The four thoughts can be contemplated as a prelude to the other sections of the ngondro or as a practice in itself. If you make them a separate practice, open with the Seven Line Prayer and the invocation, then close with the dedication.

The Four Thoughts As a Prelude to Other Sections of the Ngondro

The Dudjom Tersar Ngondro is an extremely powerful practice for turning the mind toward dharma, for purifying obscurations, and for bringing forth the qualities of realization.

It enhances devotion to the dharma and receptivity to the highest level of teachings, the Great Perfection. For practitioners with receptive minds, the Great Perfection perspective can evolve from ngondro itself.

The Dudjom Tersar Ngondro — succinct, unelaborate, and grounded in guru yoga — provides a superb means of opening the door to the nature of mind.

— His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche.

A copy of the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro may be accessed through the following link:

https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/dudjom-rinpoche/dudjom-tersar-ngondro

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Another ngondro cycle of teachings and practice is the Longchen Nyingtik. Details are found at the following link:

https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Longchen_Nyingtik

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Seven Line Prayer

The Seven Line Prayer is also known as The Seven Verses of the Vajra. It is the invocation by which Guru Rinpoche came into this world. 

The Seven Line Prayer is as follows:

Hūm! In the north-west of the land of Oddiyāna,

In the heart of a lotus flower,

Endowed with the most marvellous attainments,

You are renowned as the ‘Lotus-born’,

Surrounded by many hosts of dākinīs.

Following in your footsteps,

I pray to you: Come, inspire me with your blessing!

Guru Pema Siddhi Hung

Commentary

Chokyi Drakpa says: HUNG is an expression of magnetism and a skilful means to invoke the wisdom minds of the jñānasattvas.The place where the Precious Master took birth was in the northwest of the land of Oddiyana. There, in the Milky Lake, where the water has the eight qualities of purity, he was born in the form of an eight-year old child in the heart of a lotus flower. The King of Oddiyana found that he was endowed with the most marvellous attainments and invited him to his palace. As he had been born from the heart of a lotus, he became renowned as the ‘Lotus Born’. At the time of his birth, he was surrounded by hosts of dakinis. Following in the footsteps of this wonderful master, vow to practise until you reach his level of realization. Pray that just as he arrived at the palace of the King of Oddiyana in the past, he may come now and inspire you with his blessing. GURU means master. PADMA signifies that he is an emanation of Amitabha, since Amitabha belongs to the buddha family of lotus speech. SIDDHI stands for the accomplishments, and HUNG for gathering. So altogether it means, ‘Gather the accomplishments of the Lotus Master!’

Sogyal Rinpoche says: When you invoke Padmasambhava you can do so by chanting the ‘Seven-Line Prayer’, the prayer that is most commonly used in the Nyingma and Dzogchen traditions. “To this very prayer, you can give your whole mind, in devotion,” said Guru Rinpoche. He also said: When a disciple calls upon me with yearning devotion, And with the melodious song of the Seven-Line Prayer, I shall come straightaway from Zangdokpalri, Like a mother who cannot resist the call of her child.

Significance

Mai-ham Rinpoche wrote: “This prayer in seven vajra lines is the most majestic of all prayers to the great and glorious one of Oddiyana, the essence of all the victorious ones of the three times. Arising as the inherent vibration of naturally occuring vajra sound, it constitutes a great treasure trove of blessings and spiritual attainments.” In a hidden treasure teaching revealed by Jamgön Kongtrul, Padmasambhava says:Billions of wisdom dakinis joined, as of one voice, And in order to ensure the flourishing of the secret mantra teachings, In this world, the realm tamed by Shakyamuni, They invited me, with the melody of these seven lines.

Source: Based on https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Seven_Line_Prayer

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