Property:Ngondronotes
From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
This is a property of type Text.
M
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. +
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. +
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 will complete Ngondro in November 2024. +
N
In 1995-1996 I did the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro, not separately, but everything in each session.
In 1999 to 2000 I spent 6 months in a cave in Tso Pema doing four three hour sessions of the Chetsun Nyingtik Ngondro, but didn’t focus on numbers, rather on mind-space, visualization, and feeling. Each session I went through each branch of the Ngondro. Then in my three year retreat in Nepal, I did the CN Ngondro one and a half times along with a year of mind training on the 7 thoughts, refuge, and predominantly bodhichitta. Including the time in the cave, I count that as two cycles of Ngondro.
I have filled out the section below twice but it keeps erasing it, so I will fill it out here:
In 2011 I did 10,000 each of the Drikung Kagyu Ngondro.
In 2014 I did 10,000 each of the Yangti Nagpo Ngondro
Starting in 2007, I have completed almost half of the Troma Nakmo Ngondro. +
O
I have started the Ngondro, but I have not been able to complete it yet. I carry the aspiration to do so, and I keep a daily ngondro practice of about an hour. +
P
4 Ngondros completed. +
I did 2000 prostrations in 2004. The rest of from March 2009 +
Working on prostrations but not able to do too much while working. +
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. +
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 +
R
1 mostly at home/ different places, including 3-months retreat in Dzogchen Beara, Ireland
2 within present 3-year retreat +
S
should be done by now in retreat +
Still in progress. +
T
2nd Ngondro: 2008 to 2009
3rd Ngondro: 2017, ongoing +
V
in progress +
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.
Y
The application would not let me submit without saying I have finished my Ngondro. This isn't required by Wangchen Rinpoche to enter 3-Year Retreat. Instead he requires us to do at least 25-Nyungne, and encourages us to do short retreats of Ngondro before our retreat.
My answer on this portion of the application reflects my current progress. I will complete my Ngondro before my retreat date +
