Ngondro Teachings

Simple Advice for Your Spiritual Path

~ DudjomTersarNgondro
Advice from Lama Sonam Rinpoche given at the end of the
January 12, 2019 Webcast Ngondro Teachings.

Don’t forget: Tally your numbers!

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

Here is today’ s (October 27th) webcast Group Ngondro Accumulation totals:

  • Prostrations 30
  • Mandala Offering 30
  • Vajrasattva 45
  • Guru Yoga 324 ( 3 mala rounds)

We closed with a reading from “The Hundred Verses of Advice” Dilgo Khentse and Padama Sangye, translated by Padmakara Translation Group and published by Shambhala. Verse # 52

In a state without thoughts, without distraction abandon the watcher,
People of Tingri, the meditation is free of any torpor or excitement.
When your mind remains in pure awareness, with no thought of past or future, without being attracted by external objects or occupied by mental constructions, it will be in a state of primordial simplicity.
In that state, there is no need for the iron hand of forced vigilance to immobilize your thoughts. As it is said, “Buddhahood is the natural simplicity of the mind.”
Once you· have recognized that simplicity, you need to maintain that recognition with effortless presence of mind. Then you will experience an inner freedom in which there is no need to block the arising of thoughts, or fear that they will spoil your meditation.

Here is the link for “A Teaching of the Four Empowerments” by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche which we posted in 2015 which Regina mentioned during the Q & A.

See you all in November! Again here are the Webcast dates:
“Why Do We Do Ngondro?” NOVEMBER 14th @ 5:30pm PST with Regina/Stefan
Group Ngondro Accumulation Session NOVEMBER 18th @ 2pm PST

AND if you have not voted for December Webcast Dates, please do it today. We will announce the December dates in November. 

Thuk Dam Phel!
(May your practice increase!) 

 

What is the sign that someone has received the teachings of the supreme Dharma and is practicing them?

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

What is the sign that someone has received the teachings of the supreme Dharma and is practicing them? Whoever has heard and absorbed the teachings becomes serene and self-possessed. Ours is not a tradition that inculcates anger and encourages us to fight; it does not encourage us to get involved with our defiled emotions. On the contrary, the Buddha has taught us to get rid of our defilements as much as possible. The point is that, having received the Dharma teachings, we should find when we examine ourselves, that, even though we may not have been able to eradicate our defilements totally, our anger has at least diminished a little. We should find that, even if we do get angry, we are less involved and are able to keep ourselves in check. This is the sort of sign we should be looking for. The sign that we are assimilating the teachings is an increase in serenity and self-control. It is said that if practitioners do not examine themselves frequently, and if they fail to practice correctly, the Dharma itself will lead them to the lower realms. Some people claim to have received the teachings, but they don’t practice them. On the other hand, it is obviously impossible to eradicate defiled emotion just by listening to the teachings. We have been in samsara from beginningless time and are immersed in the habits of defilement. These cannot be whisked away by the mere act of listening to something. So turn inward and examine your minds. You should at least have a glimmer of understanding!

Dudjom Rinpoche
Counsels from My Heart
Padmakara Translation Group
photographer unknown