A Series of Articles on Ngöndro
The Preliminary Practices of Tibetan Buddhism

1. Introduction
2. The Elements of Ngondro

3.  The Nyingma Traditiona

• • Longchen Nyingtik
  • Dudjom Tersar
  • More Nyingma Ngöndros

4. The Kagyu Tradition

5. The Sakya, Gelug, and Bön Traditions

6. Supporting Materials

Ngöndro in the Gelug Tradition

In the Gelug tradition, ngöndro is typically integrated into the practice of a particular deity. It is not undertaken formally by all, as many monastics in particular will focus on the complementary Lam Rim, or Stages of the Path teachings by Tsongkhapa and subsequent masters.  There are some influential  Gelug teachers, such as the late Lama Zopa, who encourage ngöndro practice to many of their students.  The ngöndro of the Gelug are similar to the other traditions  but can be even more elaborate, and in addition to the main outer and inner practices described in previous articles, there are the accumulations of water bowl offerings, Vajradhaka (Dorje Khadro) fire pujas, making tsatsas, and flower offerings, totalling nine (bum gu).  However, there are no generally available books on the Gelug ngöndro. His Holiness the Dalai Lama does outline ngöndro practices in The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra (see below for details).

An excellent resource for ngondro in the Gelug context also comes from Alexander Berzin.

The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra

By H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Alexander Berzin

This work has a chapter devoted to the preliminary practices, and focuses on what the Gelug and Kagyu have in common.

Ngöndro in the Sakya Tradition

In the Torch of Certainty, the great Sakya master Deshung Rinpoche says of ngöndro  that in

"my own tradition, the Sakyapa, practices the Four Foundations in a manner very similar to that of the Kagyu. One difference, however, lies in the vow of refuge. We use the fourfold vow instead of the sixfold one used by the Kagyudpas, that is, "We take refuge in the Guru; we take refuge in the Buddha; we take refuge in the Dharma; we take refuge in the Sangha." In addition, we visualize Vajrasattva in yab-yum. We usually use the mandala of seven features instead of the one with thirty-seven features used by the Kagyudpa."

and

"there was generally more leeway allowed as to the amount of emphasis an individual would place on the Four Foundations. In many instances, a person would practice Taking Refuge for three days before practicing a meditation on the yidam Hevajra. Sometimes a person would practice the Vajrasattva meditation for three days in preparation for Hevajra meditation."

Three Visions: Fundamental Teachings of the Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism

By Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub

In the Sakya tradition, which follows the Lamdre (Path and Fruit) system, the preliminary practice is generally based on the Three Visions (or Three Appearences), the nang sum, of Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub. 

Another resource for the Sakya tradition is The Fundamental Practices: A Modern Ngondro Guide by His Holiness the Forty-Second Sakya Trizin, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, which is published by Wisdom Publications.

Ngöndro in the Bön Tradition

We do not publish anything specifically on the preliminary practices in the Bön tradition, but Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's Ligmincha site offers an online course which covers the following:

The ngöndro practices are in three groups.

1. The Three Practices for Taming Oneself

• Opening Your Heart with Guru Yoga
• Impermanence
• Admitting Your Misdeeds

2. The Three Practices for Purifying Oneself

• Bodhicitta: Generating the Mind Intent on Enlightenment
• Going for Refuge
• Offering the Mandala

3. The Three Practices for Perfecting Oneself

• Purification through Mantra
• Offering Your Illusory Body as a Tsok
• Request for Blessings

In the final article in our series on ngöndro, we look at a few additional resources that cover specific sections of the preliminary practices or are directly related.