In this transcription of an interesting teaching by the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, he explains how to go about proceeding on preliminary practices (ngondro), and how its most beneficial to do it with a tradition that one has a karmic connection with. He metions:
The different schools of Buddhism that developed in Tibet, Japan and elsewhere are all teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. Within the Tibetan traditions there are four main schools—Nyingma, Kagyü, Sakya and Gelug. Do not consider the teachings of a particular school to be more advanced, for all traditions teach tantric meditations that can lead to ultimate realization within one lifetime. However, when commencing the preliminary practices it should be clear which system of teaching is more beneficial to your mind, according to your past karmic connections. By following the tradition most suited to you, you should have faith in the Fully Awakened Being and his Truth without any discrimination, because sectarianism is not only detrimental to your practice but is also an unwholesome action leading to miserable results. If you avoid this error, your practice will flourish and will proceed rapidly through all stages of the path.
Mandala offering is one of the practices included in ngondro, where someone does over 100,000 of things, e.g. 100,000 recitations of a mantra, prostrations, or in this case, 100,000 mandala offerings.
Why Do Mandala Offerings
In this video, Ven. Thubten Chodron explains the reasons for doing mandala offerings. She explains that its a great way to counteract miserliness and to work with our attachment to things, whether they are our material possessions or our people close to us.
From the karmic perspective, this practice creates vast mounts of merit and also creates the causes for one day having great material resources and support in a future life. This plays particular importance in the bodhisattva practice, where having support and resources are important in order to be able to benefit sentient beings.
How to do Mandala Offerings
To do the practice, of course someone can visualize it, but its better if someone has a physical mandala set to use. In terms of material of the mandala set, I’ve heard that its good to get one of the best quality that one can get (e.g. silver, copper, etc). And for offering substances, the best that one can get. If these means pearls or colored stones, then that works.
I’ve also heard that if someone can not get these things, its better to start with what one has. It’s not good to postpone on the practice on the basis of, “I’ll start once I can afford a really nice set with some pearls.” It’s better to start now, even if that means using a plate with some rice.
I recently did a mandala offering ngondro a year ago, but have put off writing it. I actually started this site a way to encourage people to do the precious practice of ngondro, and to encourage people to find teachers and teachings that would be beneficial to them.
I found that personally, this practice was beneficial for me during a time when I had a lot of material comforts. It was very helpful to constantly offer away everything that I have, with an understanding that these things are all impermanent and without true essence, so offering them can be done without a sense of loss.
Though the more I do ngondros, the more I find that I have less to say because I’m not sure I’m not qualified to say something about it. But I would highly encourage someone to try this practice out because it creates the wish to want to give in order to help others. Even if someone actually doesn’t give in reality, just the wish to give is a start and will eventually lead to growth in one’s practice.
I think with ngondro, people really like this practice, dread it, or think its old fashioned.
One does something like prostrations or mantra recitations, at minimum, 100,000, plus 11% to account for mistakes. Sometimes people do as much as 400,000 of an item.
Guru yoga is one of the sets belonging to the practice of ngondro, where a person does 100,000 reptitions of something (mantra, mandala offerings, prostrations,etc). The practice has to be done continuously, without break, until the number is reached. Otherwise, a person has to start the count over. Continue reading →
Vajrasattva ngondro is one of the preliminary practices of ngondro, where one does a minimum of 100,000 repetitions of an item (a mantra, prayer, prostrations, etc). An extra 11% are added to account for mistakes. Vajrasattva ngondro has to be completed on consecutive days. If a day is skipped, someone has to start over. Continue reading →
Ngondro is practice with so many benefits, but a main benefit is it prepares the ground of the mind for realizations and attainments. Through the practice of ngondro, one can engage in extensive purification and generation of merit. Continue reading →