig Ngondro for instance, the text one recites is far more detailed than this (text). But however long or short it is, to recite the text without being aware of its meaning and purpose is completely useless. What must change is the way we perceive the outer world.

We must become truly convinced that in the ordinary state of samsara there is nothing but suffering. We must constantly keep in mind impermanence, the relentless passage of time, and the imminence of death. We need to be careful of our actions and should never dismiss the law of karma, or cause and effect, as unimportant. We must recognize the need to achieve liberation, and the need to rely upon a spiritual teacher to do so. Then the meaning of the teachings will truly become a part of ourselves. This is very important.

- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche - The Excellent Path To Enlightenment

[holybookslibrary]

Daily Purification - A Short Vajrasattva Practice

Daily Purification Daily Purification - A Short Vajrasattva Practice  is an instruction fra Lama Zopa Rinpoche on a short Vajrasatta meditation called Purification with the Four Opponent Powers. The practice is based upon the merits of Buddhist teacher Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana born in 980 in Bangladesh - a major figure in the establishment of the Sarma lineages in Tibet. In the work Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, by Pabongka Rinpoche, it is explained how Atiśa Dipankara would purify any negativity, no matter how small, immediately. Even in public or when riding his horse, as soon as he noticed a breach of his ethics, he would stop what he was doing, drop to one knee and then and there, purify it with the four opponent powers—the powers of dependence, regret, remedy and restraint. Download the instructions here (26 pages pdf ebook): Daily Purification A Short Vajrasattva Practice

Who is Vajrasattva?

Vajrasattva (or Vajrasattva) is a significant figure in Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. He embodies the purity aspect of the enlightened mind, helping to purify the karma of the practitioner. Often depicted in art and meditation practices, Vajrasattva is associated with purification and is seen as a means for practitioners to purify their negative actions, impurities, and obstacles to spiritual growth. Vajrasattva is typically represented in a white color, symbolizing purity, and holds a vajra (thunderbolt) and a bell, representing the union of wisdom and compassion, the two key aspects of Buddhist enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Vajrasattva meditation and mantra recitation is a common preliminary practice, serving as a foundational tool for spiritual purification and preparation for more advanced practices. This practice is often undertaken as part of the preliminary practices known as Ngondro, where practitioners recite the 100-syllable Vajrasattva mantra to purify their negative karma. Read the full article

[ani-tsultrim-wangmo]

No matter what dharma practice you engage in, from ngondro to offering a single candle, always do it with the intention that your practice will benefit all sentient beings. In the context, "benefit" does not only mean giving practical help, such as offering food or medicine, or feeding people's emotions, egos and delusion. Here "benefit" includes aspiring to be instrumental in the enlightenment of all sentient beings; without such an aspiration, it is easy for dharma practice to become self-serving.

~ Dzongsar Rinpoche

無論修何法，從修加行到供佛的一根蠟燭，都要懷著讓你的修行有益於一切有情眾生。在上下文中，“利益”不僅意味著提供實際的幫助，例如提供食物或藥物，或餵養人們的情緒，自我和妄想。這裡的“利益”發願成爲覺悟衆生的工具；缺乏這樣的發願，修行就很容易變得自私自利。

~ 宗薩仁波切

[edrecovery-cheerleader]

For the past two weeks I’ve taken a mindful break from practicing at my temple. It’s been weird. I had a little existential crisis. Kind of a big one, relatively. I wrote it out on Deep Thoughts and gained some clarity and insight. A spiritual path is a constant work in progress. One can not conform into faithfulness. One must actively doubt, question and delve deeper into understanding. You must follow your inner voice and let it guide you. #linkinbio 📿📿📿📿📿📿📿 . . . . . . . . . . . #blogger #buddhist #deepthoughts #tibetanbuddhism #meditation #practice #ngondro #buddha #altar #dalailama (at Capitol Hill (Salt Lake City))

[vajrayanaorg]

“Mandala Offering” Dodging Squirrels on the Road to Enlightenment the #Dudjom #tersar #ngondroprogram #webcast teaching with #drubponpemarigdzin has been rescheduled to Thursday October 24th @ 5pm Pacific. Watch your email for the login information. Visit our website listed on our profile to learn about the #Ngondro Program #ngondroisalifelongpractice (at Dudjom Tersar Ngondro Program) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3kwm2qh0oN/?igshid=1jkqm3yodh7ir

[ngondropa]

Welcome back Lama Sonam Rinpoche to the LIVESTREAM Ngondro Webcast Teaching Thursday, OCT 24th @ 5pm PACIFIC

Welcome back Lama Sonam Rinpoche to the LIVESTREAM Ngondro Webcast Teaching Thursday, OCT 24th @ 5pm PACIFIC

Lama Sonam Rinpoche sends “Tashi Delek” and love to all from the Guru Rinpoche statue at the Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center, California

Join us Thursday, October 24th @ 5: 00 pm PACIFIC as we welcome back Lama Sonam Rinpoche from his pilgrimage.

This is a last-minute change from the scheduled Mandala Offering: Dodging Squirrels on the Path to Enlightenment with Drubpon Pema Rigdzin, which…

[vajranam]

Drifting Yogi

DRIFTING YOGI– A rare modern day story of a spiritual adventure

PART -- 1 LEAVING HOME

"On December 13th 2004, I gave up my class 12th board exams and fled to India to become a monk.

I was brought up by a single mother along with three sisters. Growing up through dire poverty, my early childhood years were unforgettably sad and painful.

Having been a dreamy boy, i took comfort from reading poetry and spiritual books at school. I was a lazy, dull-witted student and did not perform well in exams.

Since i couldn't figure out an ambition

for my future, i remember studying the academic subjects only to get through the exams; so that i don't disappoint my guardians who were spending for my schooling.

To distract my attention from the troublesome situations of a boarding school life those years, where resources were scanty... and the constant bullying by elders, i drove my emotions deeper into spirituality and consoled myself through writing poems.

Sometimes gazing at the serene images of Lord Buddha.... i started dreaming of studying and practicing meditation to achieve that amazingly peaceful and hypnotic composure of a sitting Buddha.

And i didn't care about achieving anything otherwise.

So in December 2004 in Zhemgang higher sec. School, aged nineteen i gave up my bio-science exams and embarked on an extremely uncertain, risky and adventurous journey to India without a penny in my pocket.

Making the long story short.......

I arrived in india somehow and with much jubilation got admitted in a renowned Tibetan buddhist monastery in north India.

But soon i was disappointed to learn that the monasteries are just another institutions to study ethics, philosophy and rituals in their respective traditions. And no monastery offered direct meditation instructions to the monks/students to realise for themselves.

After just about one year in the Shedra, i quit the monastic life and started wandering in search of a master or a 'Tsa wai Lama'.

Which happened to be yet another crazy decision.

PART -- 2 MEETING WITH MASTER

AND PRACTICE

After a couple months of leaving the monastery i happened to travel in Lahoul valley near Ladakh.

There i met a wandering Tibetan Yogi building an old-style rock Stupa on the mountain.

Our meeting sparked in me a curious sense of emotions that was mixed with joy and tears when ever he talked to me.

Tired of wandering and pilgrimage, the desperate me requested him to take me to where ever he was based, so that i can serve him and learn more from him and about him.

Living with him, my life became more difficult and uneasy.

Since his nature was extremely harsh and extremely loving sometimes. But at the end of each passing day i found out that my emotions were being tested to the limit and he was teaching me a lot in disguise.

So considering his arrogance to me as a rare blessing i made a firm resolution to never leave him in no matter what situation.

After much waiting, i received instructions and his protection to pursue solitary retreats. Constantly wandering from one mountain cave to another, from deep forests to deserts,

From sea shores to solitary islands, sleeping on the roadsides, under the trees and cemeteries, i wandered like a fallen leaf carried by the wind.

Once i walked about 700 miles and bicycled 2000 miles under the heavy rains and scorching sun of tropical India. They were all a part of my yogic practice of drifting without a particular aim.

For more than twelve years, being so lost and carried away in retreats and wandering... i have almost forgotten my home country Bhutan.

PART -- 3 A VISION

During my retreats in the forests of central India, my provisions were taken cared by the innocent villagers, who were newly converted buddhists due to caste issues in indian social system.

Villagers were more than happy to have me, a buddhist practitioner from a foreign land in their remote villages.

So moved by their innocent reverence i started teaching them meditation, the essence of all the teachings of the buddha.... Although i struggled to interpret my thoughts to them through my extremely poor spoken Hindi.

Later in early 2017 i travelled to south east asian countries invited by some friends.

There i was surprised to discover a vibrant culture of education and youth who were equally enthusiastic to practice meditation to enhance their quality of lives through spiritual values and understanding.

We can all agree to one inevitable challenge, that our pursuit of modern lifestyle and it's glamour, is costing a serious toll on mental health to everyone.

And simultaneously dragging our beautiful home planet into a disaster of pollution and over-exploitation.

It was highly nourishing for me to meet amazing young people in those countries, who were raising concerns about the future of humanity and giving their commitments to spiritual lives through the practice of meditation in their daily lives.

In late 2018 i came back to Bhutan to visit my mother.

And started travelling and teaching meditation in Bhutan without the pre-requirements of arduous ngondro practices.

To my surprise many students young or elderly, literate or illiterate, started giving me amazing feedbacks through their own experiences just after a few months of practice. And were thoroughly inspired to follow the path of meditation in order to understand the dharma deeper for further enlightenment.

Some students have stopped drinking and smoking as a natural effect of meditation. And a few more have recovered from depression and migraine.

But at the same time, some people seemed still confused and quite suspicious regarding my initiatives.

While i welcomed their doubts and criticism, i was also scanning the psychological landscape of people influenced by their own belief systems.

So my dear elders, youngers, friends and relatives in Bhutan.

Let me take some space to share my humble opinions of what meditation is all about.

In other countries buddhist meditation is taught in school systems to enhance the performance of students.

i have seen buddhist meditations practiced in christian churches to generate faith and devotion in christ.

Buddhist meditations are practiced by psychologist and psychiatrists and implemented on their patients to recover from their mental disorientation.

Buddhist meditations are taught in high profile leadership and business management courses to enhance their productivity.

Buddhist meditation is practiced in the military of some countries for better focus and precision in their training.

Buddhist meditation is practiced by hard-core criminals in prisons to recover from their corrupted state of minds.

One friend in Philipines, a school teacher is teaching meditation in a catholic school, and the school administration approves her initiative.

In Burma, Sri lanka and thailand politicians practice meditation to render their political service more effectively.

So my dear friends in Bhutan,

those people in other countries may never have heard of arduous ngondro practices but they are still practicing meditation as the heart of all teachings of buddha and getting benefited immensely.

Now.... one can definitely argue my statements that those meditations are from different origins, like the Theravada from Burma or Srilanka,

Zen from Japan and ours is secret Dzogchen from the path of vajrayana.

To this possible argument, i can simply answer that even if the meditation practices originate from different, different countries and traditions....... ALL THOSE MEDITATION MANUALS EXIST IN THE VAST COMPILATION OF KANJUR AND TENJUR, TO WHICH WE ALL PROSTRATE UN-KNOWINGLY

WHEN WE VISIT THE TEMPLES AND MONASTERIES.

Ngondro, a set of mandatory preliminary practices that require five to 6 months to complete is an amazing tool to enter the Vajrayana buddhist path.

But at the same time...... Buddhas meditation teachings, being the answer to all human quests....sadly remain inaccessible to a large section of devout buddhists in our country. Simply because most aspiring meditation practitioners cannot fulfill the obligation to complete the long and arduous ngondro which is the standard practice required by tradition, as the gateway to the path of meditation.

But dear friends.... I speak with conviction through what little experience and observations i have gathered, that ngondro can be also practiced after meditation.

in fact NGONDRO BECOMES MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC AND JOYFUL IF PRACTICED WITH A PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF MEDITATION.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine sent me the Royal Kasho granted by our beloved His majesty the king, regarding the reformation of educational system.

As a humble citizen, I was deeply moved by the concerns made by His majesty the King, regarding the future of our youth and education in comparison to the extremely fast changing environment we live in.

My heart was throbbing.... and while i was holding my breath, i realised that even as a humble and a nameless citizen, living lonely as the road, i have fondly entertained many dreams.... if my independent research in the field of meditation therapies from the deep buddhist wisdom, can contribute an additional facility to our existing model of education.

So on this beautiful social networking platform i drifting yogi would like to share my deep prayers and aspirations

To teach meditation further in Bhutan,

Purely as a science of self discovery under secular setting.... and also as the essence of our Vajrayana path.

I have a dream to teach meditation to our budding youth to empower themselves to pursue their passion in life and achieve their goals to live a life of contentment.

And recovering from any kind of addictions from substance abuses through mental strength cultivated from meditation.

In 2019 when i was still in India, i heard some horrifying news from Bhutan about a series of rapes of minors in Paro, Dagana and somewhere.

My senses went numb.... and my mind was in dilemma out of sheer terror.

Because deep down.... i felt, if our youth can be educated in the practice of meditation, then such horrors can be totally prevented, by transforming the emotions of the practitioner into a naturally joyful and liberated state of being.

Finally, before i end this story,

I will drop a wish, that this story reach as many readers as possible.

And I deeply apologise if reading this story was a waste of time to some readers.

If any reader like this story, then i thank you for ur gesture of support.

And if any reader find flaws in my statements,

I welcome your valued criticism, so that i can learn a little from you.

MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!"

– By Drifting Yogi (Aka Sherab Dorji, 35)

Written on the bank of River Gamri, Lungten Zampa, Trashigang, Eastern Bhutan on 17 Feb.2021.

[sujenlake]

Ngondro returns

(from Leanander Archives): Silent for a while, I've been in a late fall mood. I'm a summer solstice baby, born the brightest day of the year, and late October through late December are my winter. There was a tough virus going around and I caught it for a couple of weeks. My Ngondro practice came to a complete halt, it was kind of a relief. I was 3/4 through the first stage and felt like it wasn't doing anything or going anywhere, had become rote. It's supposed to prepare you, to make you a "worthy vessel" by clearing out obstacles of neurosis and other kinds. Something was happening - I was feeling more neurotic than ever. For example, I was no longer satisfied to make a mug of coffee, I had to make a whole pot and drink it...but it was a pressure build that didn't seem to have an outlet. I allowed practice to dwindle for a few weeks and nuzzled into some old habits of mind for a while, reacquainted myself with them and their friends.

This of course is exactly what you're told not to do when you get stuck in practice. But I'm stubborn. In the thought machine found myself wondering how much I've made practice a place to hide, to stay dull to the aches, pains & elations of life; made it a chase of illusion, disconnected with the nature of things.Then the fog cleared and I spent the weekend doing group practice, all of us in the group hoping to finish this in the 9 months we have left before the Abhisheka (empowerment) this Ngondro is preparing us for. I realized this morning, in a rare clear moment these days, that I was wanting Ngondro to change me in ways I could conceptualize, and that fit in with my current job and life and aspirations...instead of accepting the huge transformations that are possible. We could all be Buddhas, after all. But it would mean giving a rest to so many attachments.

Published December 2, 2008

[dudjomngondro]

Dudjom Study/Discussion Group

Private Monthly Ngondro Event for the Dudjom Ngondro Program Participants. Join the Dudjom Ngondro Study ~ Discussion Group with Stefan Graves and guest speakers based on  “A Commentary on the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche”. We are excited to present a new opportunity for the Dudjom Ngondro Program Participants. Beginning January 2025, we are starting a monthly Dudjom Ngondro…

[mahayanapilgrim]

Some enlightened lamas manifest wisdom in unconventional ways; some charlatan lamas seem serene and wise and have fine reputations.

How can we know the difference? We check their lineage

— true lamas revere their lineage and have served their own teachers with exemplary devotion.

We check their motivation, their good heart. Is their intention really to benefit sentient beings? Can we feel compassion underlying their actions? Again, wrathful activity can be carried out with unconditional love and compassion; peacefulness can be hypocritical. We check back.

Do we experience a greater clarity as a result of the lama's words and actions? Are our mind's workings illuminated?

Do we gather impetus to practice and correct our conduct? A true lama can bring about moments of positive transformation through the skillful means of dharma. A false lama merely manipulates our spirituality and reinforces poisonous emotions and deluded tendencies.

Someone posing as a lama, but devoid of pure lineage and pure motivation, devoid of the qualities that arise from authentic meditation, resembles something foul wrapped in brocade. The eye may be deceived, but the nose can smell it.

Once we have found an infallible lama, we should hold him or her as dear as our own breath. Now we have access to a treasury of spiritual attainment. In our interactions, we try to see the lama through less ordinary eyes, cultivating the pure view that the lama's activities of body, speech, and mind remain inseparable from Guru Rinpoche.

Although in a relative way we might find fault with the lama's human foibles, this tendency to belittle and criticize undermines our own spiritual development. The lama has intentionally accepted the limitations and suffering of human rebirth, yet abides in the recognition of buddha nature.

Outwardly, to guide us, the lama may act like one of us; actually, he or she is completely different. If our obscurations make us too nearsighted to perceive the We must refrain trom any in mature, arrestin ladents.

Otherwise we may block our avenue of liberation.

Chagdud Tulku - Ngondro Commentary - Padma Publishing

[ani-tsultrim-wangmo]

No matter what dharma practice you engage in, from ngondro to offering a single candle, always do it with the intention that your practice will benefit all sentient beings. In the context, "benefit" does not only mean giving practical help, such as offering food or medicine, or feeding people's emotions, egos and delusion. Here "benefit" includes aspiring to be instrumental in the enlightenment of all sentient beings; without such an aspiration, it is easy for dharma practice to become self-serving.

~ Dzongsar Rinpoche

無論修何法，從修加行到供佛的一根蠟燭，都要懷著讓你的修行有益於一切有情眾生。在上下文中，“利益”不僅意味著提供實際的幫助，例如提供食物或藥物，或餵養人們的情緒，自我和妄想。這裡的“利益”發願成爲覺悟衆生的工具；缺乏這樣的發願，修行就很容易變得自私自利。

~ 宗薩仁波切

[vajrayanaorg]

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Virtual Ngondro Retreat continues with Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche April 6 -12 morning and afternoon on “How Ngondro Can Support You in This Difficult Time”. #vajrayana ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ #vajrayanafoundation ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #vajrayanabuddhism ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #vajrayanabuddhist ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #dudjomrinpoche ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #dudjom⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #dudjomlineage ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #dudjomlingpa⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #JigdralYesheDorje⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ #SangyePemaShepa⁣⁣⁣ #LamaSonam⁣⁣Tsering⁣ #nature ⁣ #meditation⁣ #TibetanBuddhism⁣ #NgondroPractice #ngondroretreat ⁣ #livestream ⁣ #ThinleyNorbu #ngondroisalifelongpractice https://www.instagram.com/p/B-oN0xWhFKO/?igshid=12ii0iajfwctz

[ngondropa]

Ngondro Online Retreat with Lama Sonam Tsering and Sam Bercholz

April 4-5 with Sam Bercholz April 6-12 with Lama Sonam Tsering

The first weekend will feature teachings by Sam Bercholz, senior student of Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, who personally authorized him to teach. Sam has called the weekend, Meditation and the Development of Faith: Essential Teachings from H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. The weekend will be a combination of…