Please forgive what may be a silly or very rudimentary question. Can someone please explain what, if any, differences there are between the KTD ngondro text and the text practiced & sold at Kagyu Samye Ling?
I just embarked on the practice of Ngondro after having received the 'lung' for the 9th Karmapa's "Chariot for Traveling the Noble Path" from Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche back in early May. Before that I had been contemplating the Four Thoughts (which turn the mind to dharma, a.k.a. the four "ordinary" foundations), especially as presented in Karma Chagme's Mountain Dharma, Jamgon Kongtrul's Torch of Certainty, and the pithy phrases of the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.
Since I have now begun the section on Refuge & Bodhicitta, I have taken to practicing the text compiled by the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje called Ngondro for Our Current Day, with the permission of Khenpo Karthar's nephew, Lama Karma Drodhul. His Google group on Ngondro is well known, and Lama Karma D is who KKR has handle the ngondro retreats and such, so I have complete confidence in being told this is ok.
That said, I do realize that I have the transmission for a different text, and that I don't have the transmission for the one I am practicing. The visualization of the refuge field is also a bit different than the standard tree which is well-known. I'd like to get a thangka of the refuge, and find myself more able to get the standard tree than have one made from scratch with the little bit of commentary by His Holiness Karmapa.
It is for these reasons that I have recently gone about acquiring the longer ngondro text from Kagyu Samye Ling, as I believe this is the 9th Karmapa's text. According to their website, the pecha contains the following:
http://www.samyelingshop.com/index.php? ... cts_id=4801. The Four Preliminaries
2. Refuge and Bodhicitta
3. Dorje Sempa Meditation and Mantra Recitation
4. Mandala Practice
5. Guru Yoga - Karmapakshi
Can we have a discussion on the different texts used for the Karma Kamtsang ngondro... please? Thanks in advance!