Strong Daily Practice

Dear Tony,

• Three months of lamrim meditation on the graduated path of the lower being
• One month on the middle graduated path
• Six months on bodhicitta
• One month on emptiness
• Guru devotion every day
• Yamantaka
• Tara Cittamani

After finishing one round, train the mind on each topic from precious human rebirth, no matter how many months it takes, until you have actualized stable realization. Whichever realization you don’t have, do that meditation again. Continuous meditation on the lamrim is extremely important. Even if you don’t do it for many hours, you are developing your mind on the path, so each year the mind gets better and better.

If you have time, do a retreat each year. Sometimes it can be preliminary practice with lamrim or lamrim with deity retreat. Whichever feel stronger, meditate on that.

If you haven’t received a great initiation, in future try to receive initiation and commentary and do a retreat. This is the preparation to achieve the tantric path, because it plants the seed or imprint to achieve enlightenment quicker. You can do a short retreat, but later do a three-year retreat if you can.

I conclude your preliminary practice for lamrim realization and tantra, with nyung nä practice. Plan to do 300 nyung näs in your life. Without mentioning other preliminary practices, if you can do 300 nyung näs that would be excellent. Even just one nyung nä is extremely powerful and you won’t go to the lower realms.

Before you go bed, do Vajrasattva practice.

In the morning, do prostrations, reciting the Thirty-five Buddhas' names. At the end of the prostrations, do the confession prayer. This creates unbelievable merit and is the most powerful purification.

Also do Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga with lamrim meditation.

With love and prayer...