The Longchen Nyingtik Preliminaries
The most well-known practice of the Longchen Nyingtik cycle is perhaps the ngöndro or preliminary practice. Traditionally, before engaging with any of the tantric generation phase practices, the completion phase, or the main practice of the Great Perfection, one needs to have completed the preliminary practices. This particular set of preliminary practices became famous, not only among Nyingmapas but among practitioners of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, through the famed commentary written by Patrul Rinpoche, the Words of My Perfect Teacher (Kunzang Lame Shyalung).
The publication of the Words of My Perfect Teacher by the Padmakara Translation Group.
“Though enlightened from the very beginning, you never cease to take on forms, to tame each in their very own way.
Though displaying magical appearances of every kind, you are free from aggregates, elements, sense-fields, form and grasping.
Though appearing in human form, in reality you are a buddha, shining out thousands of light rays of knowledge and of love.
Not just in this life alone, but always, I rely on you as my refuge: Khyentse Özer, fill me with your blessings!”
The root verses of the Longchen Nyingtik preliminary practices belong to the original treasures of the Longchen Nyingtik. Later, they were arranged and expanded by Jigme Lingpa’s direct disciple, the First Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer. His compilation, called ‘The Preliminary Practice of the Great Perfection Longchen Nyingtik: The Excellent Path to Omniscience’, is the text which most people know as the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro. Several translations of this text have been made in the English language.
The Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro is fairly long, and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo composed a text called ‘The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: A Brief Practice of the Preliminaries’, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘short Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro’.
In recent times, the current Dodrupchen Rinpoche compiled a brief version of the preliminary practices called The Short Preliminary Practice of the Longchen Nyingtig.
Texts
First Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer, The Preliminary Practice of the Great Perfection Longchen Nyingtik: The Excellent Path to Omniscience.
English Translation: The Dzogchen Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice, Tulku Thondup (Dharamsala: LTWA, 1982)
English translation: The Preliminary Practice of the Great Perfection Longchen Nyingtik: The Excellent Path to Omniscience, Rigpa Translations.
English Translation: A Liturgy for the Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, in Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices, compiled, translated, and introduced by Cortland Dahl (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2009)
English Translation: Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse: A Story of Transmission, Anne C. Klein, (Snow Lion Publications, 2009).
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: A Brief Practice of the Preliminaries
English translation: The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: A Brief Practice of the Preliminaries
English translation: A Concise Liturgy for the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices, in Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen Preliminary Practices compiled, translated, and introduced by Cortland Dahl (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2009)
Fourth Dodrupchen Tubten Trinle Pal Zangpo, The Short Preliminary Practice of the Longchen Nyingtig
English translation: The Short Preliminary Practice of the Longchen Nyingtig, Tulku Thondup
Commentaries
Below is a list, mostly in chronological order, of the most important commentaries on the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro and, if available, their English translations.
Jigme Lingpa, Instructions on the Common Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
English translation: Instructions on the Common Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, in Entrance to the Great Perfection, translated by Cortland Dahl, pages 41–60.
Jigme Lingpa, The Application of Mindfulness: Instructions of the Unique Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
English translation: The Application of Mindfulness: Instructions of the Unique Great Perfection Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, in Entrance to the Great Perfection, translated by Corland Dahl, pages 61–80.
Statue of Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher
English translation: Kun-Zang La-May Zhal-Lung: The Oral Instruction of Kun-Zang La-Ma on the Preliminary Practices of Dzog-Ch'En Long-Ch'En Nying-Tig, translated by Sonam T. Kazi, Diamond Lotus Pub, 1989.
English translation: The Words of My Perfect Teacher, Padmakara Translations (Yale University Press, Revised edition, 2010).
Patrul Rinpoche, A Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization
English translation: A Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Ngöndro Practice
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience
(this is a version of A Profound Concentration of Nectar, into which the root text of the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries has been inserted. The text also includes several prayers that were not included in Jigme Trinle Özer’s original version.English translation: Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, A Profound Concentration of Nectar
Adzom Drukpa Drodul Pawo Dorje, A Lamp Illuminating the Path of Liberation: A Commentary on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima, A Staircase to the Realm of Lotus Light, Essential Instructions on Guru Yoga
Khenpo Ngawang Palzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher
English translation: A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2004)
French translation: Notes de mémoire sur Le Chemin de la Grande Perfection, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (St Leon sur Vezere: Padmakara, 2014)
Yukhok Chatralwa Chöying Rangdrol, Ngöndro Compendium
English translation (in sections):
Nubpa Trinle Chophel of Tsang, Dispelling the Darkness of Inferior Minds: A Guide to the Preliminary Practices.
(these are notes composed by Trinle Chopel based on the lectures of Jigme Palgyi Sengge on the preliminary practices of the Longchen Nyingtik.)Subhashita (Horlu Lama Lekshe) of Nyarong, A Concise Word by Word Commentary on the Liturgy of the Preliminary Practices of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
Chökyi Drakpa, A Torch for the Path to Omniscience: A Word by Word Commentary on the Text of the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices
Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, A Few Notes on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
English translation: A Few Notes on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, translated by Han Kop and Adam Pearcey, Lotsawa House, forthcoming.
Gönpo Tseten Rinpoche, A Staircase to Liberation and Omniscience: A Word-by-Word Commentary on the Preliminary Practice of the Heart Essence (1964)
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel—The Practice of Guru Yoga According to the Longchen Nyingthig Tradition (Boston: Shambhala, 1999)
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1999) (this is a new commentary and not a re-edit of teachings in the book The Wish-fulfilling Jewel)
Lopön Thekchok Yeshe Dorje, A Continuous Stream of Blessing of the Incomparable Guru: A Commentary on the Preliminaries of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012)
This list is partly based on Tulku Thondup, Masters of Meditation and Mircales, endnote 56, page 362.