Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro
Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro (Wyl. klong chen snying thig sngon 'gro) — the root verses of the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro are mostly taken from the original terma of Longchen Nyingtik (‘the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse’) revealed by Jikmé Lingpa (1730-1798), and are therefore the vajra words of Guru Rinpoche himself. This profound and poetic revelation was then arranged and expanded by Jikmé Lingpa’s direct disciple, the First Dodrupchen, Jikmé Trinlé Özer (1745-1821), into its present form. Although we usually refer to this series of practices simply as the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro, its full title is ‘The Preliminary Practice of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik: The Excellent Path to Omniscience’.
Outline
The Common or Outer Preliminaries
- Blessing the Speech
- Invoking the Lama
- Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind from Samsara
- Free and Well-Favoured Human Birth
- Impermanence
- Karma: Cause and Effect
- The Suffering of Samsara
- Invoking the Lama's Compassion to Avoid Pitfalls on the Path
The Uncommon or Inner Preliminaries
- Taking Refuge
- Generation of Bodhichitta: the Heart of the Awakened Mind
- Vajrasattva Purification
- The Trikaya Mandala Offering
- The Accumulation of the Kusulu: Chö
- Guru Yoga
- Visualization
- Seven Line Prayer
- Seven Branches of Devotional Practice
- Maturing the Siddhi
- Invoking the Blessing
- The Lineage Prayer
- Receiving the Four Empowerments
- Dissolution
- Dedication
- Special Prayer of Aspiration
Translations of the Root Text
- Rigpa Translations, A Guide to the Practice of Ngöndro, the Tertön Sogyal Trust, 2007.
- Tulku Thondup, The Dzogchen Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice, LTWA, 1982.
Commentaries
Major Tibetan Commentaries Translated in English
- The Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche
- A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher by Khenpo Ngawang Palzang
- A Torch for the Path to Omniscience by Chökyi Drakpa[1]
- A Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization by Patrul Rinpoche[2]
- Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo[3]
- Ngöndro Compendium by Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol
Contemporary Commentaries
- Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Longchen Nyingtik Manual, Khyentse Foundation, 2004, available online.
- Tulku Thondup, Enlightened Journey—Buddhist Practice as Daily Life, Boston & London, Shambhala, 1995.
- Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche, Tantric Practice in Nyingma, trans. & ed. by Jeffrey Hopkins, co-edited by Anne Klein, Snow Lion, 1986.
- Tulku Thondup, The Dzogchen Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice, LTWA, 1982.