Overview

The preliminary practices of Tantra aren't a hurdle to be gotten through in order to get somewhere else; they're an extraordinarily rich collection of practices which have much to offer as a means of cultivating and maturing the practitioner's psychological ground. They can enable experiences to unfold, and they can clear the way when there seem to be problems or hindrances practitioners are struggling with. In Preparing for Tantra, Preece draws on his experience as a Tantric Buddhist practitioner, meditation teacher, and psychotherapist to explain how to make the preliminary practices psychologically meaningful and spiritually transformative. He examines each of the practices with an eye to revealing how they may be used to heal and transform psychological trauma and offers practical suggestions for integrating them into daily life-as well as ensuring that practitioners are prepared psychologically, emotionally, and energetically to start out safely on the tantric path. Preparing for Tantra is an accessible guidebook for engaging in ngondro, the preliminary practices that are done before engaging in a long tantric retreat. These practices are also powerful tools for purifying negativities and alleviating guilt, healing difficult experiences, and enriching our minds with goodness so that we will be able to progress in our Dharma practice and gain realizations of the path.

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9781559393775

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Preparing for Tantra presents a psychological understanding of ngondro, or Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices. The author, Rob Preece, is a psychotherapist and student of the late Gelukpa master Lama Thubten Yeshe. Emphasizing the need for a psychological ground for tantric practice, the author reflects on anecdotes from his own experience and makes frequent reference to the insights of the psychologist Carl Jung. For instance, Preece elaborates on Jung's symbolism of medieval alchemy to make use of the metaphor of an alchemical vessel, a secure space in which the transformative practice of the preliminaries takes place. Divided into three parts, the book discusses preparing the body and mind, the traditional preliminary practices that include bodhicitta, prostrations, and guru yoga, and a conclusion on the importance of psychotherapy alongside Buddhist practice.

Preparing for Tantra presents a psychological understanding of ngondro, or Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices. The author, Rob Preece, is a psychotherapist and student of the late Gelukpa master Lama Thubten Yeshe. Emphasizing the need for a psychological ground for tantric practice, the author reflects on anecdotes from his own experience and makes frequent reference to the insights of the psychologist Carl Jung. For instance, Preece elaborates on Jung's symbolism of medieval alchemy to make use of the metaphor of an alchemical vessel, a secure space in which the transformative practice of the preliminaries takes place. Divided into three parts, the book discusses preparing the body and mind, the traditional preliminary practices that include bodhicitta, prostrations, and guru yoga, and a conclusion on the importance of psychotherapy alongside Buddhist practice. - Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Summer 2011

In Preparing for Tantra, long-time Buddhist practitioner Rob Preece takes a fascinating look at the preliminary practices from a psychological point of view. Preece, a student of Lama Tubten Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Gen Jhampa Wangdu, draws from his experience as a meditator and psychotherapist to suggest a deeper and more nuanced view of the preparatory activities that form the foundation of tantric practice. Preece has been practicing Tibetan Buddhism since 1973 and psychotherapy since 1988. His extensive knowledge of tantra and fluency with Western psychology blend into a compelling and clear exploration of the preliminary practices. Preece methodically considers each preliminary practice in turn. He seeks to broaden our understanding, illuminating some of the ways in which the preliminary practices can be of immense psychological benefit, if engaged with creatively to bring out their essential qualities. Both current and future tantric practitioners could benefit from this informative book and come to see their preliminary practices as not just something to get through but transformative in their own right. -Michael Jolliffe, Mandala Magazine, September, 2011

Preparing for Tantra presents a psychological understanding of ngondro, or Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices. The author, Rob Preece, is a psychotherapist and student of the late Gelukpa master Lama Thubten Yeshe. Emphasizing the need for a psychological ground for tantric practice, the author reflects on anecdotes from his own experience and makes frequent reference to the insights of the psychologist Carl Jung. For instance, Preece elaborates on Jung's symbolism of medieval alchemy to make use of the metaphor of an alchemical vessel, a secure space in which the transformative practice of the preliminaries takes place. Divided into three parts, the book discusses preparing the body and mind, the traditional preliminary practices that include bodhicitta, prostrations, and guru yoga, and a conclusion on the importance of psychotherapy alongside Buddhist practice.- Buddhadharma, Fall, 2011

Author Information

Rob Preece has been a practicing Buddhist since 1973, principally within the Tibetan tradition. He has spent many years in intensive retreat in the Himalayas under the guidance of eminent Tibetan lamas. Preece has been working as a psychotherapist since 1987 and gives workshops on comparative Jungian and Buddhist psychology. An experienced meditation teacher and thangka painter, he lives in London and is the author of The Wisdom of Imperfection and The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra.

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