Kagyu practitioners typically begin by practicing the outer and inner preliminary practices, called Ngöndro in Tibetan. These practices include a series of contemplative exercises that help to turn the mind away from the mundane concerns of one’s present life and toward the attainment of liberation from suffering and ultimate enlightenment.
The most common form these contemplations take are the “four thoughts that change the mind”: 1) the precious of human life, 2) death and impermanence, 3) the law of karma., 4) defect of SamsaraThese contemplations comprise the outer preliminary practices.
The inner preliminary practices build upon first set of practices by deepening the practitioner’s commitment to the spiritual path, expanding his or her motivation, removing obstacles, creating positive conditions for practice, and receiving the blessings of the lineage. Respectively, the practices that accomplish these goals are 1) Refuge, prostrations, and bodhichitta, 2) Vajrasattva practice, 3) Mandala offerings, and 4) Guru Yoga.
Once the preliminaries have been completed, practitioner will often move on to sadhana practices, which employ visualization, mantra recitation, and other elements to transform ordinary, impure perception into enlightened view of true reality.
Ngondro is a complete and sufficient practice of the spiritual path that contains the teachings of Mahamudra and it can take the practitioner to familiarize oneself with the nature of mind, and lead oneself all the way to full enlightenment.