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Ngöndro Program -- Program

 Organisation     Program    

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• Ngöndro Practice
• Importance of Ngöndro Practice
• The purpose of the Five-Year Ngöndro Program
• Who should attend?
• What preparation should I do?
• Description on the five Ngöndro practices

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Ngöndro Practice TOP

Ngöndro consists of five extraordinary preliminary practices of Vajrayana: Refuge, Vajrasattva, Mandala Offering, Guru Yoga, and Bodhicitta. This year the focus is on Vajrasattva (purification) practice. The great twelfth century Tibetan saint, Lord Jigten Sumgon said, "Ngöndro is even more important than the higher practices. One must truly understand and practice the simple and yet profound foundational teachings before one begins the higher teachings." All newcomers are wholeheartedly welcome. Rinpoche will repeat the essence of the previous teachings at the beginning of the retreat.

Importance of Ngöndro Practice TOP

For the benefit of all sentient beings, the most gracious Buddha Shakyamuni spoke the Dharma through the Sutras and Tantras. The five profound paths of Mahamudra and the six yogas of Naropa are the essence of the Buddha’s teachings which enable one to attain Enlightenment even in one lifetime. However, to practice the path of Mahamudra and the six yogas of Naropa, one must be fully convinced of the "four ways of turning the mind" or the four ordinary foundations – reflection on the rarity and preciousness of human life; the impermanence of all composite phenomena; the unceasing nature of the suffering of samsara; and the inexorable causality of all existence. The four ways of turning the mind are the basis for the successful practice of any of the Yanas. Then one practices the four extraordinary foundations, or the Vajrayana Ngöndro, to purify the negative karma and obscurations of the mind, speech and body and to develop virtues.

Five-Year Ngöndro Program TOP

Traditionally, one would complete the Ngöndro practices during a three-year retreat. This has not proven to be feasible for many people in the West. Instead, for about ten days each fall for five years, Khenchen will provide successive instruction on one of the Ngöndro practices. This will allow those who wish to do so to complete one practice each year, and finish the entire Ngöndro in five years. The program includes other supplementary Buddhist teachings each year. We are extremely fortunate to have such a rare and auspicious opportunity to study the precious and extraordinary Ngöndro in a highly systematic way under the supreme guidance of such an inspiring and achieved master, Venerable Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche.

Who should attend? TOP

The teachings are open to anyone who is interested in studying and practicing the precious Dharma teachings. Those who do not wish to engage in the Ngöndro practices are also welcome to receive the teachings. This program is particularly designed to enable the serious practitioners to focus on meditation practice. This way, one can observe one’s mindfulness in the study and practice of the precious Dharma teachings. Those who have already completed all or some of the Ngöndro may also find the retreat a valuable reminder since these practices contain the essence of Buddhism and it is common for people to do them repeatedly. Although it would be best, it is not required to attend all years of the program. All newcomers are wholeheartedly welcome.

What preparation should I do? TOP

In order to open our hearts and mind, to increase our receptivity for such precious teachings, some basic understanding of Buddhist philosophy is indeed necessary. The book Transformation of Suffering by Venerable Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche is an excellent source.

"My intention in writing this book was to teach every level of practitioner the nature of samsara and nirvana. For this reason, there are especially detailed chapters on suffering and bodhicitta. When reading about suffering, it is very important to remain objective and not let it become depressing. As one reads further, it is my hope that readers will gain a clear understanding of how samsara is a state of suffering and how, through the method of bodhicitta practice, suffering can be used as a means of purification. Human beings have the ability to cultivate virtue and dispel ignorance. Precisely because of this inborn potential for Enlightenment, humans can liberate themselves from suffering and all its causes. Therefore, we should always rejoice at our good fortune to learn about suffering and how to be freed from it."

additional suggested readings (see the list below))

The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa

The Jewel Treasury of Advice: A Hundred Teachings from the Heart by Drikung Bhande Dharmaradza

Prayer Flags by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche

Garland of Mahamudra Practices by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche

In Search of Stainless Ambrosia by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche

Great Kagyu Masters by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche

Ceaseless Echoes of The Great Silence, a commentary on The Heart Sutra Prajnaparamita by Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche

The Life of Milarepa

The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa

37 Bodhisattva Practices by Togmay Sangpo (e.g. The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas)

Suhrllekha by Nagarjuna   (e.g. Nagarjuna's Letter to King Gautamiputra)

Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva (e.g. The Way of the Bodhisattva)

Bodhipathapradipa by Atisha (e.g. Atisha's Lamp for the Path of Enlightenment)

Abhidharmakosa by Vasubhandu

Uttaratantraby Maitreya   (e.g. The Changeless Nature, Buddha Nature)

• Fundamental Buddha's teachings
• Rinpoche's Dharma Talks
• Teaching excerpts from Ngöndro Program 2001