{"id":2028,"date":"2020-03-09T14:15:41","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T04:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/?page_id=2028"},"modified":"2020-03-15T11:23:46","modified_gmt":"2020-03-15T01:23:46","slug":"foundational-practices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dying-and-death-reflections.com\/index.php\/foundational-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Overview: Foundational Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Foundational Practices: Training and Purification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Meditation practice always begins with developing a good\nfoundation. The foundational, or preliminary, practices of the Buddhist path,\noften referred to as ngondro<\/em>, are the means of both training<\/em> and purifying<\/em>\none\u2019s mindstream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These practices are also the means of bringing the heart\nof the meditation experience into one\u2019s own being<\/em>. Therefore, they are\nconsidered to be profound and important, since without them the main practice\nwill have little meaning, just as a building without a solid foundation will be\nunstable and of little value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four common preliminary practices<\/em><\/strong> consist\nof the four reminders<\/em>. These are the reflections on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) Precious human birth<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Impermanence<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Karma<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) Shortcomings of samsara<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are reflections that turn our minds away from our\nattachment to samsaric<\/em> existence, and towards the practice of dharma.\nUnless we generate a proper experience of the four reminders, it will be\ndifficult for us to connect with any other experiences on the path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four reminders are followed by the four uncommon\npreliminaries<\/em><\/strong>. These are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) Refuge and Bodhichitta<\/strong>: These purify the coarse level of negative karma of the body<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Vajrasattva<\/strong> Practice<\/strong>: Vajrasattva mantra recitation purifies the karma of speech<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Mandala Offering<\/strong>: Mandala practice is the basis\nof acquiring the two accumulations of merit<\/em> and wisdom<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) Guru Yoga<\/strong>: Guru yoga practice invokes the\nblessings of the lineage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhichitta<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first of the four uncommon preliminaries begins with taking\nrefuge and generating bodhichitta<\/em>, the enlightened attitude or \u201cawakened\nheart\u201d that genuinely desires to free all living beings from their suffering\nand lead them to the state of buddhahood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the general Buddhist path, there is the threefold refuge\nof Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, known as the Three Jewels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Vajrayana path, one practices a sixfold refuge. One\ngoes for refuge to the Three Jewels and the Three Roots: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1) The root of blessings is the guru<\/em> mandala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) The root of accomplishments is the yidam<\/em> or deity\nmandala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) The root of activities is the dakini<\/em> mandala,\nwhich includes dakas<\/em>, dakinis<\/em>, and dharmapalas<\/em>, or\nprotectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we take the sixfold refuge, we are actually entering\ninto the path of the buddhadharma in general and Vajrayana in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The six roots are the primary figures displayed in paintings\nof the \u201crefuge tree,\u201d which symbolically represents the qualities of\nenlightenment<\/em> \u2013 the wisdom, loving-kindness, compassion and activity of\nteaching the dharma that will bring all beings to the state of liberation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vajrasattva Practice<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The second uncommon preliminary is the profound practice of Vajrasattva<\/em>.\nIn order for our path to proceed smoothly toward realization, it is essential\nto purify our negativities<\/em> and obscurations<\/em>, which are obstacles\nto our practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vajrasattva is the first and foremost of all practices for\ntraining and purifying one\u2019s mindstream. It is known as the king of\npurification practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purification is the process of both exposing the\nshortcomings or defilements of mind and uncovering its true nature \u2013 the clear,\ntransparent and inherent wisdom of our mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mandala Offering<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The third uncommon preliminary is the mandala offering<\/em>. After purifying our negativities, we have to let go of our ego-clinging<\/em> \u2013 our basic attachment and clinging toward the whole universe and its contents, which exist all around us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, in this practice, we visualize the entire\nuniverse and fill it with offerings to the objects of refuge; thus, the mandala\noffering is the practice of letting go<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since our intention in making these offerings is the accomplishment of enlightenment for the benefit of limitless beings of different capacities, this is the practice that accomplishes the two accumulations<\/strong>: the accumulation of merit<\/strong> <\/em>and the accumulation of wisdom<\/strong><\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without these accumulations it would be impossible for us to\nachieve any state of realization, any glimpse of the nature of mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guru Yoga<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The fourth uncommon preliminary is guru yoga, which is a\nmethod for increasing and enhancing our devotion<\/em> and our respect<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this necessary? In the Vajrayana tradition, the key\nto our realization is found through the blessings of our gurus, our lineage\nforefathers, and through primordial wisdom itself. This transmission is not<\/em>\npossible without opening ourselves fully to our lineage gurus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening to the lineage blessings and transmissions is\ncatalyzed by the practice of guru yoga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the traditional foundational practices. Other purification practices include the recitation of liturgies such as the Heart Sutra<\/em>, and the practices of Medicine Buddha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Ponlop, Dzogchen. Mind Beyond Death<\/em>. Shambhala Publications. Kindle Edition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Reflection:
The foundational, or preliminary, practices of the Buddhist path, often referred to as ngondro<\/em>, are the means of both training<\/em> and purifying<\/em> one\u2019s mindstream.
(Dzogchen Ponlop)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"reddit\"<\/a>\"pinterest\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Foundational Practices: Training and Purification Meditation practice always begins with developing a good foundation. The foundational, or preliminary, practices of the Buddhist path, often referred to as ngondro, are the means of both training and purifying one\u2019s mindstream. 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