page_title: Nalandabodhi
section_title: Nalandabodhi Path of Meditation
hierarchical_section_title: Nalandabodhi / Nalandabodhi Path of Meditation
context_page_description: Nalandabodhi is an international Buddhist organization founded in the United States by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche in 1997 and is named after the historic Nalanda university of India. "Nalanda" translates literally as "the place that confers the lotus," and Bodhi translates as "enlightenment." Their international headquarters is Nalanda West in Seattle, with centers and study groups in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe and Asia.
  Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche worked closely with his teacher, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, in creating Nalandabodhi's paths of Study, Meditation, and Mindful Activity. Nalandabodhi’s path is rooted in the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet and India. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, a lineage holder of the Kagyu and Nyingma Buddhist lineages, currently serves as the Spiritual Director of Nalandabodhi.
context_section_description: The Nalandabodhi Path of Meditation offers comprehensive training in Buddhist meditation in the traditional Indian and Tibetan lamrim, or gradual, style of instruction. Nalandabodhi members following the Path of Meditation work with trained Practice Instructors who encourage, guide, and support them in their practice by meeting with them individually or in small groups. General meditation instruction is also available to the public at all Nalandabodhi centers.
  The Path of Meditation begins with instruction in shamatha, or "calm-abiding" meditation. After gaining familiarity with shamatha, students continue to vipashyana or analytical meditations on both ultimate and relative bodhicitta. First, students gain familiarity with ultimate bodhicitta through meditations on selflessness and emptiness or shunyata, in the context of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness. Next, relative bodhicitta practices such as lojong (mind training), tonglen, and the Four Immeasurables are taught. Through shamatha practice students cultivate a relaxed and attentive mind. On the basis of that calmness students investigate the nature of themselves and appearances by means of ultimate bodhicitta meditations. Finally, having gained some familiarity with relaxing self-fixation and clinging, students engage in relative bodhicitta meditations to further develop their compassion, kindness, and ability to benefit others. After completing these foundational practices, students who are drawn towards the Vajrayana may choose to begin the ngondro or preliminary practices for Vajrayana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen under the guidance of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche or another Nalandabodhi senior teacher.
caption: Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche uses his specially altered edition of the text, The Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, to suggest what's meant by, for example, emptiness of self.
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