Ngöndro

Some people follow a path to be kind. They use special steps called Ngöndro. These steps help them get ready. They are like a strong base for a house.

People think about life and change. They also think about how to be good. This helps their minds change for the better.

Some people do many special tasks. They might bow down many times. They might also offer gifts. This can take a very long time.

They do this to help all living things. It is a way to find peace. Do you like to learn new things?

In Tibetan Buddhism, people use special steps called Ngöndro. These are preparatory practices. They help a person get ready for deeper study. Some think Ngöndro is just a start. But masters say it is a complete path. It can lead a person to full enlightenment. This means reaching a state of perfect wisdom.

Ngöndro is split into two main kinds. The first kind is called the outer preliminaries. These involve deep thoughts. People think about how life changes. They also think about the truth of karma. Karma is the idea that actions have results. The second kind is the inner preliminaries. These are more special tasks. People might do 100,000 prostrations. This means bowing down many times to clear pride. They may also make 100,000 mandala offerings. A mandala is a special gift. These tasks help people grow kind and wise. Doing these steps can take a long time. It might take six months in retreat. It might take many years in daily life. People do this to help all living beings.

In Tibetan Buddhism, practitioners use foundational practices called Ngöndro. These steps serve as a way to prepare the mind for deeper study. Some people might think these are just simple starting steps. However, many masters say Ngöndro is a complete and sufficient path. It can lead a person all the way to full enlightenment. This practice is common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also used in the indigenous Yungdrung Bön tradition.

Ngöndro is often divided into two main sections. The first section is called the outer preliminaries. These involve deep reflections on four important topics. People think about the advantages of being born as a human. They also reflect on the truth of change and impermanence. They consider how karma works and the suffering in samsara. These thoughts are sometimes called the "four reminders." The second section is known as the inner preliminaries. These involve more specific and special tasks for the practitioner.

These inner tasks help a person work on their character. One part is taking refuge in the Three Jewels. This is often done alongside 100,000 prostrations to help clear pride. Practitioners might also do 100,000 recitations of a special mantra. This is used to help purify feelings of hatred. They may also perform 100,000 mandala offerings to practice generosity. Another step is 100,000 guru yoga practices to help with delusion. Each of these tasks is repeated many times to build a strong foundation.

Different traditions have their own ways of practicing Ngöndro. The four main schools are Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakya. Each school might change the order or the specific prayers used. For example, the Nyingma school has the Longchen Nyingthig teachings. These were revealed by the master Jigme Lingpa in the late 18th century. These teachings originally came from Padmasambhava to King Trisong Deutsen. In the Bön tradition, there are two different cycles of Ngöndro. These are called Zhangzhung sNyan-rgyud and A-khrid.

Completing these practices requires a lot of time and effort. It can take about 1,500 hours of work to finish once. If a person does this in a retreat, it might take six months. If they do it while living a normal life, it could take years. People do these practices for the benefit of all living beings. Many students start by practicing prostrations while waiting for a teacher. Teachers often say it is important to receive personal instruction. This helps the student understand the path more clearly.

Ngöndro refers to the foundational or preparatory disciplines used in Tibetan Buddhism. These practices are also known by the Sanskrit term sādhanā. They are common to the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakya. The practice is also found in the indigenous Yungdrung Bön tradition. Many people assume that "foundational" means these steps are lesser or simpler than higher practices. However, Vajrayana masters teach that Ngöndro is a complete and sufficient spiritual path. It can lead a practitioner all the way to full enlightenment.

These preliminary practices prepare the mind for more advanced and esoteric Vajrayana sādhanā. These higher practices are intended to lead to the realization of Dzogchen, Heruka, or Mahamudra. In some cases, specific preparations are prescribed for senior sādhanā. For example, the practice of "differentiating saṃsāra and nirvāṇa" prepares a person for trekchö. Trekchö is described as "cutting through to primordial purity." While Ngöndro was formalized in Tibet, it was not practiced in this specific way in early Tibet or India.

Practitioners generally divide Ngöndro into two distinct sections. The first section is known as the common or ordinary preliminaries. These consist of deep reflections or contemplations on four specific topics. These topics include the advantages of a precious human rebirth and the truth of impermanence. Practitioners also contemplate the workings of karma and the suffering within saṃsāra. These four reflections are sometimes called the "four reminders" or "four mind-changers." They are meant to turn the mind toward the Dharma.

The second section consists of the special or extraordinary preliminaries, known as inner preliminaries. These involve active spiritual tasks to purify different aspects of the practitioner. One task is taking refuge in the Three Jewels alongside 100,000 prostrations to purify pride. Another task is the cultivation of bodhicitta to purify jealousy. Some formulations include 100,000 recitations of the Vajrasattva hundred-syllable mantra to purify hatred or aversion. Practitioners also perform 100,000 mandala offerings to purify attachment. Finally, they perform 100,000 guru yoga practices to purify delusion.

History shows that different lineages have developed unique versions of these practices. In the Nyingma tradition, the Longchen Nyingthig is a famous cycle of teachings. This cycle was revealed by the master Jigme Lingpa in the late 18th century. These teachings were originally transmitted by Padmasambhava to King Trisong Deutsen and others. Because the time was not right for the teachings, they were hidden in symbolic script. They were eventually revealed by Jigme Lingpa, who was a tertön, or "treasure revealer."

Commitment to Ngöndro requires a significant amount of time and dedication. Completing the practice once can take approximately 1,500 hours of work. If a person performs the practice during a retreat, it might take six months. If they integrate it into daily life, it may take several years. Practitioners often dedicate the merit of their work to the benefit of all sentient beings. This goal is linked to the cultivation of bodhicitta.

Different schools maintain specific variations in their Ngöndro methods. The Kagyu lineage includes the "Chariot for Travelling the Path to Freedom" by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje. The Bön tradition uses two cycles called Zhangzhung sNyan-rgyud and A-khrid. In Bön, practitioners repeat tasks like mandala offerings and mantra purification 100,000 times each. Even with these variations, the ultimate goal remains the enlightenment of the practitioner. This allows them to be of the greatest benefit to all living beings.