The teachings on ‘Entering the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro’ provide an introduction to the opening practices of the outer preliminaries, ‘Blessing the Speech’ and ‘Invoking the Lama’.

Invoking the Lama is about discovering love at the deepest level. Once we have discovered this love, we can invoke it each day at the beginning of our practice to bless the day and bless our minds, and to fill our hearts with the love of the buddhas.

This is followed by deep reflection on the ‘four thoughts’; a series of life-changing contemplations, embracing:

• the uniqueness and opportunity of a precious human life;
• the ever-presence and deeper meaning of impermanence and death;
• the infallibility of the cause and effect of our actions, and
• the repetitive cycle of frustration and suffering that is samsara.

Reflecting in this way inspires a strong sense of renunciation, an urgent desire to emerge from samsara and follow the path to liberation.

Finally, through study and contemplation on the benefits of liberation and the teachings on how to follow a spiritual friend, we strengthen our resolve and learn how to progress along the path swiftly and skilfully, by following the example and guidance of a qualified master.