Preliminary Practices in Our Tradition
Monday, December 2 – Sunday, December 8, 2024
see detailed schedule below
in person and online
Program Category: Dharma Education — Foundational
We are using the Zoom video conferencing system for this event.
Please register below to receive your online access information.
By registering for this event, you understand that the
sessions may be recorded and published in the public
domain (such as YouTube), and consent to this process.
Ngöndro, or preliminary practices, are not just rituals, but
are profound methods to prepare the mind of practitioners
for advancing in their spiritual path.
In this 4-part course, Geshe Thubten Sherab will guide
students through the What, Why, and How of the preliminary
practices, and the importance of cultivating the correct
motivation for the practices. We will explore how the
practices of accumulation of merit and purification of
negative karma are important in order to make progress on
the spiritual path. Geshe-la will cover:
- The refuge and seven-limb practice, including a commentary on the seven-limb offerings and the dedication section of the King of Prayers.
- Various Ngöndro practices, including Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas
- Purification and merit accumulation practices
Students can request to participate in a formal Refuge Ceremony with Geshe Sherab on Sunday afternoon. This is for anyone who would like to take it for the first time, or renew it again. Watch the video about When Are We Ready to Take Refuge? and read A Beginner's Guide to Refuge Vows.
— Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Read more about Rinpoche’s advice on Life Preliminary Practices.
This course is ideal for individuals who:
- Are familiar with the Stages of the Path (Lamrim) teachings as presented in the Discovering Buddhism program.
- Have a keen interest in integrating Tibetan Buddhist practices into their daily life.
Completion of all the Discovering Buddhism modules is not required.
Geshe Thubten Sherab, a student of Lama Yeshe and Lama
Zopa since childhood, brought this direct lineage of
teachings to New Mexico in 2001. Geshe Sherab held the
position of headmaster of the Mount Everest School at
Kopan Monastery in Nepal, and was appointed to serve as
acting abbot of Kopan Monastery for one year. Since 2014,
he spends 6 months in Santa Fe as Thubten Norbu Ling’s
Resident Geshe, and 6 months teaching abroad.
Geshe Sherab is conversant in English and several other languages. He is a spiritual guide to students of Buddhism around the world.
Mandala magazine has a story of Geshe Sherab:
The Master from the New Generation.
Schedule
Introduction to Preliminary Practices
7:00pm – 8:30pm PST (Pacific Standard Time)
in-person and online
Refuge and Seven-Limb Practice
7:00pm – 8:30pm PST
in-person and online
Friday, December 6
7:00pm – 8:30pm PST
in-person and online
Ngöndro Purification Practices
10:00am – 12:00pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm PST
in-person and online
Ngöndro Merit Accumulation Practices
10:00am – 12:00pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm PST
in-person and online
Please note: The refuge ceremony during the Sunday afternoon session will be in-person only.
Registration
Suggested Donation: $150 for the entire course
Your generosity ensures that this event remains accessible
to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. No one
turned away due to lack of funds.
Registration is required to receive your online access information.
