FAQ

Below are the various options to access content on Prajna:

There are three different levels of access:

All the materials found in Prajna are grouped according to five stages or categories, to make it easier for you to find the teachings & events most suitable to where you are on the path.
 

This follows the structure of Rigpa's curriculum which you can read more about here.

 
Discovery & Foundation
Discovery & Foundations is not only for beginners, but also for all Buddhist students, wherever you are on the path.

What you can expect from teachings & events in this category:

Discover the key principles and practices of meditation, compassion and wisdom for anyone interested in Buddhism. You can simply use what you find relevant to face the challenges and big questions in your life.
Learn about the overview of the whole Buddhist path and develop a solid foundation in the key philosophical principles of Buddhism, especially those of the Basic yana, so that one has a stable and solid foundation for the later stages of the path.
Be introduced to the vision of study and practice within Buddhism, which spans the whole of life, dying, death and beyond…

The five core areas of the Foundations of the Path are: Meditation, Exploring Mind & Its Nature, the Vision of Living & Dying, and Buddha, Dharma & Sangha.
 
Mahayana
Based on the ‘Great Vehicle’ (Mahayana) of Buddhism, explore the central practice of bodhichitta—the altruistic wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. This approach entails training in love and compassion to the fullest extent as well as developing profound insight into the ultimate nature of reality, or shunyata.

These teachings and practices can be of great practical value to anybody, regardless of whether you wish to be Buddhist or not, but they also form the heart of formally following the Buddhist path.

The four core areas of Mahayana are: Introduction to Mahayana & Bodhicitta, the Ground & View of Mahayana, Arousing and Training in Bodhicitta and Lojong.

 
Vajrayana Preliminaries (ngöndro)
As the foundation for the Vajrayana and Dzogchen stages, the preliminary practices, or ngöndro in Tibetan, have been skilfully designed to effect deep transformation at every level of our being and stabilize our practice. Not only do they prepare you for the profound practices of Vajrayana and Dzogchen, but they also form a complete path to enlightenment.

It’s a requirement for students at this stage of the path to have formally entered the Buddhist path by taking Refuge and Bodhisattva vows, and to have a solid foundation and experience of the principles and practices of the Mahayana.

While studying and practising the preliminaries, you can spend time reflecting on your path and whether or not you wish to begin the main Vajrayana or Dzogchen practices with their respective commitments.

The three core areas of the Vajrayana Preliminaries are: Introduction to Ngöndro, Ngöndro Commentaries & Practice, and Preparation for Vajrayana.
 
Vajrayana (Tantra and Sadhana)
The main Vajrayana path is a specialized path of the Mahayana that is suitable for students with certain affinities.

It’s a requirement for students at this stage of the path to have formally entered the Buddhist path by taking Refuge and Bodhisattva vows, and to have a solid foundation and experience of the principles and practices of the Mahayana as well as the Vajrayana preliminaries.

After reflection, one can formally enter the Vajrayana by receiving an empowerment from a qualified master, which enables one to study the Vajrayana teachings, or tantras, and engage in Vajrayana practices, or sadhanas.

To access the Vajrayana stage teachings on Prajna, we request you have an empowerment of the inner tantras (Mahayoga, Anuyoga or Atiyoga) which usually contains the four stages of the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment, the knowledge-wisdom empowerment, and the precious word empowerment.

Vajrayana practices emphasize the close guidance of a qualified teacher and employ many special methods such as visualization, mantra recitation and profound meditation, in order to arrive swiftly at a direct realization of one’s true nature and the nature of reality itself.

The two core areas of Vajrayana are: View, Meditation & Action of the Vajrayana and Sadhanas.
 
Dzogchen
The study and practice of Dzogchen is considered the highest path in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and especially appropriate for the present time. As one teacher says, “as a way in which to realize the innermost nature of mind—that which we really are—Dzogchen is the clearest, most effective, and most relevant to the modern world.”

Though generally associated with the Nyingma or Ancient School of Tibetan Buddhism founded by King Trisong Detsen, Khenpo Shantarakshita, Guru Padmasambhava and others, Dzogchen has been practised throughout the centuries by masters of all the different schools of Tibet as their innermost practice. Formal Dzogchen practice is intended for those who have accomplished the Vajrayana preliminaries and have accepted the guidance of a qualified Dzogchen master.
 
The Dzogchen perspective that the nature of our mind is primordially perfect is shared throughout all the stages of the path beginning with the practice of meditation. The spirit is one of uncovering our true nature rather than fabricating something new.

We are happy to announce the launch of Vajrayana access for students of all sanghas!

If you have received an empowerment to higher tantras and fulfil the required prerequisites, you can now sign up to access the Vajrayana teachings on Prajna online.

What are the prerequisites?

*Please consult our FAQ page on The stages of the path for more detailed information on each stage of the path and what it consists of.

Please note: Specific teachings on Prajna online will sometimes require additional prerequisites, such as having received a specific empowerment, reading transmission (lung), or other commitments set by the master who has given the teachings. Please take care to honour these requirements.

How to register for Vajrayana materials on Prajna?

The Vajrayana section includes teachings on the principles of Vajrayana and specific sadhanas. Additionally, you will have  access to teachings on the Vajrayana preliminaries (Ngöndro) stage. 

Why are teachings restricted?
For more understanding of why some teachings and materials are restricted, you can watch this video by teacher and translator Sangye Khandro from Shambhala publications here.

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