What are the “common” preliminaries of ngon-dro?

The four common practices, sometimes called the four ways of turning the mind to the Dharma, are precious human life, impermanence and death, samsara, and karma.

 

The first of these is precious human life, and this is something that it is important that is important and useful for everyone, whether they are long-time and senior Dharma practitioners, or new to practice of Buddhism, or not practicing the Dharma at all.

This is something I feel is very important, because understanding this well makes our life meaningful and useful.

HH, 17^th Karmapa
Ogyen Trinley Dorje

From Kamashila
Short-Ngon-dro teaching
Germany, 2014