This retreat is dedicated to the preliminary practices (Ngöndro) of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud, one of the major Dzogchen transmissions within the Yungdrung Bön tradition. The preliminary practices constitute the indispensable foundation of the spiritual path and form the basis upon which all authentic Dzogchen practice rests.

Often mistakenly perceived as “a retreat for beginners,” the preliminary practices are not limited to an initial stage of the path. Their aim is to profoundly transform the practitioner’s body, mind, and conduct, thereby creating the necessary conditions for a stable and integrated understanding of the Dzogchen view. To reduce them to a mere technical prerequisite is to adopt a reductive view of their true scope.

As Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche often reminded us: “For most of us, the key to Dzogchen is Ngöndro.” This statement underscores that, for the majority of practitioners, the gradual maturation brought about by the preliminary practices is essential for the authentic assimilation of Dzogchen teachings.

In the same spirit, he emphasized that an understanding of Dzogchen rests upon solid foundations and that, without this preparatory work, practice risks remaining conceptual or unstable.

At the request of many practitioners around the world, Khenchen Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche has agreed to give this teaching, specifically dedicated to the study and practice of the Ngöndro. This retreat thus offers the opportunity to deepen the preliminary practices as a living path, fully integrated into the Dzogchen way.