Before entering into the direct cultivation of Mahamudra, traditional instruction emphasizes a thorough grounding in the preliminary practices known as ngöndro. These are not merely formal prerequisites, but methods for purifying obscurations, gathering merit, and ripening the mind so that it can genuinely recognize and rest in its own nature. They are often presented in two broad groups: the “common” or “outer” preliminaries, which are contemplative reflections that turn the mind toward Dharma, and the “uncommon” or “inner” preliminaries, which are structured devotional and accumulative practices.

The common preliminaries consist of four contemplations repeatedly brought to mind. One reflects on the rarity and immense opportunity of a precious human birth, on the impermanence of all phenomena and the certainty of death, on the pervasive unsatisfactoriness and limitations of samsaric existence, and on the infallible law of karma, cause and effect. These reflections are intended to generate renunciation, urgency, and a heartfelt wish to use this life meaningfully, so that Mahamudra does not become a merely intellectual pursuit but a response to a deep existential recognition.

On that basis, the uncommon preliminaries are undertaken as concrete practices, traditionally repeated many times. First is taking refuge in the Three Jewels, often together with the Three Roots, while cultivating bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to attain awakening for the benefit of all beings. This is followed by Vajrasattva practice, using visualization and mantra recitation to purify negative karma and mental obscurations. Next comes the mandala offering, in which the entire universe is symbolically offered to the Three Jewels and the lineage, loosening attachment and accumulating vast merit.

The sequence culminates in guru yoga, where the practitioner meditatively unites with the guru, regarded as inseparable from the awakened mind of the lineage masters. Through devotion, visualization, and supplication, blessings are received that soften and open the mind, preparing it for the “pointing-out” of its true nature. In many Mahamudra lineages, especially within the Kagyu tradition, diligent engagement in these preliminaries under the guidance of a qualified teacher is regarded as the proper foundation for authentic Mahamudra practice, ensuring that the later, more subtle instructions can take root in a mind that is already somewhat purified, stabilized, and oriented toward awakening.