on the preliminary practices

Introductory course on the preliminary practices

Teaching and practice with Geshe Samten Tsukphud.

Registration will open soon.

This course is open to all practitioners of Yungdrung Bön. It is particularly beneficial for those who are new to the teachings and tradition of Yungdrung Bön and wish to prepare for participation in Dzogchen retreats.

Geshe Samten will teach the preliminary practices according to Dzogchen A-tri Ngöndro, written by Dru Gyalwa Yungdrung (1242-1290). In the text, the Ngöndro practices contain 15 sessions to ripen one’s mind and prepare for the main Dzogchen practice.

Generally, Ngöndro is the foundation of the spiritual practice and Dzogchen. It helps enter the three doors of Bön teachings, the internal, external and secret doors.

Metaphorically speaking, Ngöndro can be seen as the basement of a castle. It is the foundation for developing stability in one’s Dzogchen practice. The methods on this path of liberation include the purification of the mind and the liberation of Karma and negative emotions. Ngöndro is an important method to become free from suffering, recognise the importance of precious human life, reflect upon the impermanence of life and trust in the result of Karma. Through Ngöndro, we can also understand the defects of Samsara, overcome fears, and lie our trust in the refuge objects. It allows us to engage with the pure practice of Bodhicitta and to enter the pure and perfect state of mind. Therefore, according to the Yungdrung Bön tradition, Ngöndro is the most important practice on the path of liberation.

Daily sessions 

(all times in Central European Summer Time):

• 8.00 AM – 9.30 AM: Sangchöd and meditation

• 3.00 PM – 5.00 PM: Teaching by Geshe Samten Tsukphud

• 8.00 PM – 9.15 PM: Meditation and Chöd practice

Registration for online participation:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NnGHZZ5zQyGQ7Jmtva6c6A

After registration, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. Additionally, a reminder email is sent out every day before the teaching starts with the link to access the Zoom webinar.

Contribution to the teachings online:

The participation fee is 60 EUR (10 EUR per session). Payment will be made via PayPal when you register with Zoom.

We recommend using a friend's account for those who do not wish or cannot pay via PayPal. Please provide your own email address when registering to receive the link for the event.

If you do not have the option to use PayPal, please contact us at contact@shenten.org. We will send you the details to pay by bank transfer and register you manually after your payment. If you are currently having financial difficulties but would still like to attend the seminar, please write to contact@shenten.org.

Recordings and translations:

The teachings will be recorded. We will provide the link to download the recordings as soon as available. The course language is English with a translation into several languages. We plan to offer the following translation channels: French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.

We are looking forward to seeing you online and practising with you.