Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Forum for discussion of Tibetan Buddhism. Questions specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Post Reply
Chodzin
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:51 pm

Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by Chodzin »

I have received and been practicing the Longchen Nyingthik Ngondro for a few years ago. I am curious as to what my relationship is with the lineage holder who gave me the transmission? Have I taken Samaya vows?

Thank you for your time!!
User avatar
Josef
Posts: 2611
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:44 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by Josef »

Chodzin wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:55 pm I have received and been practicing the Longchen Nyingthik Ngondro for a few years ago. I am curious as to what my relationship is with the lineage holder who gave me the transmission? Have I taken Samaya vows?

Thank you for your time!!
There isnt a single answer to this question.
Samaya is between you and the teacher, it is not really something that we can answer for you in this case.
Did you receive it in the context of empowerment?
"All phenomena of samsara depend on the mind, so when the essence of mind is purified, samsara is purified. Since the phenomena of nirvana depend on the pristine consciousness of vidyā, because one remains in the immediacy of vidyā, buddhahood arises on its own. All critical points are summarized with those two." - Longchenpa
PeterC
Posts: 5173
Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 12:38 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by PeterC »

Chodzin wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:55 pm I have received and been practicing the Longchen Nyingthik Ngondro for a few years ago. I am curious as to what my relationship is with the lineage holder who gave me the transmission? Have I taken Samaya vows?

Thank you for your time!!
You should practice pure perception of, or at least hold in high esteem all teachers that have conveyed to you any of the Buddhadharma. But as to whether you have received the 14, 25 and so forth commitments, hat depends on whether you received an empowerment, pointing out or similar.

If in doubt err on the side of caution.
User avatar
Grigoris
Former staff member
Posts: 21908
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 9:27 pm
Location: Greece

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by Grigoris »

Well, if you received the empowerment needed for the purification section...
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
PeterC
Posts: 5173
Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 12:38 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by PeterC »

Grigoris wrote: Sun Mar 25, 2018 8:53 am Well, if you received the empowerment needed for the purification section...
That one's always puzzled me. Most lamas give ngondros as lungs and don't do a wang for Vajrasattva, so this is at least common practice. However I've never come across an authority that spells out the in general if/when front generation is permissible without having received a separate major empowerment or equivalent.

The first ngondro I received involved self-generation (as a different yidam, not VS) during the guru yoga. My lama's advice was just to skip that and do the guru yoga appearing as myself in impure form.
Chodzin
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:51 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by Chodzin »

Josef wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:06 am
Chodzin wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:55 pm I have received and been practicing the Longchen Nyingthik Ngondro for a few years ago. I am curious as to what my relationship is with the lineage holder who gave me the transmission? Have I taken Samaya vows?

Thank you for your time!!
There isnt a single answer to this question.
Samaya is between you and the teacher, it is not really something that we can answer for you in this case.
Did you receive it in the context of empowerment?

I’m not sure. It was during a week long Monlam at Bodhgaya and I just went to DK Rinpoche and asked him for the transmission for the ngondro and he just gave it to me right there.
User avatar
heart
Posts: 6278
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by heart »

Chodzin wrote: Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:33 am
Josef wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 3:06 am
Chodzin wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:55 pm I have received and been practicing the Longchen Nyingthik Ngondro for a few years ago. I am curious as to what my relationship is with the lineage holder who gave me the transmission? Have I taken Samaya vows?

Thank you for your time!!
There isnt a single answer to this question.
Samaya is between you and the teacher, it is not really something that we can answer for you in this case.
Did you receive it in the context of empowerment?

I’m not sure. It was during a week long Monlam at Bodhgaya and I just went to DK Rinpoche and asked him for the transmission for the ngondro and he just gave it to me right there.
No, of course you haven't taken Samaya vows, but if you value your Ngondro practice you have a good connection with him.

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
Punya
Posts: 1437
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:50 pm

Re: Does receiving Ngondro entail taking Samaya vows

Post by Punya »

I suggest asking this question of one of the Siddhartha's Intent's instructors in your region. The list of regions can be found on the homepage of the SI website. Then just follow the link to get information about the local contact.
We abide nowhere. We possess nothing.
~Chatral Rinpoche
Post Reply

Return to “Tibetan Buddhism”