Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro

Field of Merit from the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro

Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro (Tib. ཀློང་ཆེན་སྙིང་ཐིག་སྔོན་འགྲོ།, 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

• Tulku Thondup, in The Dzogchen Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice (Dharamsala: LTWA, 1982)
• Rigpa Translations, in A Guide to the Practice of Ngöndro (Lodeve: The Tertön Sogyal Trust, 2007). The root text was translated mostly in 1981 by Sogyal Rinpoche and Patrick Gaffney.

The Excellent Path to Omniscience: The Dzogchen Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik

• Cortland Dahl, in Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices compiled, translated, and introduced by Cortland Dahl (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2009)
• Anne C. Klein, Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse: A Story of Transmission (Snow Lion Publications, 2009).

Commentaries

• Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher
  • English translation: Kun-Zang La-May Zhal-Lung: The Oral Instruction of Kun-Zang La-Ma on the Preliminary Practices of Dzog-Ch'En Long-Ch'En Nying-Tig (Nga-Gyur Nying-Ma), translated by Sonam T. Kazi, Diamond Lotus Pub, 1989.
  • English translation: The Words of My Perfect Teacher, Padmakara Translations (Yale University Press, Revised edition, 2010).
• Patrul Rinpoche, A Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization
  • English translation: A Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Ngöndro Practice, translated by Adam Pearcey and edited by Janine Schulz.
• Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience (klong chen snying tig gi sngon 'gro'i ngag 'don rnam mkhyen lam bzang gsal byed). This is a version of A Profound Concentration of Nectar, into which the root text of the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries has been inserted. The text also includes several prayers that were not included in Jikmé Trinlé Özer’s original version.
  • English translation: Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience, translated by Adam Pearcey, 2006. Edited by Janine Schulz.
  • Colophon: This compilation, in a brief, clear and essential form, of the stages of visualization required for the regular practice of the Dzogpachenpo Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro (The Excellent Path to Omniscience) was composed by Khyentse Wangpo, the favourite servant of the omniscient master, in accordance with the oral teachings and instructions of my masters, solely with the wish to benefit those fortunate ones first setting out on this path. May the merit of this be the cause for all beings swiftly attaining the level of the immortal Pema Thötreng!
• Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, A Profound Concentration of Nectar: Essentialized Stages of Visualization for the Preliminary Practices of the Great Perfection Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (rdzogs pa chen po klong chen snying tig gi sngon 'gro'i dmigs rim snying por dril ba zab don bdud rtsi'i nying khu)
  • English translation: A Profound Concentration of Nectar: Essentialized Stages of Visualization for the Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (Longchen Nyingtik), translated by Adam Pearcey and edited by Janine Schulz. First published on Lotsawa House in 2006, further revised in 2015.
• Adzom Drukpa Drodul Pawo Dorje, A Lamp Illuminating the Path of Liberation: A Commentary on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse klong chen snying thig gi sngon 'gro'i khrid yig thar lam gsal byed sgron me)
• Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima, A Staircase to the Realm of Lotus Light, Essential Instructions on Guru Yoga (bla ma'i rnal 'byor la nye bar mkho ba'i yi ge pad+ma od du bgrod pa'i them skas) (13 folios)
• Khenpo Ngawang Palzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher (rdzogs pa chen po klong chen snying thig gi sngon 'gro'i khrid yig kun bzang bla ma'i zhal lung gi zin bris)
  • English translation: A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2004)
  • French translation: Notes de mémoire sur Le Chemin de la Grande Perfection, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (St Leon sur Vezere: Padmakara, 2014)
• Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol, Ngöndro Compendium (sngon 'gro kun las btus pa)
  • English translation: Invoking the Lama, translated by Adam Pearcey, 2006 (revised 2012).
    • Taking Refuge, idem.
    • Arousing Bodhicitta, idem.
    • Maṇḍala Offering, idem.
• Nubpa Thrinle Chophel of Tsang, Dispelling the Darkness of Inferior Minds: A Guide to the Preliminary Practices (sngon 'gro'i zin bris blo dman yid kyi mun sel (131 folios)
  • Notes: Notes by Trinle Chopel of lectures by Jigme Palgyi Sengge on the preliminary practices of the Longchen Nyingtik.
• Lopön Thekchok Yeshe Dorje, A Continuous Stream of Blessing of the Incomparable Guru: A Commentary on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (klong chen snying thig gi sngon 'gro'i rnam bshad mtshungs med bla ma'i byin rlabs char rgyun) (Gangtok, 2005)
• Subhashita (Horlu Lama Lekshe) of Nyarong, A Concise Word by Word Commentary on the Liturgy of the Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse (klong chen snying thig gi sngon 'gro'i ngag 'don gyi 'bru 'grel nyung ngu khro med bla ma chung chung)
• Chökyi Drakpa, A Torch for the Path to Omniscience: A Word by Word Commentary on the Text of the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices (klong chen snying thig gi sngon 'gro'i ngag 'don gyi 'bru 'grel rnam mkhyen lam sgron)
  • English translation: A Torch for the Path to Omniscience: A Word by Word Commentary to the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro by Chökyi Drakpa

Contemporary Commentaries

• 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.

Internal Links

• Lineage Prayer from the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro Guru Yoga