The 12th annual 1 month Ngöndro (Preliminary Practices) Retreat and the 3rd annual 1 month Tsawa Sum (Three Roots) Retreat at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery takes place each year starting on the 28th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar.
Due to his great kindness and compassion and wish to provide platforms for both study and practice of the dharma in particular to the lay Himalayan community, H.E. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche established a summer study program and a winter practice program at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery.
The study program is a 4 month course on fundamental buddhist studies and how to read and write Tibetan (Sambhota) script. This is offered daily and free of charge during the summer and is attended mostly by lay Himalayan practitioners.
The practice program consists of the Ngöndro Retreat and the Tsawa Sum Retreat (only for those who have completed the Ngöndro Retreat at least 3 times). These are opportunities for the retreatants to receive teachings and learn detailed practice instructions from senior monks at the monastery.
Around 1000 participants will be attending the Ngöndro Retreat and the Tsawa Sum Retreat this year, mostly Himalayan practitioners, but also some international practitioners including students from Rangjung Yeshe Institute. The retreatants follow a very rigorous schedule without any break throughout the month, starting each day at 6 am and concluding at 5:30 pm. The program is offered free of charge and the monastery provides breakfast, lunch, tea, and snacks each day to all attendees.
May everyone rejoice in this noble and virtuous event and dedicate the merit for the benefit of all sentient beings. If you would like, your support of the Ngöndro and Tsawa Sum Retreats would be very welcome.
The Ngöndro that is practiced is the Thukdrub Barche Künsel Ngöndro (preliminary practices on Accomplishing the Guru’s Wisdom Mind, Dispeller of All Obstacles). This is further divided into the outer preliminaries and the inner preliminaries. The outer preliminaries are practices that turn our mind towards the dharma with the help of 4 topics: reflections on our precious human birth, the truth of impermanence and death, the causes and effects of karma, and the shortcomings of samsaric existence. The inner preliminaries are practices that are performed to purify negativity and accumulate merit. These include 100,000 practices of each of the following:
1) Refuge with the performance of the 10 Branches of Merit Accumulation
2) Bodhicitta cultivation
3) Prostration
4) Vajrasattva recitation
5) Mandala offering
6) Padmasaṃbhava Prayer (Düsum Sangye) recitation
7) Guru Yoga
The days are divided into 4 practice sessions.
1st session: Starts with Calling the Guru from Afar supplication prayer (Lama Gyangbod), followed by Ngöndro practice, and concludes with Vajradhātu Mandala Aspiration prayers (Chokchu Düshyi) and Aspiration Prayer for Rebirth in Amitābha’s Pure Land (Demön).
2nd session: Starts with the Noble Sūtra of Recalling the Three Jewels, followed by Ngöndro practice, and concludes with the King of Aspiration Prayer: Samantabhadra’s “Aspiration to Good Actions” (Zangchö Mönlam).
3rd session: Starts with the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Downfalls Prayer (Tungshak), followed by Ngöndro practice, and then Dharmapāla Offering Pūjā (Solkha), and concludes with Heart Sūtra Recitation (Sherab Nyingpo).
4th session: Starts with Ngöndro practice, followed by the Concise Daily Liturgy for Giving the Body (Chöd Pūjā), and concludes with the Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kāyas Aspiration Prayer.
Additionally, Clearing the Obstacles of the Path (Barche Lamsel) is recited for 1 day as the main practice, and the Four Immeasurables is recited for a half day. On the last day, the Dispeller of All Obstacles: The Yoga of Essential Activity with Feast offering (Tsok offering) is performed in the morning.
Tsawa Sum is the practice of the 3 roots: lama (the root of blessings), yidam (the root of accomplishments), and dakini (the root of activity). For lama the focus is Padmasaṃbhava and the practice is Trinley Nyingpo; for yidam the focus is Vajrasattva and the practice is Sangtik Dorsem; and for dakini the focus is Tārā and the practice is Zabtik Drolchok. Each practice is carried out for 9 or 10 days.
Lama: Trinley Nyingpo (the Dispeller of All Obstacles) is practiced in 5 parts:
1) Dharmakāya – Amitāyus Practice with Mantra Recitation (Om Amarani Jiwantiye Soha) 1 & 1/2 days
2) Sambhogakaya – Avalokiteśvara Practice with Mantra Recitation (Om Mani Padme Hum) 1 & 1/2 days
3) Nirmanakaya – Padmasaṃbhava Practice with Mantra Recitation (Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Pema Siddhi Hum) 5 days
4) General Mantra – Practice of all manifestations of Padmasaṃbhava with Mantra Recitation (Om Ah Hung Benza Guru Pema Tötreng Tsal Benza Samaya Dza Siddhi Phala Hung Ah) 1 day
5) Application Mantra – Practice of 8 Dakas and Dakinis, 2 in each of the 4 directions with Mantra Recitation for pacifying, increasing, magnetizing, and subjugating and receiving the siddhis (Om Ah Hung Benza Guru Pema Tötreng Tsal Benza Samaya Dza Siddhi Phala Hung Ah, Harinisa Ratsa Hriya Tsitta Hring Hring Dza Sarwa Siddhi Phala Hung) 1 day
Yidam: Sangtik Dorsem (the Practice of Single Mudra Vajrasattva) is practiced in 3 parts:
1) Self Visualization – 4 days
2) Front Visualization – 4 days
3) Vase Sadhana – 1 day (and receiving the siddhis)
Dakini: Zabtik Drolchok (the Profound Essence of Tārā) is practiced in 3 parts:
1) Outer Sadhana – 8 days
2) Outer Sadhana – 1 day (and receiving the siddhi)
The days are divided into 4 practice sessions.
1st session: Starts with Calling the Guru from Afar Supplication Prayer (Lama Gyangbod), followed by Tsawa Sum practice, and concludes with Cleansing Smoke Offering Ritual (Sang) and Aspiration Prayers Family (Monlam Rig).
2nd session: Starts with the Noble Sūtra of Recalling the Three Jewels, followed by Tsawa Sum practice, and concludes with either the King of Aspiration Prayer: Samantabhadra’s “Aspiration to Good Actions” (Zangchö Mönlam) or the Aspiration Prayer for Rebirth in Amitābha’s Pure Land (Demön).
3rd session: Starts with the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Downfalls Prayer (Tungshak), followed by Tsawa Sum practice, and then Dharmapāla Offering Pūjā (Solkha), Heart Sūtra Recitation (Sherab Nyingpo), and Burnt Food Ritual (Sur), and concludes with the Sphere of Universal Joy Aspiration Prayer (Peme Khebe Monlam).
4th session: Starts with Tsawa Sum practice, followed by the Concise Daily Liturgy for Giving the Body (Chöd Pūjā), and concludes with either the Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kāyas Aspiration Prayer or Vajradhātu Mandala Aspiration (Chokchu Düshyi) Prayers.
On the last day, the Dispeller of All Obstacles: The Yoga of Essential Activity with Feast offering (Tsok offering) is performed right after receiving the Siddhi of Outer Tara Sadana.
