FAQ

How to access content on Prajna

Below are the various options to access content on Prajna:

There are three different levels of access:
  • Basic free access: available to anyone, gives access to a range of free content and live practices.
    -> Register here
  • Full membership, via a membership subscription or part of your Rigpa subscription:  gives access to the whole Prajna teaching library, based on your path level (see FAQ about "Stages of the path").
    - The full membership fee is €10 (monthly payment) or €108 (yearly payment) for standard contribution. You can choose or change your subscription here.
    - Prajna aims to support you on the path and is not-for-profit, so the membership fee is used to produce and upload new teachings to the library every month as well as to run the platform.
  • Events & Courses: some special events and courses are not included in your membership subscription and are paid for separately -> access deepening events & courses.

Registration and access for Rigpa students:
  • You need to register directly with Prajna by using your Admin & Care email & password (registration on Prajna is not automatic for Rigpa sangha members). Once you have registered, you can log in with your Admin and Care login.
    -> Register here
  • Basic sangha content is free. There is a subscription fee to access the full range of content based on your path level (mandala).
    -> you can choose or change your subscription here
  • Note: In some Rigpa sangha countries, the full Prajna subscription is included in your Rigpa membership so there is no additional payment. For others the full Prajna subscription needs to be paid separately, yet you can ask for a reduction coupon. Please contact your national team for further clarification.

The Stages of the Path

All the materials found in Prajna are grouped according to five stages or categories, to make it easier for you to find the teachings & events most suitable to where you are on the path.
 
  • Discovery & Foundations of the Buddhist Path
  • Mahayana
  • Vajrayana preliminaries (ngöndro)
  • Vajrayana (tantra & sadhana)
  • Dzogchen

This follows the structure of Rigpa's curriculum which you can read more about here.

Rigpa+Curriculum+stages+2021.png 57.59 KB


 
Discovery & Foundation

Discovery & Foundations is not only for beginners, but also for all Buddhist students, wherever you are on the path.

What you can expect from teachings & events in this category:

Discover the key principles and practices of meditation, compassion and wisdom for anyone interested in Buddhism. You can simply use what you find relevant to face the challenges and big questions in your life.
Learn about the overview of the whole Buddhist path and develop a solid foundation in the key philosophical principles of Buddhism, especially those of the Basic yana, so that one has a stable and solid foundation for the later stages of the path.
Be introduced to the vision of study and practice within Buddhism, which spans the whole of life, dying, death and beyond…

The five core areas of the Foundations of the Path are: Meditation, Exploring Mind & Its Nature, the Vision of Living & Dying, and Buddha, Dharma & Sangha.
 
Mahayana

Based on the ‘Great Vehicle’ (Mahayana) of Buddhism, explore the central practice of bodhichitta—the altruistic wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. This approach entails training in love and compassion to the fullest extent as well as developing profound insight into the ultimate nature of reality, or shunyata.

These teachings and practices can be of great practical value to anybody, regardless of whether you wish to be Buddhist or not, but they also form the heart of formally following the Buddhist path.

The four core areas of Mahayana are: Introduction to Mahayana & Bodhicitta, the Ground & View of Mahayana, Arousing and Training in Bodhicitta and Lojong.

 
Vajrayana Preliminaries (ngöndro)

As the foundation for the Vajrayana and Dzogchen stages, the preliminary practices, or ngöndro in Tibetan, have been skilfully designed to effect deep transformation at every level of our being and stabilize our practice. Not only do they prepare you for the profound practices of Vajrayana and Dzogchen, but they also form a complete path to enlightenment.

It’s a requirement for students at this stage of the path to have formally entered the Buddhist path by taking Refuge and Bodhisattva vows, and to have a solid foundation and experience of the principles and practices of the Mahayana.

While studying and practising the preliminaries, you can spend time reflecting on your path and whether or not you wish to begin the main Vajrayana or Dzogchen practices with their respective commitments.

The three core areas of the Vajrayana Preliminaries are: Introduction to Ngöndro, Ngöndro Commentaries & Practice, and Preparation for Vajrayana.
 
Vajrayana (Tantra and Sadhana)

The main Vajrayana path is a specialized path of the Mahayana that is suitable for students with certain affinities.

It’s a requirement for students at this stage of the path to have formally entered the Buddhist path by taking Refuge and Bodhisattva vows, and to have a solid foundation and experience of the principles and practices of the Mahayana as well as the Vajrayana preliminaries.

After reflection, one can formally enter the Vajrayana by receiving an empowerment from a qualified master, which enables one to study the Vajrayana teachings, or tantras, and engage in Vajrayana practices, or sadhanas.

To access the Vajrayana stage teachings on Prajna, we request you have an empowerment of the inner tantras (Mahayoga, Anuyoga or Atiyoga) which usually contains the four stages of the vase empowerment, the secret empowerment, the knowledge-wisdom empowerment, and the precious word empowerment.

Vajrayana practices emphasize the close guidance of a qualified teacher and employ many special methods such as visualization, mantra recitation and profound meditation, in order to arrive swiftly at a direct realization of one’s true nature and the nature of reality itself.

The two core areas of Vajrayana are: View, Meditation & Action of the Vajrayana and Sadhanas.
 
Dzogchen

The study and practice of Dzogchen is considered the highest path in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and especially appropriate for the present time. As one teacher says, “as a way in which to realize the innermost nature of mind—that which we really are—Dzogchen is the clearest, most effective, and most relevant to the modern world.”

Though generally associated with the Nyingma or Ancient School of Tibetan Buddhism founded by King Trisong Detsen, Khenpo Shantarakshita, Guru Padmasambhava and others, Dzogchen has been practised throughout the centuries by masters of all the different schools of Tibet as their innermost practice. Formal Dzogchen practice is intended for those who have accomplished the Vajrayana preliminaries and have accepted the guidance of a qualified Dzogchen master.
 
The Dzogchen perspective that the nature of our mind is primordially perfect is shared throughout all the stages of the path beginning with the practice of meditation. The spirit is one of uncovering our true nature rather than fabricating something new.


How can I access Vajrayana teachings?

We are happy to announce the launch of Vajrayana access for students of all sanghas!

If you have received an empowerment to higher tantras and fulfil the required prerequisites, you can now sign up to access the Vajrayana teachings on Prajna online.

What are the prerequisites?

  • you have a firm understanding and experience of the Foundations of the Buddhist Path* (at least 2 years of sustained study and practice)
  • you have started to study the Mahayana stage of the path* (at least 1 year of sustained study and practice);
  • you have taken Refuge, the formal entrance to the Buddhist path;
  • you have taken the Bodhisattva Vow;
  • you have received teachings on all the ngöndro practices (vajrayana preliminaries), including guru yoga from a qualified instructor or teacher;
  • you have started accumulating the ngöndro;
  •  you already have received an empowerment to the higher tantras from a qualified lineage teacher;
  • you understand the specific commitments of the Vajrayana and have the wish to practise this path.

*Please consult our FAQ page on The stages of the path for more detailed information on each stage of the path and what it consists of.

Please note: Specific teachings on Prajna online will sometimes require additional prerequisites, such as having received a specific empowerment, reading transmission (lung), or other commitments set by the master who has given the teachings. Please take care to honour these requirements.

How to register for Vajrayana materials on Prajna?

  • If you are not yet registered on prajna online, you can sign up to access Vajrayana teachings as part of the registration process, as part of this step you will need to confirm that you fulfil the criteria.
  • If you already have an account on Prajna online,  you can visit your settings page, and sign up to access Vajrayana teachings. As part of this step you will need to confirm that you fulfil the criteria.
  • For Rigpa Students:  If you are part of the Ngöndro mandala you can sign up to access Vajrayana main teachings, from your settings page. As part of this step you will need to confirm that you fulfil the criteria. If you don’t see this option please connect with a teacher or instructor for guidance and make sure that your mandala is correct in the Admin&Care system.

The Vajrayana section includes teachings on the principles of Vajrayana and specific sadhanas. Additionally, you will have  access to teachings on the Vajrayana preliminaries (Ngöndro) stage. 

Why are teachings restricted?
For more understanding of why some teachings and materials are restricted, you can watch this video by teacher and translator Sangye Khandro from Shambhala publications here.

My friend has access to a teaching that I can't find

We all have different needs depending on where we are on the path, so it could be that your friend is on a different stage of the path. Our content might also differ from country to country. Don't hesitate to contact us via the Contact Us form if you need further clarification. You'll find a link in the footer.

I'd like to get access but can't really afford the subscription fee.

Please contact us via the Contact Us form and explain your situation and we'll be happy to help you out. You'll find the Contact Us form in the footer. 

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