Preliminary Practices & Commentaries

• A Concise Recitation of the Preliminary Practice according to the New Treasure of Dudjom by Dudjom Rinpoche

The root text of the Dudjom Tersar preliminary practices, including the outer preliminaries, i.e., the four contemplations that turn the mind from saṃsāra, and the inner preliminaries of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, offering the maṇḍala, meditation on Vajrasattva, guru yoga and transference (phowa).

• Brief Notes on the Visualization for the Concise Recitation of the Pure Vision Preliminary Practice by Dudjom Rinpoche

Brief notes written by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche himself and incorporated into the recited text of the concise version of the Dudjom Tersar ngöndro.

• The Recitation for the Gradual Path of the Preliminaries from The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart-Essence of the Ḍākinī by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje

This liturgy for the preliminary practices, or ngöndro (sngon 'gro), of Do Khyentse's terma revelation Yangsang Khandrö Tuktik, 'The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart-Essence of the Ḍākinī', includes the common, outer practices of contemplation and the main, inner preliminaries of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, offering the maṇḍala, purifying obscurations through Vajrasattva, and guru yoga.

• Illuminating the Path to Liberation: A Preliminary Practice (Ngöndro) by Mipham Rinpoche

A set of common and uncommon preliminary practices, beginning with the four thoughts that turn the mind away from saṃsāra and continuing with taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, maṇḍala offering, Vajrasattva visualization and mantra recitation, and guru yoga.

• Signs that the Common Preliminary Practices Have Penetrated the Mind by Nyala Pema Dündul

This poem explains the tell-tale signs for determining whether the common preliminary practices (sngon 'gro) have penetrated the mind of a practitioner.

• Concise Preliminaries Practice by Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol

This concise set of preliminary practices by Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol includes the outer preliminaries, as well as the inner preliminary practices of taking refuge, arousing bodhicitta, visualisation and recitation of Vajrasattva, maṇḍala offering, and guru yoga.

• Advice to Damngak Gyatso of Do by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol

In this brief text Yukhok Chatralwa explains the common outer and uncommon inner preliminary practices in very simple terms.

• Guru Yoga by Sera Khandro

A simple guru yoga focusing on Sera Khandro as an emanation of Yeshe Tsogyal and invoking her inspiration and blessings to realize the meaning of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection.

• A Torch for the Path to Omniscience: A Word-by-Word Commentary to the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro by Chökyi Drakpa

This word-by-word explanation of the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries draws upon and summarizes earlier commentaries, especially the most celebrated of them all, Patrul Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher (Kun bzang bla ma'i zhal lung). Yet Chökyi Drakpa's text is not entirely derivative and its relative brevity makes it ideal as a reminder of the most important points of the practice. This is why some lamas recommend reading and studying it regularly, together with the liturgy (which appears in bold).

• The Excellent Path to Omniscience: The Dzogchen Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik arranged by Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer

The root text of the outer and inner preliminary (ngöndro) practices from the Longchen Nyingtik, compiled by the First Dodrupchen, Jigme Trinle Özer, based on the original revelation of Jigme Lingpa and other sources.

• A Profound Concentration of Nectar: Essentialized Stages of Visualization for the Preliminary Practices of the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse (Longchen Nyingtik) by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

This guide to the stages of visualization for the Longchen Nyingtik preliminary practices (sngon 'gro) is, as Khyentse Wangpo himself puts it, "brief, clear and essential." Some of its instructions differ slightly from those given by Patrul Rinpoche, so that it represents a distinct commentarial tradition.

• Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience: Notes on the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

This is a version of A Profound Concentration of Nectar, into which the root text of the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries has been inserted. The text also includes several prayers that were not included in Jikmé Trinlé Özer’s original version.

• Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Ngöndro Practice by Patrul Rinpoche

Patrul Rinpoche's explanations in this brief guide to the Longchen Nyingtik preliminary practices mostly follow those given in his classic text, The Words of My Perfect Teacher (Kun bzang bla ma'i zhal lung). Still, this condensed text offers useful reminders of the most important points of the practice, especially the details of the visualizations.

• Concise Mahāmudrā Preliminary Practice from the New and Old Secret Mantra’s Ripening and Liberating Practices of Generation and Completion by Jedrung Jampa Jungné

A brief Taklung Kagyü preliminary, or ngöndro, that focuses on Vajradhara, the great Indian siddhas, and the masters of the Taklung Kagyü tradition.

• The Concise Mahāmudrā Preliminaries Arranged for Recitation by Karma Chakme

This extremely concise form of the Mahāmudrā preliminaries includes contemplations on the preciousness of human birth, impermanence, karma and the sufferings of saṃsāra, as well as the practices of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, Vajrasattva visualization and recitation, maṇḍala offering and guru yoga.

• Ngöndro Compendium—Part 1—Invoking the Lama by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol

• Ngöndro Compendium—Part 2—Taking Refuge by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol

• Ngöndro Compendium—Part 3—Arousing Bodhichitta by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol

• Ngöndro Compendium—Part 4—Mandala Offering by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol

• The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: A Brief Practice of the Preliminaries by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Sometimes referred to as the “short Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro", this popular preliminary (sngon 'gro) liturgy by Jamyang Khyentse is remarkably concise.

• Direct Path to the Primordial: A Concise Liturgy and Visualization for the Preliminary Accumulations of the Dzogpachenpo Vima Nyingtik by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

This liturgy includes sections on taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, Vajrasattva meditation, maṇḍala offering, and guru yoga. Jamyang Khyentse drew on earlier sources to compose the text at Palpung Monastery.

• Bodhicitta Series

• Chöd Series

• Guru Yoga Series

• Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro Series

• Maṇḍala Offering Series

• Taking Refuge Series

• Vajrasattva Series