Why Is Ngöndro Important as a Foundation in the Dzogchen Experiential Series?

Previous Excerpts from VOCL Offer Guidance by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

These excerpts are from two previous VOCL. The first two questions are from an interview in July 2005 with Tenzin Rinpoche about his Experiential Transmission teachings offered during annual winter retreats. The second is from oral teachings Rinpoche gave in December 2000 on “Opening One's Heart,” the first practice of the ngöndro.

Sunshine at Serenity Ridge

VOCL: Why is ngöndro considered such an important practice?

TWR: Ngondro is very important because it is traditionally the foundation for all the other practices of the Bön Buddhist tradition. Without a foundation one cannot build a house. In the same way, one cannot build a spiritual practice without a firm, stable foundation. The ngöndro is also considered a path toward "ripening" oneself, and that also is very important. When one becomes ripened [in one's practice], then whatever one is learning and practicing will stay on that foundation. When one lacks a strong sense of spiritual foundation, often the result is that one continuously searches for more and different practices, from different teachers, in different traditions, and so on. This often leads to more confusion rather than spiritual development. Understanding this notion of the ngöndro as being the foundation and a path toward ripening is very important.

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VOCL: Why is the winter retreat presented as a progressive series of annual teachings?

TWR: There are few places in the world, and far fewer in the West, where one can study a complete path to enlightenment step by step, year after year, experience after experience—places where one can continuously work with one tradition, with one group of lineage teachers, with one path. Instead, it often seems that people are continuously shopping around, unable to have a deep experience of one dharma path before jumping to the next teacher or teaching. They bring the same patterns and habits of inconsistency that they have in ordinary life to their dharma practice. In my experience, that approach doesn't work. Our winter retreat is a great opportunity to follow one path all the way through. Since the time I was little, I have always practiced the Experiential Transmission of Drugyalwa Yungdrung. I have found through personal experience that these teachings are something that we can really study, practice, hold in our hearts and keep for the rest of our lives. If we just work with this one cycle of teachings, it will eventually bring us to illumination.

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We can talk a little bit about ripeness. “Am I ready for serious practice in the dharma?” That is one question. Your mind might say, "I’m ready!" but the question is, internally, are you prepared or not? The first three practices of the ngöndro are to get ready, to prepare yourself.

The other question you might ask about ripeness is, “What are the things that make me not ready?” What are the obstacles that prevent me from entering the dharma? That's why we start here, with opening the heart, with cultivating a sense of devotion. Because when you don't have a sense of devotion—or a sense of your heart being open, ready to connect, ready to take refuge, ready to commit—when there are none of those qualities, you are not going to be ready.