What is the Path of Liberation?

What is the essence of the Path of Liberation?

The essence of the Path of Liberation is the nature of mind, the nondual, pure awareness that is present in every moment of experience, even when we are stressed out and overwhelmed. When we recognize this pure awareness, it radically transforms the way we see ourselves and the way we experience the world. We come to see that we are not our thoughts, memories, or even the many roles we play in life. Pure awareness becomes our true home. This realization creates a profound sense of confidence, joy, and inner freedom. Recognizing the nature of our own minds is at the heart of the Path of Liberation teachings. We begin by exploring our conscious experience through the practice of meditation and learn to see subtle qualities of mind that we normally miss. As our practice deepens, we experience pure awareness directly and then return to this recognition again and again, until it becomes so familiar to us that we never lose touch with it. We fully awaken to our true nature.

Who is the Path of Liberation for?

The Path of Liberation is for those who feel inspired to follow the Buddha’s teachings as their primary spiritual path, and in particular for those who feel drawn to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and the way these teachings are presented by Mingyur Rinpoche.

I am not sure if the Buddhist teachings are for me. How can I learn more?

Mingyur Rinpoche created the Joy of Living teachings precisely for those who are interested in following a path of meditation, but in a non-religious format. The Path of Liberation, on the other hand, is a Buddhist path. If you’d like to learn more about the Buddhist teachings to see if they’re a good fit for you, we recommend our online course, A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism. This experiential course provides an experiential overview of the Buddhist path and the most important ideas and meditation practices of the Tibetan tradition.

I am already Buddhist. Can I practice the Path of Liberation teachings?

The Path of Liberation is a continuation of the teachings and practices offered by Mingyur Rinpoche in the Joy of Living program. If you are new to the Tergar community, we recommend that you begin by attending the three Joy of Living levels, even if you already have a consistent meditation practice.

If you have maintained a consistent meditation practice  for at least five years, and have spent at least one month (cumulatively) doing Buddhist practices in either group or solitary retreat, you may attend a Path of Liberation retreat without having prior experience with the Joy of Living teachings. However, we still recommend that you  attend the Joy of Living workshops and retreats at a later date, as these teachings form the foundation for the Path of Liberation.

How can I get started on the Path of Liberation?

To start practicing the Path of Liberation teachings, you will need to attend a Tergar Path of Liberation 1 retreat online or Path of Liberation 1 & 2 retreat in-person led by Mingyur Rinpoche. There you will receive the necessary transmissions for the practices. You can check the schedule of the retreats at events.tergar.org.

What are the requirements for joining a Path of Liberation retreat?

Option 1: To have attended all three Joy of Living levels — Calming the Mind (Level 1), Opening the Heart (Level 2), and Awakening Wisdom (Level 3) — and completed the associated practice requirements

• Option 2: To have completed the full preliminary practices (the 4 x 100,000 ngöndro)

• Option 3: To have had a daily meditation practice for at least five years and attended either group or solitary practice retreats for a total of at least thirty days, with 6+ hours of formal meditation practice per day, under the guidance of a Buddhist teacher

The requirements for participation were set in consultation with Mingyur Rinpoche. In turn, we ask that you honor them. Thank you!

What are the two tracks of the Path of Liberation?

There are two tracks in the Path of Liberation series. Each track is designed for a different set of circumstances. The first track is based on a short practice liturgy written by Mingyur Rinpoche entitled Nectar of the Path and is designed for people who have roughly 30–60 minutes for their daily meditation practice or who want a simpler form of practice with more time to devote specifically to nature of mind meditation.

The second track is based on a traditional liturgy for ngöndro entitled The Perfectly Clear Path to Liberation. This track works best for those who can practice between one and two hours each day. Both tracks culminate in the practice of a White Tara sadhana written by Mingyur Rinpoche entitled Radiance of the Heart.

Both tracks of the Path of Liberation include two different forms of practice: nature of mind practices and practices that involve contemplation and/or the imagination. Nature of mind practices put us directly in touch with our awakened nature — the radiant purity of awareness. Contemplations and practices that use the imagination bring us to the same place, but they do so by dissolving the habits that keep us from recognizing our awakened nature. Both tracks include the four thoughts — four contemplations that turn the mind toward the path of awakening — as well as the practices of going for refuge, arousing the altruistic mindset of bodhichitta, and guru yoga. The ngöndro track also includes the practices of Vajrasattva and mandala offering.

Completion of either track will enable students to continue to receive advanced nature of mind teachings. Please note that certain practices in the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages require the completion of a ngöndro. If/when Mingyur Rinpoche teaches those practices in the future, completion of the ngöndro track will be required.

How long will it take to complete the requirements for each of the two tracks?

The total time commitment for the Nectar of the Path track is 500 hours. 

The ngöndro track requires a total of 100 hours of contemplation, 111,111 repetitions of each of the four main ngöndro practices, and 200 hours of nature of mind practice. Although it varies by individual, this path takes roughly 2,000 to 2,500 hours of practice to complete. 

Thus, the Nectar of the Path track could be completed in roughly three years with 30 minutes of daily practice, while the ngöndro track would take roughly four or five years with 90 minutes of daily practice.

What if I am not sure which track to choose?

If you are an experienced Vajrayana practitioner with 5+ years of meditation practice and have already completed the full ngöndro, you can attend a Path of Liberation Level 1 retreat to receive nature of mind instructions from Mingyur Rinpoche. The practice requirements for each level include  completing 50 hours of nature of mind practice and a specified number of days of retreat practice. Detailed practice guides will be available at the retreat itself.

What if I have already completed the 4 x 111,111 ngöndro?

The essence of the Path of Liberation is the nature of mind, the nondual, pure awareness that is present in every moment of experience, even when we are stressed out and overwhelmed. When we recognize this pure awareness, it radically transforms the way we see ourselves and the way we experience the world. We come to see that we are not our thoughts, memories, or even the many roles we play in life. Pure awareness becomes our true home. This realization creates a profound sense of confidence, joy, and inner freedom. Recognizing the nature of our own minds is at the heart of the Path of Liberation teachings. We begin by exploring our conscious experience through the practice of meditation and learn to see subtle qualities of mind that we normally miss. As our practice deepens, we experience pure awareness directly and then return to this recognition again and again, until it becomes so familiar to us that we never lose touch with it. We fully awaken to our true nature.

How do I progress through the five Path of Liberation levels?

Both tracks include five levels. Nectar of the Path meditators practice each part of the practice for 100 hours before moving on to the next level. Ngöndro meditators complete a specified number of repetitions, plus 50 hours of nature of mind practice for each level. Both tracks also require a certain number of days of retreat practice per level. 

Guides detailing the specific requirements for each level are available.. These guides, along with instructions by Mingyur Rinpoche** and other other resources, can be accessed in the Path of Liberation section of Vajrayana Online. TheVajrayana Online program also includes courses on  Nectar of the Path and ngöndro.

Do I have to take refuge to Practice the Path of Liberation?

Normally, when you enter the Buddhist path - the Path of Liberation –  you “take refuge” in the Three Jewels - the Buddha, the dharma (teachings) and the sangha (community). Whether you view Buddhism as a religion is entirely up to you.  

Why do we need to take refuge? To inspire a deep transformation, we need to have a clear sense of direction. Without direction, it is like using an arrow without a target. Even with the best arrow in the world, without a target, it is impossible to know where to focus. If the target is in the west and we shoot east, it goes the wrong way. We can find inspiration and guidance in the Buddha as well as in the breadth of the Buddha’s aspiration to help all beings awaken. “Taking refuge” also means committing  to following the path, with the understanding that awareness, love and compassion, and wisdom are the essence of the path as well as focus of our practice.  Additionally, taking refuge also means accepting the teacher and the community as friends on the path. 

You can join the Path of Liberation 1 & 2 retreat and practice the NOP Level 1 without having taken refuge. However, to progress further you need to take refuge. Since taking refuge is part of Level 1 requirements to follow the ngöndro track, it makes sense that you to take refuge from the outset. 

More questions?

If you are interested in the Path of Liberation and have questions that are not answered here, please feel free to email us at [email protected]. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.