Vajrayana

April 13 – 21, 2019 Annual Ngondro and Personal Accumulation Retreat

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

Dudjom Tersar Ngondro Retreat at Pema Osel Ling with
Acharya Sam Bercholz, Lama Sonam Rinpoche,
Frederico Trancoso and Amy Green

 

“If there are any wise persons who desire to be completely freedFrom the hot torments of the fire pit of samsara, they should Rely on this supreme path, Ngöndro, which, like the king of trees, Will revive one in its cool, dense shade, enlightenment.”

~ His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche

 

 

We have been wandering in delusion in samsara since beginningless time, like being trapped in a dream. The dharma is the method that the Buddha taught to wake us up from this dream. For that purpose he taught the 84,000 teachings of the dharma for beings of lesser and medium capacities, and the 6,400,000 tantras for disciples of the highest faculties. They all have one purpose, to tame the five passions of desire, anger, ignorance, jealousy, and pride in each individual being’s mindstream. The teachings are extremely vast, but the condensed essence of all of them, the pith instruction that encompasses all spiritual traditions, is Ngondro.

All Buddhist and non-Buddhist spiritual traditions see samsara as not a good place to remain and seek to end suffering according to their own capacities and methods. The outer preliminary practices are the four ways to turn the mind to dharma and away from samsara (four thoughts).

The inner preliminary practices begin with going for refuge, the foundation of the path of liberation from Hinayana through Vajrayana. The essence of the path from Mahayana through Vajrayana is to arouse in the mind the thought of supreme enlightenment, Bodhicitta.

In order to attain enlightenment we need to perfect the two accumulations, and mandala offering is the method to quickly accomplish this. The outer mandala offering is the billionfold universe, the inner mandala offering is one’s own body, enjoyable possessions, and accumulations of virtue, and the secret mandala offering is the Dharmadhatu Clear Light Vajra Essence Buddhafield. Actually, everybody needs to accumulate merit, it is not just for those who want to attain Buddhahood. It is the foundation of all worldly happiness, and it gathers the favorable circumstances for attaining enlightenment.

In order to purify unfavorable circumstances we do Vajrasattva meditation. It is a complete tantric practice that includes shamatha and vipassana according to the Vajrayana tradition of the two stages of creation and completion.

Guru yoga is the heart of all practices in the Great Perfection tradition which is the essence of all dharmas and spiritual paths.
Ngondro also includes Phowa, a Great Perfection teaching for swiftly transforming consciousness at the moment of death, even if one dies before being able to accomplish the creation and completion stage practices.

Chod is the practice of severing all types of clinging such as the four maras which create obstacles to samadhi, wisdom, accomplishing meditation practice in this life, and attaining Buddhahood.

As Dudjom Rinpoche said,
“This profound revealed treasure, this preliminary practice arranged here, is the noble path which leads Swiftly and easily to the level of the union of the Four Kayas; It is a chariot, perfectly clear and easily entered, that is brought up here;
All fortunate ones, enter now with joy!”


Written by Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche
and Translated by Cyril Kassoff
March 2015

We have expanded the annual retreat to include the opportunity for students to attend group teaching and practice sessions OR to practice Ngondro independently in private self-paced sessions.

Traditionally, the format of the retreat, has been group teachings and practices for those who wanted to begin or were already doing Ngondro. This year we are offering the same opportunity to receive teachings and guidance from Lamas and senior students, with and additional option for those who want to focus more on personal accumulations in a private retreat setting.

Everyone is invited to attend the teachings and group practices, but it isn’t required. A separate space will be provided for personal practice.

In order to guide your practice more directly, individual interviews will be available. It is also possible to have a private room on a first come first served basis.

More Information here
Register here

Watch video to view accomodations

 

Manifestations of Orgyen Padma Jungne

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

Guru Rinpoche -471x600

Padma Jungne is one of the names of Guru Rinpoche, as are Padmakara and Padmasambhava. Some people acknowledge Padmasambhava, who cannot be denied because of historical accounts, but not Guru Rinpoche, which is due to sectarian jealousy. Also, at the time of Padmasambhava, the garments worn by Padmasambhava were those of scholars and monks. Sometimes intellectual scholars and learned ones who are still attached about material aspects of form think that Padma Jungne, who does not wear these same garments, is different from Padmasambhava. Historically, at the time when Buddhism flourished in Tibet with enlightened beings such as Guru Rinpoche and Vimalamitra, some scholars in Indian institutes became jealous and spread much slander in order to cause disturbance by claiming these enlightened beings were not actual saints but phony siddhas, attempting to prevent Vajrayana teachings from flourishing in Tibet. However, in the general Mahayana, and especially in the Vajrayana, the state of enlightenment is the Three Kayas: the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. Sambhogakaya is always abiding in pure Akanishtha Heaven, the state of fully enlightened Buddhas’ phenomena. From that state, in order to benefit beings with many varieties of faculties, Nirmanakaya manifests. The meaning of Nirmanakaya is that there is no reality of birth or death because mind is only wisdom, but Nirmanakaya’s aspect can reflect anything according to beings’ impure and pure phenomena in order to guide them. So, the aspect of manifestation can reflect anything according to various beings’ faculties. There is not an iota of contradiction about the infinite aspects of sublime beings for those who believe in the Mahayana or the Vajrayana; these aspects are just one’s choice. Those who follow Guru Rinpoche’s teachings pray to Guru Rinpoche with many different names, such as the names given in the Eight Manifestations and in the Barche Lamsel prayer, including Pema Jungne, Tsokye Dorje, and Sangchen Dorje Drakpo Tsal. There are many more manifestations and special names beyond these. Countless manifestations logically exist according to even ordinary beings’ phenomena, so different aspects cannot be denied or prevented.

~ Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
Shambhala Publications
Footnote #51

This is what your Dharma practice should be like.

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

We have all entered the Vajrayana. We have received profound empowerments and instructions of the Secret Mantra. This is said to be very beneficial but it is also very dangerous. Even if we are unable to bring our practice to accomplishment, if we keep our samaya unbroken, it is said that liberation will be achieved in seven lifetimes. After crossing the threshold of the Secret Mantra, however, if we ruin our samaya by displeasing the Lama, causing havoc among our fellow Dharma practitioners and so on, the only possible destiny for us is the vajra hell. The saying goes that practitioners of Secret Mantra either attain buddhahood or go to hell. There is no third alternative. It’s like a snake inside a cane: it must go either up or down. There’s no way out halfway! Think carefully about the benefits and hazards of samaya, and observe it purely and perfectly. To do this, it is crucial to keep a close watch on your mind, a practice in which all the essential points of the teachings are condensed. It is vital to examine and watch your mind. You have all received instructions through the kindness of your teachers. This is what your Dharma practice should be like.

Dudjom Rinpoche
Counsels from My Heart
Padmakara Translation Group

photo: Dudjom Rinpoche’s Throne
Shrine room at Pema Osel Ling
Santa Cruz Mountains