Where to start on pursuing Naropa's 6 Yogas?

[Satyaloka]

Having read Lama Yeshe's "The Bliss of Inner Fire," as well as "Introduction to Tantra," The 6 Yogas of Naropa are a sadhana that intuitively resonate with me deeply. In this day and age of having to sift through the spiritual marketplace, I was wondering if anyone here has any resources or leads on authentic teachers and places for transmission, instruction, and practice. I understand that this is high and sacred tantra and requires immense dedication and perseverance.

 

 

Thank you all!

[C T]

Where do you reside?

[Satyaloka]

I travel in between Nashville and LA for work, but I would be willing to travel the world for true teaching and practice.

[Anderson]

Dont forget 3 years of preliminaries

[C T]

I travel in between Nashville and LA for work, but I would be willing to travel the world for true teaching and practice.

wonderful!

 

have you made any contact with any Tibetan teachers before, for e.g., made an approach to explore your interest, and get some feedback?

 

Don't mean to be nosey, but it would be good to know a bit more about your background with the hope of being able to point you in the right direction, hopefully not give you the runaround.

[Satyaloka]

Other than spending time at a Shambhala practice group in Nashville, and a Tergar practice group based on the teachings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, I haven’t. As far as other practice, I’ve done two 10 day Goenka Vipassana retreats and spent a couple weeks at one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s monasteries (magnolia grove in Mississippi) as well. As far as my background, I started on my path through practicing and teaching hatha yoga asana for a couple years, which eventually led to a long study of Vedanta and Raja yoga. Against my own expectation, I’ve felt a strong pull to study acupuncture and TCM. (I’d love to pursue TTM, but there doesn’t seem to be much infrastructure career wise here in the US for it.) Eventually the teachings of the Buddha took hold within me, and thus I currently have found myself at a crossroads, and longing to dig deep roots in an authentic tradition and give my life to practice. I understand the problematic nature of “spiritual tourism” and that no water can flow if a deep well is not dug in a specific tradition. I also understand that these various traditions have different ideologies (such as vedanta’s ethic of union with an ontological absolute vs. the luminous emptiness of the Buddha dharma,) but what I seek deeply is liberation, regardless of its cultural context. I am more than willing to give myself to years of Ngondro and my life to practice. The 6 Dharmas and the Tibetan tradition resonated deeply within me upon study, and thus I thought this would be a good place to begin inquiry. Thank you guys for your help!

[C T]

Personally, i would say investing sufficient time in the Ngondro would be a tremendous step forward to further deepen your foundation, which, in my opinion, is crucial if you have a strong wish to eventually undertake the 6 Yogas as your main practice. However, it appears that some Tibetan teachers in the West now are saying that Ngondro can be dispensed with, which my teacher(s) disagree, so it would depend on how you personally feel. Its not my place to argue for or against, as I'm certainly not on teacher level, although a faithful Dharma student i have been, for quite a number of years.

 

Another point i'd like to make, which you probably know already, is that Ngondro practice can be initiated without the need for empowerment. The primary aim of Ngondro is to complete the accumulations of offerings, prostrations, and mantras - these accumulations are helpful as a precursor to the 'higher' sadhanas - but, again, please note that although Ngondro is supposedly a preliminary stage practice, it is nonetheless complete in itself, i.e., practicing it alone is sufficient to lead the practitioner to full enlightenment. Ground, Path & Fruition in Ngondro is not any less significant than Ground, Path & Fruition in any other sadhanas, so essentially they are all perfect, in that sense.

 

All the main schools of Vajrayana have their own unique preliminary practice(s). Since I'm a Nyingma student, the Ngondro we undertake to practice is the Dudjom Tersar.

 

If you have need for more info, please feel free to ask

[Trunk]

I suggest that you read Tsongkhapa's version of the Six Yogas. It's a classic, though the Tibetan system is horrendously complex. The key phrases to that whole text are "enter, abide, and dissolve" and "emptiness and bliss conjoined". Understand that it'll help you immensely, whatever practice you take up, Tibetan or other. Look at how secret mantra supports the "enter, abide, dissolve" process.

 

I also suggest that you read Cleary's version of The secret of the golden flower. It rides along the same basic principle, but is way simplified. It'll help you understand the 6 yogas more.

[Jetsun]

I know that Wangdrak Rinpoche teaches the 6 yogas but as far as I know its only to women, but perhaps you may find one of his lineage or students who may help.

[C T]

It does tend to get complex where one's dedication get diversified and diluted. Those who stick to one system, and build from the basics usually find progress in an assured manner. That could be the reason why i would not recommend diving into the 6 yogas without first integrating the Ngondro for a few years (for fortunate practitioners with plenty of time, one year would suffice).

 

 

 

 

 

edited exceptional to fortunate*

Edited February 14, 2015 by C T

[doc benway]

Some unsolicited input, FWIW...

 

When we decide to pursue a path of liberation it is because we recognize that the ordinary, thinking mind needs help, it is not to be trusted, it does not have the answers we are looking for.

 

Then we use that very same mind to try to figure out which path to take...

?

 

Much better, IMO, to try and connect with a teacher that feels right, someone to whom we feel (rather than think) we have a connection to, put our trust in them and see where it takes us. I think that the specific path is less important than the teacher, the student, and their relationship, particularly in Tibetan Buddhism.

 

Good luck and blessings on your search!

[Creation]

Personally, i would say investing sufficient time in the Ngondro would be a tremendous step forward to further deepen your foundation, which, in my opinion, is crucial if you have a strong wish to eventually undertake the 6 Yogas as your main practice. However, it appears that some Tibetan teachers in the West now are saying that Ngondro can be dispensed with, which my teacher(s) disagree, so it would depend on how you personally feel. Its not my place to argue for or against, as I'm certainly not on teacher level, although a faithful Dharma student i have been, for quite a number of years.

 

Another point i'd like to make, which you probably know already, is that Ngondro practice can be initiated without the need for empowerment. The primary aim of Ngondro is to complete the accumulations of offerings, prostrations, and mantras - these accumulations are helpful as a precursor to the 'higher' sadhanas - but, again, please note that although Ngondro is supposedly a preliminary stage practice, it is nonetheless complete in itself, i.e., practicing it alone is sufficient to lead the practitioner to full enlightenment. Ground, Path & Fruition in Ngondro is not any less significant than Ground, Path & Fruition in any other sadhanas, so essentially they are all perfect, in that sense.

 

All the main schools of Vajrayana have their own unique preliminary practice(s). Since I'm a Nyingma student, the Ngondro we undertake to practice is the Dudjom Tersar.

 

If you have need for more info, please feel free to ask

I don't think Ngondro could serve as a complete path without empowerment. With empowerment, it is said that guru yoga alone is (in principle capable of being) a complete path, everything else is skillful means.

[C T]

I don't think Ngondro could serve as a complete path without empowerment. With empowerment, it is said that guru yoga alone is (in principle capable of being) a complete path, everything else is skillful means.

In the lineage from which i received the teachings, it is said that empowerment is not necessary to initiate Ngondro. Lots of new practitioners freely integrate Ngondro into their practice routine. Not only is it not necessary, there is no such ritual within our lineage.

 

 

As for Ngondro's often overlooked importance, Tulku Urgyen remarked:

 

"So, do not grab at the higher teachings of Trekcho & Thogal. They are like the wolf skin hats worn in Kham; they look very good, but what keeps your ears warm in the winter is the unimpressive collar of plain sheepskin. Its much more important to emphasise the preliminaries and lay a solid foundation: then whatever is built on top of that afterwards will make sense, otherwise it will be empty talk.

 

Most important of all, more crucial than the extraordinary practices of Trekcho & Togal, are the general and specific preliminaries. Without having taken to heart these mind-changings, whatever practice you do will not lead anywhere. Nothing can be built when there is no foundation to build on.

 

The great masters of the past, especially those in the Kagyu lineage, have said, "Because they are the foundation, the preliminaries are more important than the main part". "

[Satyaloka]

Thank you guys for the wisdom and resources. I'll continue to follow my intuition and open myself to the path as it unfolds!

[Apech]

Where do you reside? 

 

In my heart of course