![White-A (Dzogchen)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/White-A_%28Dzogchen%29.svg)
Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' (
utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in
Indo-Tibetan Buddhism
The Tibetan people (; ) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Tibet. Their current population is estimated to be around 6.7 million. In addition to the majority living in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, significant numbers of Tibetans live ...
and
Yungdrung Bon
''Bon'', also spelled Bön () and also known as Yungdrung Bon (, "eternal Bon"), is a Tibetan religious tradition with many similarities to Tibetan Buddhism and also many unique features.Samuel 2012, pp. 220-221. Bon initially developed in t ...
aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate
ground of existence. The primordial ground (''gzhi'', "basis") is said to have the qualities of purity (i.e.
emptiness
Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression, loneliness, anhedonia,
despair, or other mental/emotional disorders, including schizoid ...
), spontaneity (''lhun grub'', associated with
luminous clarity) and
compassion (''thugs rje''). The goal of Dzogchen is knowledge of this basis, this knowledge is called ''
rigpa
In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously ...
'' (Skt.
''vidyā''). There are numerous spiritual practices taught in the various Dzogchen systems for awakening
rigpa
In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously ...
.
History
Dzogchen developed in the
Tibetan Empire
The Tibetan Empire (, ; ) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of imperial expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. The empire further expanded under the 3 ...
period and the
Era of Fragmentation
The Era of Fragmentation (; ) was an era of disunity in Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became the Imperial Preceptor of the three provinces of Tibe ...
(9th-11th centuries) and continues to be practiced today both in
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
and around the world. It is a central teaching of the Yundrung
Bon
''Bon'', also spelled Bön () and also known as Yungdrung Bon (, "eternal Bon"), is a Tibetan religious tradition with many similarities to Tibetan Buddhism and also many unique features.Samuel 2012, pp. 220-221. Bon initially developed in t ...
tradition as well as in the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
school of Tibetan Buddhism. In these traditions, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path of
the nine vehicles to liberation. Dzogchen is also practiced (to a lesser extent) in other Tibetan
Buddhist schools
The schools of Buddhism are the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism that have existed from ancient times up to the present. The classification and nature of various doctrinal, philosophical or cultural facets of the schools ...
, such as the
Kagyu,
Sakya
The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.
Origins
Virūpa, 16th century. It depic ...
and the
Gelug
240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).
The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...
schools.
Etymology and concepts
''Dzogchen'' is composed of two terms:
* ''rdzogs'' – perfection, completion
* ''chen'' – great
According to the 14th Dalai Lama, the term ''dzogchen'' may be a rendering of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
term ''mahāsandhi''.
The term initially referred to the "highest perfection" of
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
deity yoga
The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), meditation on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''), which involves the recitation of mantras, prayers and vi ...
. Specifically it refers to the stage after the deity visualisation has been dissolved and one rests in the natural state of the innately
luminous and pure mind. According to
Sam van Schaik
Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist.
Education
He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa.
Career
Sinc ...
, in the 8th-century tantra ''Sarvabuddhasamāyoga,'' the term refers to "a realization of the nature of reality" which arises through the practice of tantric
anuyoga
Anuyoga (Skt. अनुयोग 'further yoga') is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As with the other yanas, Anuyoga represents ...
practices which produce bliss.
In the 10th and 11th century, when ''Dzogchen'' emerged as a separate vehicle to liberation in the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
tradition, the term was used synonymously with the Sanskrit term ''ati yoga'' (primordial yoga).
''Rigpa'' (knowledge) and ''ma rigpa'' (delusion)
![Sun behind the dark clouds](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Sun_behind_the_dark_clouds.jpg)
''
Rigpa
In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously ...
'' (Sanskrit: ''vidyā'', "knowledge") is a central concept in Dzogchen. According to Ācārya Malcolm Smith:
''Ma rigpa'' (
''avidyā'') is the opposite of rigpa or knowledge. ''Ma rigpa'' is ignorance, delusion or unawareness, the failure to recognize the nature of the basis. An important theme in Dzogchen texts is explaining how ignorance arises from the basis or
Dharmata, which is associated with ''ye shes'' or pristine consciousness. Automatically arising unawareness (''lhan-skyes ma-rigpa'') exists because the basis has a natural cognitive potentiality which gives rise to appearances. This is the ground for
samsara and
nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
.
Traditional exegesis
''
The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva
The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva () is numbered amongst the 'Seventeen Tantras of Menngagde' () within Dzogchen discourse and is part of the textual support for the Vima Nyingtik.
The ''Continuum of Vajrasattva's Heart-Mirror'' conveys ...
'' (''Dorje Sempa Nyinggi Melong''), a major
Dzogchen tantra, explains the term ''Dzog'' (Perfection) as follows:
''The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva'' explains that Dzogchen is "great" because:
* It is the pinnacle of all vehicles, views, meditations, behaviors, goals.
* It is "never moving from the natural state."
* It functions "without obstacles in the realm beyond change."
* It manifests "beyond concepts in the realm beyond attachment."
* It manifests "without attachment in the realm beyond desire"
* It manifests "in great bliss in the realm beyond speech."
* It is "the source that pervades pure enlightenment."
* It is "non-substantial rigpa beyond action and effort."
* It remains "in equality without moving from the realm of total bliss" and "without moving from the essential meaning."
* It exists "everywhere without being a dimension of grasping."
* It is "the essence of everything without being established with words and syllables."
Three series
The Three Series of Dzogchen (''rdzogs chen sde gsum'') are a traditional
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
classification which divides the teachings of the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
school's Dzogchen tradition into three series, divisions or sections. These three are: the ''
Semde
Semde (; Sanskrit: ) translated as 'mind division', 'mind class' or 'mind series' is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Atiyoga, Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold divis ...
'' ('Mind Series'), the ''
Longdé
Longdé (, sa, abhyantaravarga) is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Dzogchen, which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
The name "longdé" is tran ...
'' ('Space Series') and the ''
Menngagde
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Menngagde (, sa, upadeśavarga), is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen (''Great Perfection'' ).
Dzogchen is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according ...
'' ('Instruction Series'). Traditional accounts of the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
school attribute this schema to the Indian master
Mañjuśrīmitra Mañjuśrīmitra (d. 740 CE) () was an Indian Buddhist scholar. He became the main student of Garab Dorje and a teacher of Dzogchen.
Nomenclature and etymology
Mañjuśrī-mitra was his ordination-name—before ordination he was named " Siddhi-gar ...
(c. 8th century).
According to modern
Tibetologists, this
doxographic schema actually developed in the literature of the Instruction Series (c. 11th century onwards) as a way to distinguish and categorize the various Dzogchen teachings at the time. According to Instruction Series texts, the Mind Series is based on understanding that one's own mind is the basis of all appearances and that this basis, called mind itself, is empty and luminous. The Space series meanwhile is focused on
emptiness
Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression, loneliness, anhedonia,
despair, or other mental/emotional disorders, including schizoid ...
(Skt. ''śūnyatā,'' T. ''stong-pa nyid''). Finally, the Instruction Series itself is seen as the most direct kind of realization, without the need to meditate on emptiness or mind. Over time, the Instruction Series came to dominate the Dzogchen tradition and it remains the series that is most widely practiced and taught while the other two series are rarely practiced today (with the exception of a few masters like
Namkhai Norbu
Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen and a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at Naples Eastern University. He was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, par ...
).
According to
Namkhai Norbu
Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen and a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at Naples Eastern University. He was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, par ...
, the three series are three modes of presenting and introducing the state of Dzogchen. Norbu states that Mennagde is a more direct form of introduction, Longde is closely associated with symbolic forms of introducing Dzogchen and Semde is more focused on oral forms of introduction. Germano writes that the Mind Series serves as a classification for the earlier texts and forms of Dzogchen "prior to the development of the Seminal Heart movements" which focused on meditations based on tantric understandings of
bodhicitta
In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhicitta, ("enlightenment-mind" or "the thought of awakening"), is the mind (citta) that is aimed at awakening ( bodhi), with wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings. Bodhicitta is the defining qua ...
(''byang chub kyi sems''). This referred to the ultimate nature of the mind, which is empty (''stong pa''), luminous (od gsal ba''), and pure. According to Germano, the Space and Instruction Series are associated with later (historical) developments of Dzogchen "which increasingly experimented with re-incorporating
tantric contemplative techniques centered on the body and vision, as well as the consequent philosophical shifts his became interwoven with."
Base, Path, and Fruit
The Base or Ground
![Samantabhadra_04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Samantabhadra_04.jpg)
A key concept in Dzogchen is the 'base', 'ground' or 'primordial state' (Tibetan: ''gzhi'', Sanskrit: ''āśraya''), also called the general ground (''spyi gzhi'') or the original ground (''gdod ma'i gzhi''). The basis is the original state "before realization produced buddhas and nonrealization produced sentient beings". It is atemporal and unchanging and yet it is "noetically potent", giving rise to mind (''sems,'' Skt. ''
citta
''Citta'' (Pali and Sanskrit: चित्त; pronounced ''chitta''; IAST: ''citta)'' is one of three overlapping terms used in the '' nikaya'' to refer to the mind, the others being '' manas'' and '' viññāṇa''. Each is sometimes used i ...
''), consciousness (''shes pa,'' Skt. ''
vijñāna
''Vijñāna'' ( sa, विज्ञान) or ''viññāa'' ( pi, विञ्ञाण)As is standard in WP articles, the Pali term ''viññāa'' will be used when discussing the Pali literature, and the Sanskrit word ''vijñāna'' will be used ...
''), delusion (''marigpa,'' Skt. ''
avidyā'') and knowledge (''
rigpa
In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously ...
'', Skt. ''vidyā''). Furthermore, Hatchell notes that the Dzogchen tradition portrays ultimate reality as something which is "beyond the concepts of one and many."
Three qualities
![Sam Taeguk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Sam_Taeguk.jpg)
According to the Dzogchen-teachings, the ''Ground'' or
Buddha-nature has three qualities:
* ''ngo bo'', "essence", oneness or emptiness (),
* ''rang bzhin'', "nature", luminosity, lucidity or clarity (as in the
luminous mind
Luminous mind ( Skt: or , Pali: ; Tib: ; Ch: ; Jpn: ; Kor: ) is a Buddhist term which appears only rarely in the Pali Canon, but is common in the Mahayana sūtras and central to the Buddhist tantras. It is variously translated as "bright ...
of the
Five Pure Lights
The Five Pure Lights () is an essential teaching in the Dzogchen tradition of Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. For the deluded, matter seems to appear. This is due to non-recognition of the five lights. Matter includes the ''mahābhūta'' or classical ...
) (),
* ''thugs rje'', "power", universal
compassionate energy (), unobstructed ().
Herbert V. Guenther points out that this ''Ground'' is both a static potential and a dynamic unfolding. They give a
process-orientated translation, to avoid any essentialist associations, since
The 19th/20th-century Tibetan Buddhist scholar, Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal, sees the Buddha-nature as ultimate truth, nirvana, which is constituted of profundity, primordial peace and radiance:
Direct introduction
Direct introduction is called the "Empowerment of Awareness" (, pronounced "rigpay sall wahng"), a technical term employed within the Dzogchen lineages for a particular lineage of empowerment propagated by
Jigme Lingpa. This empowerment consists of the direct introduction of the student to the intrinsic nature of their own mind-essence,
rigpa
In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously ...
, by their empowering master.
Pointing-out instruction
In Dzogchen tradition, pointing-out instruction () is also referred to as "pointing out the nature of mind" (), "pointing out transmission", or "introduction to the nature of mind". The pointing-out instruction (''ngo sprod'') is an introduction to the
nature of mind
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...
.
The Path
There are three major divisions of the Dzogchen path, known as the "Three Dharmas of the Path." These are ''tawa'', ''gompa'', and ''chöpa''. Namkhai Norbu translates these three terms as 'view,' 'practice,' and 'conduct.'
Garab Dorje's three statements
Garab Dorje
Garab Dorje (c. 665) () was the first human to receive direct transmission teachings from Vajrasattva. Garab Dorje then became the teacher of the ''Ati Yoga'' (Tib. Dzogchen) or Great Perfection teachings according to Tibetan buddhist and Nyingma ...
(c. 665) epitomized the Dzogchen teaching in three principles, known as "Striking the Vital Point in Three Statements" (''Tsik Sum Né Dek''), said to be his last words. They give in short the development a student has to undergo:
Garab Dorje's three statements were integrated into the ''Nyingthig'' traditions, the most popular of which in the ''
Longchen Nyingthig
Longchen Nyingthig () is a '' terma'', revealed scripture, of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, which gives a systematic explanation of Dzogchen. It was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798).
Etymology
Longchen Nyingthig may be transla ...
'' by
Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798). The statements are:
# Introducing directly the face of rigpa itself (''ngo rang tok tu tré''). Dudjom Rinpoche states this refers to: "Introducing directly the face of the naked mind as the rigpa itself, the innate primordial wisdom."
# Deciding upon one thing and one thing only (''tak chik tok tu ché''). Dujdom states: "Because all phenomena, whatever manifests, whether saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, are none other than the rigpa’s own play, there is complete and direct decision that there is nothing other than the abiding of the continual flow of rigpa."
# Confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts (''deng drol tok tu cha''). Dujdom comments: "In the recognition of ''namtok''
rising thoughts whatever arises, whether gross or subtle, there is direct confidence in the simultaneity of the arising and dissolution in the expanse of dharmakāya, which is the unity of rigpa and ''śūnyatā''."
View
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
Dzogchen texts use unique terminology to describe the Dzogchen view (Tib. ''tawa''). Some of these terms deal with the different elements and features of the mind and are drawn from classic Buddhist thought. The generic term for consciousness is ''shes pa'' (''Skt.
vijñāna
''Vijñāna'' ( sa, विज्ञान) or ''viññāa'' ( pi, विञ्ञाण)As is standard in WP articles, the Pali term ''viññāa'' will be used when discussing the Pali literature, and the Sanskrit word ''vijñāna'' will be used ...
''), and includes the six sense consciousnesses.
Worldly
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
, impure and dualistic forms of consciousness are generally referred to with terms such as ''sems'' (''citta,'' mind), ''yid'' (''
mānas'') and ''blo'' (''buddhi''). On the other hand,
nirvanic or
liberated forms of consciousness are described with terms such as ''ye shes'' (''
jñāna
In Indian philosophy and religions, ' ( sa, ज्ञान}, ) is "knowledge".
The idea of ''jñāna'' centers on a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced. It is knowledge inseparable from the total experience of reality, especial ...
'', 'pristine consciousness') and ''shes rab'' (
''prajñā'', wisdom). According to
Sam van Schaik
Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist.
Education
He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa.
Career
Sinc ...
, two significant terms used in Dzogchen literature is the ground (''gzhi'') and gnosis (''rig pa''), which represent the "
ontological
In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality.
Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities exi ...
and
gnoseological aspects of the nirvanic state" respectively.
Nyingma Dzogchen literature also describes nirvana as the "expanse" or "space" (''klong'' or ''dbyings'') or the "expanse of Dharma" (''chos dbyings'', Sanskrit: ''
Dharmadhatu
Dharmadhatu (Sanskrit) is the 'dimension', 'realm' or 'sphere' (dhātu) of the Dharma or Absolute Reality.
Definition
In Mahayana Buddhism, dharmadhātu ( bo, chos kyi dbyings; ) means "realm of phenomena", "realm of truth", and of the noumen ...
''). The term ''
Dharmakaya'' (Dharma body) is also often associated with these terms in Dzogchen, as explained by
Tulku Urgyen:
The Dzogchen
View of the
secret instruction series
Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' (Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism#Nyingma classification, utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Yun ...
(''man ngag sde'') is classically explained through the
eleven vajra topics
In Dzogchen, the eleven vajra topics explain the view of the secret instruction series (''man ngag sde''). These can be found in the ''String of Pearls Tantra'' (''Mu tig phreng ba''), the ''Great Commentary by Vimalamitra'' as well as in Longche ...
. These can be found in the ''String of Pearls Tantra'' (''Mu tig phreng ba''), the ''Great Commentary by Vimalamitra'' as well as in
Longchenpa
Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), commonly abbreviated to Longchenpa (1308–1364, an honorific meaning "The Vast Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school ('Old School') of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David Ge ...
's ''Treasury of Word and Meaning'' (''Tsik Dön Dzö).''
Practice
![Lukhang mural 15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Lukhang_mural_15.png)
Dzogchen practice (''gompa'') relies on the view outlined above. However, according to Norbu, this is not an intellectual view, but a "direct, non-dual, non-conceptual knowledge" of fundamentally pure absolute nature which has become veiled by dualistic conditioning. In Dzogchen, one achieves this view through one's relationship with a
guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
or
lama who introduces one to our own primordial state and provides instruction on how to practice. This "direct introduction" and transmission from a Dzogchen master is considered absolutely essential.
Dzogchen teachings emphasize naturalness, spontaneity and simplicity. Although Dzogchen is often portrayed as being distinct from or beyond tantra, Dzogchen traditions have incorporated many tantric concepts and practices. Dzogchen lineages embrace a varied array of traditions, that range from a systematic rejection of Buddhist tantra, to a full incorporation of tantric practices. The "main practices" are often considered advanced and thus preliminary practices and ritual initiation are generally seen as requirements.
The Dzogchen tradition contain vast anthologies and systems of practices, including Buddhist meditation, tantric yogas and unique Dzogchen methods. The earliest form of Dzogchen practice (the ''Semde'', "Mind" series) generally emphasized non-symbolic "formless" practices (as opposed to tantric deity yoga). With the influence of
Sarma tantra, the rise of the
Longchen Nyingtik
Longchen Nyingthig () is a '' terma'', revealed scripture, of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, which gives a systematic explanation of Dzogchen. It was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798).
Etymology
Longchen Nyingthig may be translate ...
tradition, and the systematisations of Longchenpa, the main Dzogchen practices came to be preceded by preliminary practices and infused with tantric practices.
Namkhai Norbu makes a distinction between Dzogchen "contemplation" proper (''trekchö'') and "
meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
". According to Norbu, contemplation is "abiding in the non-dual state
.e. rigpawhich, of its own nature, uninterruptedly self-liberates" while meditation is any practice "working with the dualistic, relative mind, in order to enable one to enter the state of contemplation." Norbu adds that all the various meditative practices found in Dzogchen teachings (such as the "
six yogas
The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings"), are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016-1100 CE) and passed on to the ...
") are simply means to help practitioners access rigpa and are thus "secondary."
Similarly, Achard notes that the core Dzogchen practice is the state of contemplation (''dgongs pa'') that refers to abiding in one's primordially pure state. This "could actually be described as an actual absence of particular practice" which is "devoid of action, effort and exertion" (such as tantric generation or completion practice). Furthermore, Achard notes that "for strict rDzogs chen practitioners, Guru-Yoga and Sky Gazing are the main means enabling the access to the state of Contemplation in a totally unaltered mode."
= Preliminary practices
=
![Lukhang mural 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Lukhang_mural_7.png)
In ''Finding Ease in Meditation'' (''bsam gtan ngal gso''), Longchenpa outlines three main categories of preliminary practices. He stresses that these are necessary to the practice of Dzogchen and criticizes those who attempt to skip them.
The ''Longchen Nyingthig'' system divides preliminaries into ordinary and extraordinary types. The ordinary preliminaries are a series of contemplations of which there are two main instructional texts. One is based on Atisha's Seven Point
Mind Training (''Lojong'') and is called the ''Tarpai Temke''. The second is the ''Laglenla Deblug''.
The extraordinary preliminaries are discussed in the ''Drenpa Nyerzhag''.
According to Jigme Lingpa, the preliminary practices are the basis of the main practices, and thus, they are not to be abandoned at a later point. Norbu writes that the preliminaries are not compulsory in Dzogchen practice (only direct introduction is essential), instead, the preliminaries are only relatively useful depending on the capacity of individuals and how many obstacles they have in their practice of contemplation.
Another important requirement for practicing Dzogchen according to Jigme Lingpa is ritual initiation or
empowerment
Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...
(''dbang'') by an awakened lama. According to
Tsoknyi Rinpoche, empowerment is necessary, as it plants the "seeds of realization" within the present body, speech and mind. Empowerment "invests us with the ability to be liberated into the already present ground." The practices bring the seeds to maturation, resulting in the qualities of enlightened body, speech and mind.
Following tantric initiation, one also engages in the tantric practices of
the generation and completion stages of mahayoga and anuyoga. Jigme Lingpa sees all of these tantric practices as gradual steps to be cultivated which lead one to Great Perfection practice. Jigme Lingpa states:
''Rushen'' and ''sbyong ba''
![Lukhang mural 13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Lukhang_mural_13.png)
Jigme Lingpa mentions two kinds of Dzogchen meditations (which can be used as preliminaries to ''trekchö'') ''korde rushen'', "making a gap between samsara and nirvana," and ''sbyong ba'' ("training").
''Rushen'' are a series of visualisation and recitation exercises. The name reflects the dualism of the distinctions between mind and insight,
ālaya and
dharmakāya
The ''dharmakāya'' ( sa, धर्म काय, "truth body" or "reality body", zh, t=法身, p=fǎshēn, ) is one of the three bodies ('' trikāya'') of a buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The ''dharmakāya'' constitutes the unmanifested, "incon ...
. Longchenpa places this practice in the "enhancement" (''bogs dbyung'') section of his concluding phase. It describes a practice "involving going to a solitary spot and acting out whatever comes to your mind."
''Sbyong ba'' are a variety of teachings for training the body, speech and mind. The training of the body entails instructions for physical posture. The training of speech mainly entails recitation, especially of the syllable ''
hūm''. The training of the mind is a
Madhyamaka
Mādhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no ''svabhāva'' doctrine"), refers to a tradition of Buddhi ...
-like analysis of the concept of the mind, to make clear that mind cannot arise from anywhere, reside anywhere, or go anywhere. They are in effect an establishment of
emptiness
Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression, loneliness, anhedonia,
despair, or other mental/emotional disorders, including schizoid ...
by means of the intellect. According to Jigme Lingpa, these practices serve to purify the mind and pacify the hindrances.
= Main practices
=
The actual Dzogchen meditation methods, which are unique to the tradition, appear in Longchen Nyingtik texts such as Jigme Lingpa's ''
Yeshe Lama Yeshe () is a Tibetan term meaning wisdom and is analogous to jnana in Sanskrit. The word appears for example in the title of the '' Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo'', a Vajrayana Buddhist sacred scripture that records oral teachings of Padmasambhava in the 9 ...
'' and Longchenpa's ''
Tsigdön Dzö'' and ''
Tegchö Dzö
Tegchö Dzö (Wylie: theg mchog mdzod) "Treasury of the Sublime Vehicle'" is one of the Seven Treasuries, a collection of seven works, some with auto-commentaries, by the Tibetan Buddhist philosopher and exegete Longchenpa. The Tegchö Dzö is a ...
''. The presentation of Dzogchen meditation methods in the ''Yeshe Lama'' is divided into three parts:
* Instructions for those of sharp faculties, which is where the actual Dzogchen meditation methods are found, such as ''
trekchö
In Dzogchen, ''trekchö'' (''khregs chod'') means "(spontaneous) cutting of tension" or "cutting through solidity." The practice of ''trekchö'' reflects the earliest developments of Dzogchen, with its admonition against practice. In this practice ...
'' and ''
tögal
In Dzogchen, ''tögal'' () literally means "crossing the peak." It is sometimes translated as 'leapover,' 'direct crossing,' or 'direct transcendence.' ''Tögal'' is also called "the practice of vision," or "the practice of the Clear Light" ('' od ...
''.
* Instructions for those of middling faculties, which discusses the ''
bardo
In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( xct, བར་དོ་ Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitio ...
'' (intermediate state) of death and how to practice during this phase
* Instructions for those of lesser faculties, which discusses the transference of consciousness (''
phowa
''Phowa'' (, ) is a tantric practice found in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It may be described as "transference of consciousness at the time of death", "mindstream transference", "the practice of conscious dying", or "enlightenment without medita ...
'') at death to a
pure land.
Contemplation
![Lukhang mural 20](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Lukhang_mural_20.png)
The Dzogchen meditation practices include a series of exercises known as ''semdzin'' (''sems 'dzin''), which literally means "to hold the mind" or "to fix mind." They include a whole range of methods, including fixation, breathing, and different body postures, all aiming to calm the mind and bring one into the state of contemplation. There are also methods of
''vipasyana'' (''lhagthong'') which works with the arising of thoughts. These practices can be found in all three Dzogchen series:
Semde
Semde (; Sanskrit: ) translated as 'mind division', 'mind class' or 'mind series' is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Atiyoga, Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold divis ...
,
Longdé
Longdé (, sa, abhyantaravarga) is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Dzogchen, which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
The name "longdé" is tran ...
and
Mennagde
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Menngagde (, sa, upadeśavarga), is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen (''Great Perfection'' ).
Dzogchen is itself the pinnacle of the Yana (Buddhism)#The nine yanas, ninefold ...
. Norbu considers these methods of
samatha
''Samatha'' (Pāli; sa, शमथ ''śamatha''; ), "calm," "serenity," "tranquillity of awareness," and ''vipassanā'' (Pāli; Sanskrit ''vipaśyanā''), literally "special, super (''vi-''), seeing (''-passanā'')", are two qualities of the ...
(''shine'') and ''vipasyana'' (''lhagthong'') to be "principal practices", even though they work with the mind and are not non-dual contemplation itself.
According to Namkhai Norbu, through these various methods one may arrive at "the state of non-dual contemplation" which is without doubts. At this stage, one must continue to remain in this state, which includes the practices of ''trekchö'' and ''tögal''.
''Trekchö''
![Lukhang mural 9](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Lukhang_mural_9.png)
''Trekchö'' (''khregs chod'') means "(spontaneous) cutting of tension" or "cutting through solidity". The practice of ''trekchö'' reflects the earliest developments of Dzogchen, with its admonition against practice. In this practice one first identifies, and then sustains recognition of, one's own innately pure, empty awareness. The main trekchö instructions in the
Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo is a terma revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa
Chokgyur Lingpa or Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa (1829-1870) was a tertön or "treasure revealer" and contemporary of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul. Regarded as one of the major ...
state "This instant freshness, unspoiled by the thoughts of the three times; You directly see in actuality by letting be in naturalness."
''Tögal''
![Lukhang mural 14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Lukhang_mural_14.png)
''Tögal'' (''thod rgal'') literally means "crossing the peak." It is sometimes translated as "leapover", "direct crossing", or "direct transcendence". ''Tögal'' is also called "the practice of vision", or "the practice of the Clear Light (''
od-gsal'')". Jigme Lingpa follows Longchenpa in seeing the visionary practice of ''tögal'' as the highest level of meditation practice.
''Phowa'' (transference of consciousness)
![Buddha Amitayus in His Pure Land - Google Art Project](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Buddha_Amitayus_in_His_Pure_Land_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
Those beings of lesser faculties and limited potential will not attain awakening during the bardo but may transfer their consciousness (a practice called ''
phowa
''Phowa'' (, ) is a tantric practice found in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It may be described as "transference of consciousness at the time of death", "mindstream transference", "the practice of conscious dying", or "enlightenment without medita ...
'') to a
pure land once they have arrived at the "bardo of existence". Once they reach this bardo, they will recognize they have died and then they will recall the guru with faith and remember the instructions. Then they will think of the pure land and its qualities and they will be reborn there. In a pure land, beings can listen to the Dharma taught directly by Vajrasattva or some other Buddha. Jigme Lingpa recommends that one practice this in daily life as well.
Bardo yoga
For those of middle level capacities, Jigme Lingpa holds that they will attain awakening during the ''
bardo
In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( xct, བར་དོ་ Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitio ...
'' or intermediate state during death, by following certain instructions on how to recognize the signs of death and how to practice during the death process. Jigme Lingpa describes the process as follows:
Jigme Lingpa also states one should practice this meditation while one is alive, to prepare for the death process meditation: "even while one is alive, when the sky is pristine, direct awareness into space and think, 'The moment of death has arrived. Now I must pass into the peaceful unelaborate expanse.' Exhale the breath and follow that by allowing the mind to remain without focus." Other meditations and techniques are taught as well, which should be practiced while one is alive.
Jigme Lingpa gives the following instructions, meant to be recited by a lama or fellow practitioner at the time of death. Various practices are also taught for those who are present when someone else is dying, such as the "three precious upadeshas of the great, profound tantra ''Conjunction of the Sun and Moon''". These practices are meant to help the dying through the process and lead them to awakening or a higher rebirth.
Further practices related to the "bardo of the nature of phenomena" are also taught. At this point, one should practice ''trekchö'' and ''tögal.'' There are also specific instructions for this phase of death, which occurs when "the connection between body and mind has ended." According to Jigme Lingpa, at this stage, the consciousness of the basis of all dissolves into the basic space of phenomena and "in that instant, the natural clear light dawns like a cloudless autumn sky."
If one does not attain awakening, there will be a series of appearances which will be "extremely bright and colorful, devoid of distinctions such as outer, inner, wide, or narrow." There will also be appearances of the mandalas of peaceful and fierce deities. One is supposed to recognize all these appearances as being one's own mind and as lacking true existence.
Jigme Lingpa outlines the key point in bardo practice as follows:
= Practice systems
=
Longchenpa's ''Natural Ease'' system
Longchenpa
Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), commonly abbreviated to Longchenpa (1308–1364, an honorific meaning "The Vast Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school ('Old School') of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David Ge ...
's ''
Trilogy of Natural Ease
The Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease (''ngal gso skor gsum'', Sanskrit ''Mahāsaṃdhi viśrānta trayāya nāma'', literally "The Trilogy called Reposing (viśrānta) in the Great Perfection") is a trilogy of Dzogchen writings by Longchen Rabj ...
'' (''ngal gso skor gsum''), is mainly a ''Semde'' (Mind Series) focused system, though it includes numerous elements from later more tantric systems. In the first volume of this trilogy, ''Finding Ease in the Nature of Mind'' (''sems nyid ngal gso''), Longchenpa outlines 141 contemplative practices, split into three sections: exoteric Buddhism (92), tantra (22), and the Great Perfection (27). This system remained influential in Tibet and was the main system taught by
Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul Rinpoche ( Wylie: ''dpal sprul rin po che'') (1808–1887) was a teacher and author from the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Biography
Patrul Rinpoche was born in Dzachukha, a nomadic area of Golok Dzachukha, Eastern Tibet in 1808, a ...
(1808-1887).
This system includes numerous contemplative practices including analytical contemplations into emptiness, calming (zhi gnas) practices (such as visualizing the channels, a deity or the breath), insight (lhag mthong) practices as well the integration (''zung 'jug'') of calming and insight (such as the practice of
sky gazing or contemplating the mind). It also includes numerous contemplations which are formless and "technique free" and thus do not make sure of an object of focus (such as a tantric deity) and instead focus on intangible themes such as emptiness, the spaciousness of the mind and the illusory quality of appearances.
In the second book of the Trilogy of Natural Ease, ''Finding Ease in Meditation'' (''bsam gtan ngal gso''), Longchenpa uses the standard triad of meditative experiences (''nyams'') to present various practices: bliss (''bde ba''), radiance/clarity (''gsal ba''), and non-conceptuality (''mi rtog pa''), which is presented as corresponding to preliminaries, main practice, and concluding phase. The bliss practices are focused on ''
tummo
In Tibetan Buddhism, ''tummo'' (; sa, चण्डाली, caṇḍālī) is the fierce goddess of heat and passion. Tummo is found in the Mahasiddha Krishnacarya and the '' Hevajra Tantra'' texts.
Tummo is also a tantric practice for in ...
,'' "radiance" practices use the bodily winds/breath and visualization of light, and the practices dealing with non-conceptuality are based on contemplating the vastness of the sky.
The more conceptual meditations are relegated to the preliminary phase, while the main practices are formless and "direct" approaches supplemented by perfection stage techniques (i.e. ''
anuyoga
Anuyoga (Skt. अनुयोग 'further yoga') is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As with the other yanas, Anuyoga represents ...
''). Longchenpa includes the perfection phase techniques of
channels
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
, winds and nuclei into the main and concluding phases which also include new supporting contemplative techniques. However, unlike in other perfection stage practice systems, Longchenpa's perfection practices are extremely simple (''spros med''), and stress effortlessness and balance instead of complexity (''spros bcas'').
Jigme Linpa's ''Longchen Nyingthig'' system
![Nyingma_Jigme_Lingpa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Nyingma_Jigme_Lingpa.jpg)
The teachings based on
Jigme Lingpa's 18th century ''Longchen Nyingthig'' system are also divided into preliminary practices (
''ngondro'', subdivided into various classes) and main practices (which are ''trekchö'' and ''tögal)''. In ''The White Lotus'' (''rGyab brten padma dkar po''), Jigme Lingpa outlines the path of ''Nyingthig'' Dzogchen practice as follows:
According to Sam van Schaik, Jigme Lingpa's system of practice "represents both a graduated method and a gradual realization" which "stands in stark contrast to the discourse of the Great Perfection treasure texts," which defend a much more simultaneous form of practice.
Conduct
Norbu notes that "Tantric practices may be used as secondary practices by the practitioner of Dzogchen, alongside the principal practice of contemplation." Similarly, physical yoga (Tib. ''
trulkhor'') may also be used as supporting practices.
The Fruit
Self-liberation
According to Namkhai Norbu, in Dzogchen, "to become realized simply means to discover and manifest that which from the very beginning has been our own true condition: the Zhi (gzhi) or Base." Since the basis, the path of practice and the fruit or result of practice are non-dual from the ultimate perspective, in Dzogchen understands the path as not separate from the result or fruit of the path (i.e.
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point ...
). Once a Dzogchen practitioner has recognized their true nature (and "do not remain in doubt" regarding this), the path consists of the integration (''sewa'') of all experiences in their life with the state of rigpa. All these experiences are self-liberated through this integration or mixing.
This process is often explained through three "liberations" or capacities of a Dzogchen practitioner:
*Cherdrol ("one observes and it liberates") - This is when an ordinary appearance occurs and one sees its true nature, which leads to its self-liberation. It is compared to how a drop of dew evaporates when the sunlight shines on it.
*Shardrol ("as soon as it arises it liberates itself") - This occurs when any sense contact or passion arises self-liberates automatically and effortlessly. This is compared to how snow melts immediately on falling into the sea.
*Rangdrol ("of itself it liberates itself"), according to Norbu, this is "completely non-dual and all-at-once, instantaneous self-liberation. Here the illusory separation of subject and object collapses of itself, and one's habitual vision, the limited cage, the trap of ego, opens out into the spacious vision of what is". The
simile
A simile () is a figure of speech that directly ''compares'' two things. Similes differ from other metaphors by highlighting the similarities between two things using comparison words such as "like", "as", "so", or "than", while other metaphors c ...
used here is a snake effortlessly unwinding its own body.
Advanced Dzogchen practitioners are also said to sometimes manifest supranormal knowledge (Skt. ''abhijñā,'' Tib. ''mngon shes''), such as
clairvoyance
Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
and
telepathy.
Rainbow body
''Tögal'' practice may lead to full
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point ...
and the self-liberation of the human body into a
rainbow body
In Dzogchen, rainbow body
(, Jalü or Jalus) is a level of realization. This may or may not be accompanied by the 'rainbow body phenomenon'. The rainbow body phenomenon is pre-Buddhist in origin, and is a topic which has been treated fairly serio ...
at the moment of death, when all fixation and grasping has been exhausted. Tibetan Buddhism holds that the rainbow body is a nonmaterial
body of light with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever as pointed by one's compassion. It is a manifestation of the
sambhogakāya and its attainment is said to be accompanied by the appearance of lights and rainbows.
Some exceptional practitioners are held to have realized a higher type of rainbow body without dying (these include the 24
Bön masters from the oral tradition of
Zhang Zhung
Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient culture and kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, which pre-dates the culture of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet. Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philosophie ...
,
Tapihritsa Tapihritsa or Tapahritsa (c 7th ~ 8th century) was a Bon practitioner who achieved the Dzogchen mastery of the rainbow body and consequently, as a fully realised trikaya Buddha, is invoked as an iṣṭadevatā ( xct, yi dam) by Dzogchen practiti ...
,
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
, and
Vimalamitra
Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jñānasūtra and Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures being Rigzin Jigme Lingpa, ...
). Having completed the four visions before death, the individual focuses on the lights that surround the fingers. His or her physical body self-liberates into a nonmaterial body of light with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever as pointed by one's compassion.
Critique
Simultaneous and gradual practice
As noted by van Schaik, there is a tension in the
Longchen Nyingtik
Longchen Nyingthig () is a '' terma'', revealed scripture, of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, which gives a systematic explanation of Dzogchen. It was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798).
Etymology
Longchen Nyingthig may be translate ...
tradition of Dzogchen between methods which emphasize gradual practice and attainments, and methods which emphasize primordial liberation, simultaneous enlightenment, and non-activity. This seeming contradiction is explained by authors of the tradition as being related to the different levels of ability of different practitioners.
For example, the works of Jigme Lingpa contain criticisms of methods which rely on cause and effect as well as methods that rely on intellectual analysis. Since Buddhahood is uncaused and transcendent of the intellect, these contrived and conceptual meditations are contrasted with "effortless" and "instantaneous" approaches in the works of Jigme Lingpa, who writes that as soon as a thought arises, it is to be seen nakedly, without analysis or examination. Similarly, a common theme of Dzogchen literature is the elevation of Dzogchen above all other "lower" (''
'og ma'') vehicles and a criticism of these lower vehicles which are seen as inferior (''dman pa'') approaches.
In spite of these critiques, Dzogchen cycles like Jigme Lingpa's ''
Longchen Nyingthig
Longchen Nyingthig () is a '' terma'', revealed scripture, of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, which gives a systematic explanation of Dzogchen. It was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798).
Etymology
Longchen Nyingthig may be transla ...
'' do contain numerous practices which are not instantaneous or effortless, such as tantric Mahayoga practice like
deity yoga
The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), meditation on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''), which involves the recitation of mantras, prayers and vi ...
and preliminary methods such as
ngondro (which are equated with the
path of accumulation). Furthermore, Jigme Lingpa and Longchenpa also criticize those who teach the simultaneous method to everyone and teach them to dispense with all other methods at once.
In response to the idea that the gradualist teachings found in the Longchen Nyingtik texts contradict the Dzogchen view of primordial liberation, Jigme Lingpa states:
This division of practices according to level of ability is also found in Longchenpa's ''Tegchö Dzö.'' However, as van Schaik notes, "the system should not be taken too literally. It is likely that all three types of instruction contained in the threefold structure of YL
'Yeshe Lama''would be given to any one person." Therefore, though the instructions would be given to all student types, the actual capacity of the practitioner would determine how they would attain awakening (through Dzogchen meditation, in the bardo of death, or through transference of consciousness). Jigme Lingpa also believed that students of the superior faculties were extremely rare. He held that for most people, a gradual path of training is what is needed to reach realization.
See also
;Teachers
*
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
*
Dilgo Khyentse
Tashi Paljor, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche () (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 198 ...
*
Dudjom Rinpoche
Kyabje Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (, THL ''Düjom Jikdrel Yéshé Dorjé'') was known as Terchen Drodül Lingpa and as Dudjom Rinpoche (10 June 1904 – 17 January 1987). He is considered by many Tibetan Buddhists to be from a line of importan ...
*
Dzogchen Rinpoche
*
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (c. 1893 – 1959) was a Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th-century Tibetan Buddhism. Though he died in 1959 in Sikkim, and is not so well known in the We ...
*
Jigme Phuntsok
Kyabje Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok, (Tibetan: , Wylie transliteration: 'jigs med phun tshogs 'byung gnas) (1933 – 7 January 2004), was a Nyingma lama and Terton from Sertha Region. His family were Tibetan nomads. At the age of five he was rec ...
;
*
Lopön Tenzin Namdak
Lopön Tenzin Namdak (, born 1926 in Khyungpo Karu – – in Kham) is a Tibetan religious leader and the most senior teacher of Bon, in particular of Dzogchen and the Mother Tantras.
Early life
Tenzin Namdak's father was a farmer in Ch ...
*
Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen and a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at Naples Eastern University. He was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, pa ...
*
Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche
Nyoshül Khenpo Rinpoche (1932–1999), more fully Nyoshül Khenpo Jamyang Dorje (), was a Tibetan lama born in the Derge region of Kham.
*
Sogyal Rinpoche
*
Tharchin Rinpoche
Lama Tsedrup Tharchin Rinpoche () (1936–July 22, 2013) was a Tibetan Dzogchen master in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was tenth holder of the family lineage known as the Repkong Ngakpas.
Early life and education
Tharchin Rinpoche wa ...
*
Tulku Urgyen
;Terms
*
Ganachakra
A ganacakra ( sa, गणचक्र ' "gathering circle"; ) is also known as tsok, ganapuja, cakrapuja or ganacakrapuja. It is a generic term for various tantric assemblies or feasts, in which practitioners meet to chant mantra, enact mudra, ...
*
Lukhang
Lukhang (Tib. klu khang, residence of Nagas), formally Zongdag Lukhang (Tib. rdzong bdag klu khang /nowiki>, residence of Nagas, lords of the castle and administered territory /nowiki>) is the name of a secret temple of Lozang Gyatso, 5th Dala ...
*
Mahamudra
Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...
*
Ngagpa
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a Ngagpa (male), or a Ngagmo (Female) (; Sanskrit ''mantrī'') is an ordained non-monastic practitioner of Dzogchen and Tantra. The Ngagmapa are widely credited with protecting the Nyingma school and its teaching ...
*
Trul khor
''Trul khor'' ('magical instrument' or 'magic circle;' Skt. ), in full ''tsa lung trul khor'' ( sa, vayv-adhisāra 'magical movement instrument, channels and inner breath currents'), also known as yantra yoga, is a Vajrayana discipline which ...
Notes
Quotes
References
Citations
Works cited
Dzogchen texts
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Contemporary Buddhist sources
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Western academic sources
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halshs-01244881
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* (hc); (pbk).
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Web sources
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Further reading
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External links
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{{Authority control
Bon
Nyingma
Tibetan Buddhist philosophical concepts
Tibetan Buddhist practices