Property:Ngondronotes
From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
This is a property of type Text.
2
I will complete Ngondro in November 2024. +
I have also begun the Kunzang Tuktik Ngondro that we will practice in retreat. I am soon to complete 100,000 prostrations, but cannot finish the entire cycle before retreat begins. +
I have accomplished three times the 100 000 Ngöndros in the Shangpa Tradition :
- one during the two years before my three year retreat (1999-2001)
- one during the 6 months pre-retreat in 2001-2002
- one during the first 6 months of the three year retreat (2002-2003)
I have also accomplished 10 000 Ngöndros of the Nyintig tradition (using Jamgön Kongtrul text) during my three year retreat +
To try to bypass the site's bug, I filled out this item as if I had already completed the Ngöndro. However, I have not completed the Ngondro yet.
I began the practice on January 1st, 2024, and at that time, I managed to keep practicing slowly but diligently despite the very busy lifestyle I was leading at that time while finishing my nursing degree, working, and organizing the pilgrimage I undertook with Lama Tartchin from October 2024 to June 2025.
Since December 2025, I have been dedicating my time to completing the Ngöndro, as it was during this period, in a solitary retreat below the Asura Cave, that I felt fully motivated to do the 3-Year Retreat. +
It took me a while to complete the full Ngondro, but I was doing it steadily and carefully alongside other practice commitments from my Teachers, while also being in a full-time employment. +
Currently nearly finished a 2nd full set of 4 Ngondros 111,111 +
I completed my first Ngöndro as part of the program in my first traditional retreat, where we dedicated one year to its practice. During the same retreat, in my free time, I also finished a Ngöndro that I had started earlier.
Between my two retreats, I completed a Ngöndro in the Dudjom Rinpoche tradition. Then, as part of the program in my second retreat, we practiced the Ngöndro from Kangyur Rinpoche’s tradition. After that, in my free time, I completed another Ngöndro from a cycle of yidam practice. +
In consultation with Lama Kathy Wesley, I opted to continue the Guru Yoga with an optional fifth practice of Ngondro. I completed twice daily sessions during these two years. +
I've completed the Longchen Nyingtik ngöndro through Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's program called Ngondro Gar; there, Rinpoche asks us to count hours instead of numbers. Yet, with the Vajra Guru mantra, I kept accumulating recitations beyond the time commitment until 1,200,000.
Since May 2025, I've been doing the Tara ngondro from Zabtik Drolma terma through the Tara's Triple Excellence Program, under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Lama Tenzin. I'm still accumulating prostrations for refuge. +
still working throu Guru Yoga +
Completed the full Ngondro once, and am about half way through a second round of each of the practices as directed by Retreat Master Lama Tsultrim Gyaltsen +
I could'nt do a full set of the Mandala offering and Guru Yoga of my first Ngöndro because of a lack of time : I was going to enter my first three year retreat, and so I did 10 000 of each.
I completed all the practices of the Kunsang Thuktik Ngöndro, except the very last one : I had been pushing myself so much in order to complete the practices ( I am a slow reciter and I had to lengthen my sessions very often) for so long that I had get a serious case of Tsok Lung and I needed absolutely to slow down. I still practiced everyday at the best of my ability and feel therefore that it suits more in that section than in the next. I plan to complete this last set during the period between this three year retreat and the next. +
I am currently finishing this Ngondro but the application would not let me submit without indicating YES here. I am currently within the Guru Yoga section. +
1 mostly at home/ different places, including 3-months retreat in Dzogchen Beara, Ireland
2 within present 3-year retreat +
The Ngöndro was done as part of the 3 year retreat (07/2022-12/2025) +
The system won't let me save if I select no, so the dates are just of my prostrations. +
I have not completed the Ngondro yet. I only choose yes since there is a technical problem with this form, I've tried saving it by choosing 'no' but then this section does not appear as completed. Since I've also noticed that when saving sometimes the next section information gets errased, I will post my answer to it here as well: I began the Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel Ngöndro in October 2018 after having the wish to do so for over a year and receiving indications that the time was appropriate. I consulted with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, who blessed me and confirmed it would be good to proceed. I then started practicing the long version, accumulating prostrations daily without missing a single day until early 2021.
Retreats and Intensive Practice (2018-2020): In 2018, I did short retreats whenever possible during my studies and learned more about the practice by attending sessions of the month-long Ngöndro retreat at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling in December 2018-January 2019. In summer 2019, I completed a one-month solitary retreat at Asura Cave Practice Center accumulating prostrations. I attended almost the entire one-month Ngöndro retreat in December 2019-January 2020, missing only a few sessions when Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche gave a Phowa retreat simultaneously. During these retreats, we practiced in Ka-Nying Lhakhang guided by Lama Öpak and the monastic community with hundreds of attendees from the local Nepali Sangha, receiving teachings on each Ngöndro part and practicing them together.
Completion and Pause: I finished the prostration accumulations in 2020 during the pandemic in Brazil. However, due to online studies, work commitments, and living with family, I stopped my daily Ngöndro commitment and accumulations. I never stopped my daily samaya commitments of practicing the Gyunkyi Koljang (the concise daily practice of Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel), maintaining daily morning meditation sessions, sometimes embracing the long Ngöndro version without counting accumulations.
Recent Attempts and Future Plans: In 2023, I attempted to start accumulating the 100,000 Bodhicitta but had to set it aside due to demanding M.A. commitments. I focused on studies while maintaining certain practices. As I'm finishing my M.A. thesis in August and joining teachings and retreat at the 3-year retreat site at Gomde Pyrenees with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Drubpön Lama Tenzin Sangpo (for which I received a scholarship), I plan to resume Ngöndro accumulations from late September onwards.
Current Practice Plan: I will follow a model proposed by my teacher Erik Pema Kunsang: doing 10,000 accumulations of each practice cycle and repeating until 5 × 100,000 is completed. I'll start with 10,000 prostrations, and after completing the first 5 × 10,000 cycle, begin with Bodhicitta since I've already completed the prostrations. I plan to do as many cycles before starting the 3-year retreat, hoping to finish the accumulations through committed daily practice sessions and short retreats during 2025 and longer retreats in 2026.
Done as part of the Garchen Institute 3 year retreat +
I am projected to complete them by the end of the Year. +
The application will not register as complete without me indicating "yes" here, but I have not actually finished the Ngondro accumulations yet. My actual accumulations to date are:
110,000 Refuge with Prostrations
17,700 Bodhicitta
I aspire to at least finish the 110,00 Vajrasattva accumulation before beginning three-year retreat
Prior to starting Ngondro, I accumulated 500,00 recitations of Shakyamuni Buddha's mantra within the Treasury of Blessings Sadhana. +
