Karma Can Be Very Subtle and Tricky

On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of the Fire Tiger year—January 14, 1987—His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje turned to those closest to him and said:

“Now I have completed everything. Every prayer that has been asked of me, I have fulfilled. Now I’m going to leave. Please be careful in the future to pay attention. Karma can be very subtle and tricky. We might think something is no big deal, but it may turn out to have serious consequences. So pay good attention to the karmic process. This is what every practitioner needs to pay attention to—even those with the highest realization. I’ve done my part.”

Some of those present thought this was a casual remark. But soon afterward, he became ill and passed into parinirvana.

As Dudjom Rinpoche’s words remind us, karma is not just an abstract concept—it is the very fabric of our experience, shaping each moment and determining the course of our path. Ngondro, the essential foundation of Vajrayana practice, is designed not only to purify karma but also to awaken us to how it operates so that we can navigate it skillfully and wisely.

Ngondro: Transforming Karma Through Practice

Dudjom Rinpoche emphasized that while Ngondro is called a “preliminary” practice, it encapsulates the entire path to enlightenment. Through its structured approach, practitioners develop the wisdom and discipline to recognize, purify, and transcend karmic patterns that perpetuate suffering.

Each stage of the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro directly addresses karma::
1.Refuge and Prostrations – Taking refuge strengthens our connection to the Dharma, ensuring that our actions align with the path to liberation.
2.Bodhicitta – Cultivating the altruistic mind of enlightenment shifts our karmic trajectory toward benefiting others.
3.Vajrasattva Mantra Recitation – Purifying past negative karma, preventing future suffering.
4.Mandala Offerings – Accumulating vast positive karma by cultivating generosity and non-attachment.
5.Guru Yoga – Receiving the Guru’s blessings to cut through karmic obscurations and recognize the nature of mind.

Dudjom Rinpoche taught that Ngondro is a profound means of directly transforming karma, ensuring that we do not remain trapped in conditioned patterns. However, such a practice requires authentic guidance, proper transmissions, and a supportive sangha—which is why the Annual Dudjom Ngondro Retreat is such a precious opportunity.

Join Us for the 2025 Annual Dudjom Ngondro Retreat
📅 April 12–20, 2025 | 📍 In-Person at Pema Osel Ling, YouTube Livestream and Zoom Livestream for the Refuge and Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony
🔗 See details and register

For those sincerely engaging in the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro, participation in the Annual Ngondro Retreat serves as a powerful accelerator of ~ offering direct transmissions, teachings, and immersive practice. This year’s retreat includes:

📿 Orgyen Menla Empowerment, Refuge Ceremony & Bodhisattva Vows

📖 Teachings with Sam Bercholz – From Confusion to Wisdom: Integrating View and Practice ~ “This April 12th ~ 13th seminar offers an in-depth exploration of key themes from Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s “Cascading Waterfall of Nectar,” focusing on the integration of view and practice as the path from confusion to wisdom. Through study, contemplation, and meditation, we will examine how mistaken perceptions and dualistic thinking obscure the natural clarity of mind. Guided teachings will illuminate the Mahayana and Vajrayana perspectives on view, helping participants recognize the interdependence of all phenomena and the innate purity of awareness. The weekend will blend practical meditation techniques with textual reflection, allowing participants to directly experience the wisdom that arises when conceptual confusion dissolves. Open to practitioners of all levels, this seminar provides a supportive space to cultivate a deeper understanding of the Dharma and embody the compassionate insight Thinley Norbu Rinpoche so eloquently presents.” ~ Sam Bercholtz

🌿 Teaching, Practice Instruction, Q & A, Focused Practice and Personal Interview with Tulku Thadral Rinpoche, Lama Sonam Rinpoche, Amy Green, Drubpon Pema Rigdzin, Choying Wangmo, Stefan Graves. This year, we welcome Lotsawa Matthew Wells to translate for Tulku Thadral Rinpcohe and Lama Sonam Rinpoche.

📜 Oral Reading Transmissions (Lungs) for the Concise Dudjom Tersar,
the Sa-Ter, and Troma Nagmo Ngondro Practices

🌟 Dudjom Ngondro Program Participants receive a 10% discount

Ngondro is how we engage with karma—not just conceptually,
but through practice that refines and transforms our experience.
This retreat is an opportunity to deepen that engagement,
under the blessings of the lineage,
in the company of sangha.

Join the Dudjom Ngondro Program