Ngondro Prep School

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TIME ZONE CONVERTER

Four Saturday Daylong Sessions in  2023

Plus practice instructions on and off the cushion for month following

July 29 - HUMILITY: Refuge, Bodhicitta & Prostrations

August 26 - CLARITY: Vajrasattva Purification

September 30 - ABUNDANCE: Mandala Offering

October 28 - WONDER:  Guru Yoga

USA Mountain Time

10:30 AM to 12:00 PM  - Theory

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM  -  Practice

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM  - Dialogue

Click "View more price options" when registering to select individual sessions

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This is a participatory class requiring attentiveness and presence. Participants should keep video on throughout each session to engage with the group, and participate in Google Classroom discussion and recommended practices between sessions.

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Among the most transformative and empowering experiences for many Tibetan Buddhist practitioners is the movement through the ngondro, or prerequisite practices particular to each of the lineages.

In the Karma Kagyu lineage, the ngondro consists of four interrelated practices that lay a solid foundation for the Mahamudra meditation that is central to the lineage's path to realization. Consisting of 111,111 repetitions of prostrations (Refuge & Bodhicitta), Vajrasattva mantras (Karmic purification), mandala offerings (Gathering merit), and guru yoga (Receptivity to blessings), the "full" Mahamudra Ngondro is often described by dedicated practitioners as the single most important spiritual practice of their life. 

In Tibet, practitioners often completed as many as three, twelve, or more "full" Ngondros. Nowadays, various shorter options exist for those interested in encountering the immense benefits of this powerful practice.

This series is primarily intended for committed Buddhist practitioners with a connection to the Karma Kagyu lineage, who wish to enhance their practice of one or all of the Mahamudra Ngondro elements under close guidance of a Karma Kagyu lama. Students curious about Ngondro practice in general or in the Karma Kagyu Mahamudra heritage in particular are also welcome.

Each month, we will gather for a full day of Dharma to focus on one of the four Mahamudra Ngondro practices. Our morning sessions focus on summarizing the philosophical underpinnings of the practice for that month. After lunch, we will gather to recite the corresponding parts of the sadhana, or liturgy, with pauses for instructions concerning details of the practices at relevant points in the text. After a break, we conclude with a question and answer and discussion period.

Eligible participants are those who:

• wish to begin, restart, refresh, or review their practice of one or all of the Mahamudra Ngondro elements 
• are curious about Ngondro practice generally or the Mahamudra Ngondro in particular and how it fits into everyday life in the 21st century
• have an established practice of shamatha, or tranquility meditation, for at least one year
• posess basic understanding of the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Dharma, namely the priceless human existence; death and impermanence; karmic cause and effect; and samsara's shortcomings

Practitioners of any lineage who are curioius about Ngondro, but not yet ready to commit to the practice, are welcome to attend.

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CONTEMPLATIVE COMMUNITY

Please take the time to review the Prajna Fire Guidelines for Interpersonal Dynamics to be familiar with the ethos we aim to co-create with all participants in our Dharma offerings.

Reading, experiential, and meditation assignments offered to deepen your practice between sessions. 

Private spiritual counsel sessions available separately at discretion of each participant.

In our experience, a living contemplative practice such as this, harnessing the creative tension amidst immanence and transcendence, helps align us with our deepest intentions for ourselves and others. This is grace, quickened from deep within, motivating us spontaneously to enact our aspirations beyond platitudes, on the cushion and out of the stuff of our daily lives.

Come and see . . .

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DANA PRACTICE AND HARVESTING MERIT 

Dana is an offering of generosity by the community to the teachers and ordained sangha who keep the Dharma alive and accessible for us all. Much more than a transactional exchange, the practice of dana advances the spiritual flourishing of the benefactor as it supports the dharma activities of the beneficiary. 

Irrespective of amount, the intention motivating the offering forges meaningful connections knitting the community as a whole together with the positivity and inexhaustible force of merit.

Everyone is encouraged to offer dana at the level that suits their indivdiual circumstances. Comparable value and benefactor amounts are provided at the request of Prajna Fire supporters who prefer a guideline for their dana offerings.

Ordained monastics always receive full scholarship to all our Dharma events, and are encouraged to contact us for registration details.

In addition, we offer scholarships to anyone who wants one, as our dana offering to the community. Please join us in gratitude to the Supporters and Benefactors of Prajna Fire, who make scholarships possible.

Thank you for understanding that dana offerings are not refundable. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINES APPLY - see below - all times are USA Mountain Time