Reddit mentions of A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices

So...the outer preliminaries are 4 contemplations called the thoughts which turn the mind away from samsara (the precious human life, impermanence, karma/cause and effect, and the nature of samsara) typically these are just recited daily as part of your liturgy, then there is the inner ngondro which is a set of typically 5 practices (which you haven't started yet). Refuge and bodhichitta (these are usually combined with prostrations), vajrasattva mantra, and short mandala offerings all X 100,000 each. Then guru yoga is recitation of 1,000,000 of the benza guru

It sounds like Khenpo gave you some prelimary-preliminaries, which is very smart on his part. My Lama does the same thing, there is a lot at play in vajrayana with samaya, which is something you should learn about if you're interested in Vajrayana.

>I'm beginning to wonder if my search for the "right" teacher/teaching/school is just another form of chasing desire and that I should just stick with zen, which is what I was practicing before (kind of), do you think that could be the case?

Maybe..that's really up to you. It depends how you feel about vajrayana. Your karma will let you know, but really consider this because once you have samaya it's not good to turn back. I would recommend you do a lot of reading.

Maybe start with Dudjom Rinpoche's commentary on the preliminaries since that is khenpo tsewang dongyal's lineage.

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices https://www.amazon.com/dp/1611804035/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kxkDCbB3JBDDC

I would also recommend a new book on a different lineage (still nyingma though) ngondro called Entering the Great Expanse by Tulku Sherdor.

This is a western, recognized re-incarnated, Lama and he explains things in a way that really cuts through our western idea of instant gratification.