page_title: Tibetan Buddhism
section_title: Preliminary practices
hierarchical_section_title: Tibetan Buddhism / Practices / Preliminary practices
caption_attribution_description: English: Prayer and prostration in front of the Jokhang Monastery, the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. Italiano: Pellegrini pregano e si prostrano di fronte al Monastero di Jokhang, il tempio più sacro e importante del Tibet.
context_page_description: Tibetan Buddhism is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, where it is the dominant philosophy. It is also found in the regions surrounding the Himalayas, much of Central Asia, the Southern Siberian regions such as Tuva, as well as Mongolia.
  Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism. It thus preserves "the Tantric status quo of eighth-century India," inclusive of native Tibetan developments and practices. In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan, which ruled China, Mongolia and parts of Siberia. In the modern era, it has spread outside of Asia due to the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora.
  Apart from classical Mahayana Buddhist practices like the six perfections, Tibetan Buddhism also includes Tantric practices, such as deity yoga and the Six Dharmas of Naropa. Its main goal is Buddhahood or rainbow body. The main language of scriptural study in this tradition is classical Tibetan.
  Tibetan Buddhism has four major schools, namely Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug.
context_section_description: Vajrayāna is believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be the fastest method for attaining Buddhahood but for unqualified practitioners it can be dangerous. To engage in it one must receive an appropriate initiation (also known as an "empowerment") from a lama who is fully qualified to give it. The aim of preliminary practices (ngöndro) is to start the student on the correct path for such higher teachings. Just as Sutrayāna preceded Vajrayāna historically in India, so sutra practices constitute those that are preliminary to tantric ones. Preliminary practices include all Sutrayāna activities that yield merit like hearing teachings, prostrations, offerings, prayers and acts of kindness and compassion, but chief among the preliminary practices are realizations through meditation on the three principle stages of the path: renunciation, the altruistic bodhicitta wish to attain enlightenment and the wisdom realizing emptiness. For a person without the basis of these three in particular to practice Vajrayāna can be like a small child trying to ride an unbroken horse.
  The most widespread preliminary practices include: taking refuge, prostration, Vajrasattva meditation, mandala offering and guru yoga.
  The merit acquired in the preliminary practices facilitates progress in Vajrayāna. While many Buddhists may spend a lifetime exclusively on sutra practices, however, an amalgam of the two to some degree is common. For example, in order to train in calm abiding, one might use a tantric visualisation as the meditation object.
caption: Buddhists performing prostrations in front of Jokhang Monastery.
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