A Torch Lighting the Way To Freedom

Six Mistaken Qualities We Must Avoid

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

When we put all our energies into a practice, it is quite common for bad deeds from the past to surface, so that all sorts of unwanted things happen to us: we fall physically ill, feel mentally anguished, experience the manifestations of negative forces and obstacle makers, fall victim to hostile people, bandits, and thieves, find ourselves subject to people’s criticisms and false accusations, and so on.

These are said to be signs that we are purifying ourselves, like the dirt that comes out when one washes a container. Therefore, when such things happen to you, don the great armor of diligence that renders the practice impervious to unpleasant circumstances.

Although it may happen that we get one or two good qualities here and there as signs of progress on the path, it can be hard to distinguish whether they are genuine signs or obstacles caused by demons.

Even supposing they are genuine, the moment we attach any importance to them, they will turn into demonic obstacles, so get rid of all expectation, apprehension, and doubt, and do not be attached to good signs or frightened by bad ones.

It is said that while we are on the path, there are many mistakes we can make and ways in which we can go astray, but the principal errors are: to treat the teacher as an equal; to be lacking in pure perception with regard to one’s spiritual brothers and sisters; to criticize other philosophical systems while being proud of one’s own; to act hypocritically with regard to the commitments; to give the five poisons free rein; to have no respect for the law regarding actions and their effects; to air one’s views and indulge in big talk about emptiness and so forth; to tell all and sundry about one’s experiences; and to lie that one has sublime qualities that one does not have.

To make these the basis of one’s practice is obviously the greatest error, yet even if the Buddha were to appear in person, it would seem difficult to block this perilous path onto which one can stray, for we ourselves mm are blessed by demons, and beings in the decadent age have but little good fortune, so that there is much running after purely meaningless talk without understanding the real point of the Dharma.

Even though we follow a teacher, train in acquiring good qualities, practice in retreat, and read many profound texts, it does not do the slightest bit of good to our minds and our characters get worse and worse. We grow ever more proud, the eye of pure perception grows dim, and we pass the time only in examining others’ faults.

People like us are impervious to the Dharma, we are breakers of the commitments, burdened with evil deeds from the past; we have truly been blessed by demons.

Our kind Teacher, the Buddha, summed up the Dharma as follows:

Abandon all evildoing,
Practice virtue perfectly,
Completely subdue your mind:
This is the Buddha’s doctrine.

If we were to summarize the whole result of practicing the Dharma, it is that the mind has to be tamed. And yet nowadays there are practitioners who devote themselves principally to harming others for the sake of the Dharma, getting involved in disputes using the teachings as a pretext, tricking and deceiving people with the excuse that it is for the sake of beings—everything in fact that the Buddha taught as being at variance with the Dharma. Do not follow such ways.

In particular, there are the eight ordinary concerns, of which Nagarjuna said:

You who know the world, take gain and loss,
Or bliss and pain, or kind words and abuse,
Or praise and blame—these eight mundane concerns—
Make them the same, and don’t disturb your mind.

These eight ordinary concerns, not to speak of others, seem to stain even those who claim to be genuine Dharma practitioners without their noticing, so it is very important to remain thoroughly attentive.

Moreover, there are six mistaken qualities we must avoid:

  • mistaken patience, where we are unable to put up with difficulties in practicing the teachings but manage to put up with the most grueling tasks in order to see through our projects for this life;
  • mistaken aspiration, where we have no wish to practice the Dharma but are full of enthusiasm when it comes to achieving the eight ordinary concerns;
  • mistaken enjoyment, where we have no taste for listening to the Dharma, reflecting on it, or meditating, but have plenty of appetite for material enjoyments;
  • mistaken compassion, where we have no compassion when we or others perform negative actions, but feel compassion for people who are experiencing hardship for the sake of the Dharma;
  • mistaken care, where we fail to introduce our dependents to the Dharma but help them succeed in this life;
  • and mistaken rejoicing, where rather than meditate on joy with regard to people performing positive actions, we are delighted when our enemies meet with difficulties.

If we are always able to take the lowest seat, there will be no way for pride and jealousy to creep in. And as long as pride does not arise, obstacles cannot occur. But the moment we start to feel proud and think, “Even my teacher is no better than I am,” “Other practitioners do not know as much as I do,” and so on, obstacles will happen.

Dudjom Rinpoche – A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom ~ Shambhala Publications

Guru Yoga

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

The Importance of Guru Yoga in the Dudjom Tersar Lineage

1. The Root of Blessings

Dudjom Rinpoche teaches that all accomplishments arise from devotion to the Guru. He explains that the guru is not merely a person but the living embodiment of all the Buddhas—the root of blessings. Through Guru Yoga, one connects directly with the enlightened mind of the lineage, especially Guru Rinpoche, and receives the nectar of realization through blessings.

“The root of all attainments is devotion to the Guru. When unwavering devotion arises, blessings enter the heart.”

— Dudjom Rinpoche, from his commentary on the Ngondro

2. The Swift Path of Realization

In Dudjom Rinpoche’s Ngondro commentary, he emphasizes that Guru Yoga is the swift path. It condenses the essence of all paths and allows for direct transmission beyond conceptual understanding. When we dissolve the dualistic view and recognize the guru as inseparable from our own awareness, realization dawns.

“When you see the guru as the Buddha, and devotion arises naturally, realization will come without delay.”

3. Dissolving the Illusion of Separation

“The guru is not outside you. Your own awareness, when freed from clinging, is the ultimate guru.”

— Dudjom Rinpoche, oral instructions

4. Protection from Obstacles

In the practice of Guru Yoga, especially as taught in the Dudjom Tersar lineage, one visualizes the guru (often in the form of Guru Rinpoche) above one’s head, radiating light and wisdom. At the moment of merging, the boundary between self and other dissolves. This reveals the non-dual nature of mind—the ultimate Guru is your own awareness.

Dudjom Rinpoche also explains that devotion and Guru Yoga protect the practitioner from obstacles—both outer and inner. When you are connected to the wisdom heart of the lineage, you are like a child in the arms of a mother, safe and guided.

5. Essential for the Practice of Dzogchen

In the Heart Essence teachings of the Dudjom lineage, Guru Yoga is not preparatory—it is essential. Without the blessings of the guru, the recognition of rigpa, the innate awareness, remains obscured. Guru Yoga ripens the mind so that recognition is possible.

From A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices ~ Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje

“Whether our teachers present in person are ordinary beings or emanations of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, if we are able to pray to them considering them as the Buddha, there is absolutely no difference between them and the Buddha or Bodhisattva or yidam deity in person, because the source of blessings is devotion. So whichever profound practice we are undertaking, whether the generation phase or the perfection phase, we should begin by making the teacher’s blessings the path. There is no more to it than that. But as long as we have not received the blessings, we will not be genuinely on the path. It is said that if disciples who keep the commitments give themselves wholeheartedly, with devotion, to an authentic diamond master, they will obtain the supreme and common accomplishments even if they have no other methods. But without devotion to the teacher, even if we complete the approach and accomplishment practices of the yidams of the six tantra sections, we will never obtain the supreme accomplishment. And we will be unlikely to accomplish many of the ordinary accomplishments either, such as those of long life, wealth, or bringing beings under one’s power. Even if we do manage to achieve a little, it will have necessitated a lot of hardship and will have nothing to do with the profound path. When unmistaken devotion takes birth in us, obstacles on the path will be dispelled and we will make progress, obtaining all the supreme and ordinary accomplishments without depending on anything else. This is what we mean by the profound path of Guru Yoga. Now in making devotional prayer the path, the objects of our prayer are the ones who actually bestow on us the greatest kindness—the teachers themselves. We can therefore meditate on them in any form. Nevertheless, if we visualize our teacher in the form of the second Buddha, Padma Thöthrengtsel, who is the speech of all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times appearing physically as a diamond master, all unfavorable circumstances and obstacles on the path will naturally be dispelled and we will accomplish the twofold goal in accordance with all our wishes. The dakini Yeshe Tsogyal speaks of this most essential and profound point as follows: 

In general terms, and for the people of Tibet in times to come, 

The Lotus-Born is your predestined teacher. To accomplish the Guru you should strive, Perceiving your own teacher in the form of Padma. 

Thus the blessings of compassion will flow the more abundantly. 

Practice on the Teacher’s Mind in sadhanas both long and short: I promise, you cannot but accomplish Buddhahood in one life. 

And according to his own diamond words, 

“For fortunate beings who have devotion And yearningly pray to me, 

By virtue of my special prayers of aspiration— Cause and effect being connected— My compassion is swifter than that of other Buddhas.”

Finding Balance with Nogondro

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

Dordogne, France

In the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro lineage, which comes from Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, practitioners often ask deep and practical questions as they engage with the foundational practices. While specific questions may vary by experience level, here are the top three most frequently asked questions across the board:
1. “How do I balance Ngondro accumulation with daily life responsibilities?”
2. “What is the correct visualization and sequence for each section of Ngondro?”
3. “Why is Ngondro considered essential before Dzogchen practice?”

From the three which is the most frequently asked and pressing question?  It’s “How do I balance Ngondro accumulation with daily life responsibilities?”  This question comes up consistently for both new and longtime practitioners. Because Ngondro requires sustained effort and large numbers of repetitions, people often seek guidance on how to realistically commit to the practice while managing work, family, health, or other obligations.

Many of us wonder how to accumulate 100,000 prostrations or mantra recitations while raising families, working full-time, or caring for our health. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche emphasized that consistency, sincerity, and devotion are more important than speed or numbers alone.

Rather than seeing Ngondro as a task to complete, we can view each session—however short—as an offering. Some days may allow for many repetitions, others only a few. What matters is the continuity of connection to the path, the teacher, and the ultimate goal of awakening.

When our daily life becomes the ground for practice—when every challenge deepens our compassion and every joy reminds us of impermanence—then Ngondro is not separate from life at all. It becomes the heart of it. Ngondro becomes the thread that weaves spiritual awareness into each part of our day.

Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche’s Guidance:

“Even if you do not have time to do many recitations or prostrations, it is essential to practice every day without fail. If you cultivate a constant attitude of renunciation, bodhicitta, and devotion, this alone will serve as the foundation for all further practice. These are the roots of Dharma practice, and they will spontaneously lead you to accomplish all the paths and levels.”

“Train your mind again and again in renunciation and bodhicitta. Then, whichever of the stages you are practicing—whether Refuge, Vajrasattva, Mandala Offering, or Guru Yoga—your practice will go well. If you practice regularly in this way, gradually your mind will change, your faith will increase, and your realization will grow.”


A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom
by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche
Padmakara Translation Group
Shambhala Publications