First Post: A brief background.

I think that I will start out this journal as a way to "talk" about my Buddhist practice. I can't say that I will update it every day or even every week but I will attempt to update it as often as I can.

First, a bit of background.

I am a 35 year old male living in central New Jersey in the United States.

I became Buddhist(by a process called "Taking Refuge") in July of 2003 at the Losel Maitri Tibetan Buddhist Center. The person who was presiding was Venerable Lama Tenzin Deshek, the head of the center.

On July of 2008 I was given the Ngondro practice in the Dudjom Tersar lineage and got my first sadhana from His Holiness Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche. After I first got the practice due to health concerns(my doctor asked me to stop doing prostrations for a time) and a lack of discipline I did not dedicate myself to the practice.

After speaking with Rinpoche to account for those health concerns I have begun working on my Ngondro in earnest. As of this writing I have accumulated 11790 repetitions in the prostration, Refuge, and Bodhicitta portion of the Ngondro.

In the Dudjom Tersar lineage the Ngondro works like this(if you would like to see a copy of it, please go here , I start at the point after it says, "The Concise Recitation of the Preliminary Practices Related to the New Treasures of Düd’jom" and end where it says, "Thus earnestly make prayers of aspiration."

Unlike other traditions, the prostrations, Refuge, and Bodhicitta are all done at once. Generating Bodhicitta is usually done separately.

Once this is completed the practitioner must complete 100,000 each of the Vajrasattva mantra, Guru Yoga, and Mandala offering.

I wish I could say that even at this point that it is super easy but I would be lying. At this time I can only consistently make the morning sessions(my goal is to do one session in the morning and one in the evening during the work week and a morning, afternoon, and evening session during most weekends) although I have been able to make some progress during the weekends.

Physically and mentally I have started feeling what I can only describe as a "brittleness" and a sort of all over hurting.

Last weekend I attended the Vajrakīlaya blessing given at the Tibet House this weekend by Thupten Ngodrup, the Nechung Oracle of Tibet. He also included the mantra for Guru Rinpoche and the Seven Line Prayer which should also help my practice. I will elaborate on what that was like a little later.

For now, onwards and upwards.