Ngöndro

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.