Ngöndro

trendybuddha

Do you practice ngöndro?

chela

According to Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngöndro ngondro means "that which comes before; that which precedes." So, I suppose I do practice, but only in this simplistic interpretation.

I actually had to look up the word to know what you were talking about.

karasti

It means "that which comes before" but Ngondro is called such because it is a set of preliminary practices. There is a lot of information about it online, but this page explains it pretty briefly and easily.
http://www.thubtenchodron.org/PrayersAndPractices/preliminary_practice.htm

There are a couple different variations though I believe. It is a Tibetan Buddhist practice. My teacher practices and encourages it. I have not started it yet because I don't feel I have enough information to understand it properly as far as how my teacher goes about it, so I am waiting before I start that to be able to meet with him more in depth.

MaryAnne

@Karasti

Pretty informative page... I also didn't know what Ngondro was.

Now after reading about it there, one of the first things I thought was
"Why would it be OK to become 'attached' to this ritualistic way of meditating?"
Wouldn't thinking about, repeating and correcting The Practice itself take away from the purpose of clearing the mind?
I think it's one of those Buddhist ironies at work here. ;-)

Or maybe I just don't get it because it involves a little too much 'mystical belief' for me personally... but that's probably just me. I have a deep respect for rituals, I really do; I understand their purpose, and I bet Ngondro is a wonderful practice for those who can attune their meditations with it.

DairyLama

karasti said:

There are a couple different variations though I believe. It is a Tibetan Buddhist practice. My teacher practices and encourages it.

When I was with Rigpa I got about a fifth of the way through the various 100,000 accumulations over a period of years and then gave up. I think I lost sight of the point of it.