Outer Preliminaries

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, Spiritual Director of Bodhicitta Sangha | Heart of Enlightenment Institute in Minneapolis (bodhicittasangha.org) and a professor (Khenpo) of Buddhism, teaches his students on the importance of establishing the proper motivation of bodhicitta for their meditation practice, and that along with developing their kind mind that wishes all sentient beings happiness, they also need to develop their wisdom, or insight into the nature of reality. He also reminds them that the only good thing about negative karma is that it can be purified via meditation; as negative afflictions are the main obstacle to achieving enlightenment and the main cause of suffering.

Inner Preliminaries

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo offered instructions on the Preliminary Practices (Ngöndro) from The Profound and Secret Heart Essence of the Dakinis: The Chariot of Liberation, a treasure teaching revealed by Traktung Dudjom Dorje. Refuge and bodhicitta with prostrations, Vajrasattva, mandala offering and guru yoga are essential practices on the profound path of Vajrayana Buddhism and lay the foundation for Creation and Completion Stage and Great Perfection (Dzogchen) practices. Many great masters maintain a daily Ngöndro practice during their entire lives recognizing it as the heart essence of wisdom and compassion in Buddhism.