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Open a ngöndro session with the four verses that turn the mind

Begin each session with one short verse for each of the four thoughts, letting each one turn attention from the day’s concerns toward the purpose of the practice.

Por qué funciona

In the ngöndro, the four thoughts come before every other practice. Dudjom Lingpa’s concise ngöndro gives them as four verses: this free and advantaged human form is very difficult to obtain; everything born is by nature impermanent; virtuous and harmful actions bring their inevitable results; and the three realms of saṃsāra are an ocean of suffering. The verses are short enough to say with attention, so the reflection sets the frame for everything that follows in the session. The tradition frames them as turning the mind, not as information to be learned, so the intended change is in the direction of attention.

Cómo hacerlo

  1. Sit with your eyes open, and feel your feet and sitting bones for a moment before you begin.
  2. Say the first verse slowly, then rest for a few breaths on the one phrase that stands out most for you.
  3. Repeat the same routine with the impermanence, karma and suffering verses, in that order, without rushing to the next one.
  4. End by asking what you want the rest of the session to be for, and then begin the next part of your practice.
  5. If the four verses become a formula you say without thinking, pause and read them once with attention before going on.

Evidencia

The four verses and their order come from the Lotsawa House translation of Dudjom Lingpa’s Extremely Concise Ngöndro, which presents them under the heading “Four Thoughts to Transform the Mind.” Jigme Lingpa’s Common and Uncommon Ngöndro gives the same four topics as longer sections. Patrul Rinpoche’s Words of My Perfect Teacher is, in Tricycle’s words, “a translation of a 19th-century guide to a set of foundational practices known as the ngondro”; the Padmakara translation was published by HarperCollins in 1994. The text itself describes the purpose as turning the mind; it does not give a measured effect. (anecdotal)

No study has tested reciting these verses as a session opening. The four topics include death and suffering, which some readers find heavy; if reflecting on mortality brings overwhelm, stop, open your eyes, feel the floor and return to an ordinary task. The meditation-related-challenges page covers this in more detail.

Fuentes

Error común

Reciting the four verses as a quick preface to the “real” practice, and then moving on without a moment of reflection. The verses are meant to be the first act of the session, not a ritual formula you get through.

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Preguntas frecuentes

¿Cómo funciona Open a ngöndro session with the four verses that turn the mind?

In the ngöndro, the four thoughts come before every other practice. Dudjom Lingpa’s concise ngöndro gives them as four verses: this free and advantaged human form is very difficult to obtain; everything born is by nature impermanent; virtuous and harmful actions bring their inevitable results; and the three realms of saṃsāra are an ocean of suffering. The verses are short enough to say with attention, so the reflection sets the frame for everything that follows in the session. The tradition frames them as turning the mind, not as information to be learned, so the intended change is in the direction of attention.

¿Cuál es el error más común con Open a ngöndro session with the four verses that turn the mind?

Reciting the four verses as a quick preface to the “real” practice, and then moving on without a moment of reflection. The verses are meant to be the first act of the session, not a ritual formula you get through.

Más prácticas para Ngöndro: The Tibetan Preliminary Practices

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