Dzogchen – Great Perfection

Dzogchen means Great Completion or Great Perfection. Atiyoga (highest union) includes trekchö and thogal (see below). This supreme yoga aims to inseparably join the mindstream to the essential reality of purity and spontaneous presence. The abiding nature is called Rigpa – the deepest form of awareness.

I have done much more Mahamudra than Dzogchen practices. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche said that Mahamudra is better for beginners, while Dzogchen is better for more advanced practitioners. But they end at the same point. The Atiyoga that I have done is primarily trekchö, cutting through to primordial purity.

I finally understood from Tulku Urgyen that Mahamudra uses the contents and manifestation of the mind to realize the nature. Ati goes directly for the nature – pure awareness.

Summary Dzogchen

Central Node: Dzogchen (Tibetan Buddhism tradition)

Properties of Dzogchen

• Type: Spiritual tradition, Meditation practice
• Goal: Enlightenment, Liberation, Buddha-nature realization
• Origin: Tibetan Buddhism
• Rigpa: Awareness of ultimate, self-realizing, self-luminous, containing all enlightened qualities
• Key Features:
  • Non-dualistic (subject-object inseparability)
  • Emphasis on inherent wakefulness
  • Focus on direct experience

Related Entities

• Tibetan Buddhism (school of Vajrayana Buddhism)
• Buddha-nature (concept of inherent enlightenment potential)
• Samsara (cycle of rebirth)
• Nirvana (liberation from suffering)
• Meditation (practice to cultivate awareness and calmness)

trekchö

Trekchö, within Dzogchen, translates to “(spontaneous) cutting of tension” or “cutting through solidity.” It’s a core practice aimed at directly experiencing and abiding in rigpa, the innate wakefulness. Here’s a breakdown of trekchö:

• Goal: Recognize and rest in rigpa, the primordial awareness.
• Method: Bypassing mental analysis and focusing on direct experience.
• Key Points:
  • Cutting through solidity: Dissolving mental fixations and habitual patterns that obscure rigpa.
  • Direct introduction: The teacher guides the student directly to the experience of rigpa, rather than building up to it through practices.
  • Resting in natural state: Maintaining awareness without judgment or manipulation.

Here’s how trekchö can be seen as “cutting through”:

• Imagine rigpa as a clear, vast space. Our thoughts and emotions are like clouds obscuring this space. Trekchö helps us see through these clouds and directly experience the clear sky that is always present.
• Another analogy compares trekchö to cutting through a knot. Our mental fixations are like a knot that keeps us tied up. Trekchö helps us see the knot for what it is and allows it to loosen and dissolve.

Further Exploration:

• Trekchö is considered a powerful but advanced practice. It’s often recommended to receive proper instruction from a qualified Dzogchen teacher before attempting it.
• Here are some resources for further reading, but be aware they might not be substitutes for a teacher’s guidance:
  • Rigpa Wiki: [trekcho ON Rigpa wiki.rigpawiki.org]
  • Lotsawa House: key points of trekcho

Thogal

Thogal, also spelled Tögal (Tibetan: ཐོད་རྒལ་, Wylie: thod rgal), literally translates to “crossing the peak” in Dzogchen teachings. Crossing Over is the usual translation. Here’s a breakdown of its meaning and practices:

• Meaning: Thogal is often referred to as “direct crossing,” “leapover,” or “direct transcendence.” It signifies bypassing preliminary practices and directly experiencing the awakened state (rigpa).
• Practice: Thogal is an advanced meditation practice that cultivates visions associated with the “Clear Light” (od gsal), a state of pure awareness. These visions are not hallucinations but rather a way of directly experiencing the nature of mind.
• Techniques: Specific Thogal practices vary but often involve focusing on the subtle energies and channels of the body while maintaining awareness of rigpa.
• Relationship to Trekcho: Trekcho, the other main Dzogchen practice, focuses on “cutting through” habitual patterns to reveal rigpa. Thogal, in contrast, aims to directly experience rigpa through specific visualizations and techniques.
• Postures: Thogal features a set of unique postures (lion, elephant, and rishi). These postures correspond to experience of the 3 kayas. The postures are restricted somewhat. I received them some years ago, but have not put sufficient time in to comment on my experience with them.

Important points to remember about Thogal:

• Advanced Practice: Due to its advanced nature, Thogal is typically only undertaken under the guidance of a qualified Dzogchen teacher after establishing a strong foundation in trekcho and other preparatory practices.
• Emphasis on Rigpa: Like trekcho, Thogal ultimately aims to lead to the realization of rigpa, the awakened state that is inherent within all beings.
• Not a Goal in Itself: The visions and experiences of Thogal are not the ultimate goal, but rather a tool to deepen understanding and ultimately rest in the natural state of rigpa.

Great Perfection

rdzogs – perfection, completion and chen– Great. Another terms is mahasandhi. Completion also means the completion stage of a single practice, wherein the meditator dissolves the visualization. Afterwords, he rests in sampannakrama, completion stage or emptiness. This is training in perceiving reality directly.

Dzogchen is related in a vaster context. One does Dzogchen after completing the whole cycle of 8 lower yanas. These culminate in the Great Completion, the final yoga. There is no practice beyond this, no further refinement. One trains in trekcho to cut through normative illusions and enter the deepest stream of reality.

Thogal refines this and stabilizes it, allowing the mind to emerge as manifest awareness. The Buddha bodies and realms appear. These are neither considered to be real, nor unreal. They are simply meditated on directly, uniting the mind with the naked energy. They purify all karmic tendencies and negativities extremely quickly as they are known to be the manifestation of any perceived reality. Since they are understood, felt, and realized to be inherently pure and spontaneously present, all things are seen to be the same. At enlightenment, the world appears that way and that seems ordinary.

Rigpa

Rigpa is direct perception of the genuine ground of awareness. Resting in Rigpa is, in essence, the goal of Dzogchen. Resting in Rigpa is the unsurpassable method of accomplishing the 2 accumulations of merit and wisdom.

A Tibetan term often translated as “primordial awareness” or “pure awareness,” Rigpa is a central concept in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s considered the essence of our being, the innate wakefulness that is said to be obscured by our everyday thoughts and emotions.

Here’s a breakdown of rigpa:

• Core Concept: Rigpa is the fundamental ground of our existence, the ever-present awareness that underlies all phenomena.
• Beyond Duality: It transcends the limitations of our ordinary mind, existing beyond concepts like subject and object, good and bad.
• Inherent Buddha-nature: In Dzogchen, rigpa is seen as our inherent Buddha-nature, the potential for enlightenment that is already present within us.

Why is Rigpa Important?

• Goal of Dzogchen: The practices of Dzogchen aim to help us recognize and abide in rigpa, the natural state of our mind that is already perfect and complete.
• Liberation from Suffering: By realizing rigpa, we are said to be liberated from the cycle of suffering and achieve enlightenment.

How to Experience Rigpa?

Dzogchen meditation practices are designed to help us connect with rigpa. These practices involve:

• Letting Go: Letting go of mental chatter and fixations that obscure rigpa.
• Direct Experience: Cultivating a state of open and relaxed awareness, allowing rigpa to reveal itself directly.
• Guidance: It’s often recommended to receive instruction from a qualified Dzogchen teacher who can guide you in recognizing and abiding in rigpa.

Analogy of Rigpa:

Imagine rigpa as a clear, vast space. Our thoughts and emotions are like clouds obscuring this space. Dzogchen practices help us see through these clouds and directly experience the clear sky that is always present.

Further Exploration:

• Rigpa is a profound concept and can be challenging to grasp intellectually. It’s best understood through practice and guidance from a qualified teacher.

Key Figures of Dzogchen

Here are some key figures in Dzogchen:

• Padmasambhava (8th century CE): Considered the second Buddha and the one who introduced Vajrayana Buddhism, including Dzogchen, to Tibet.
• Vimalamitra (8th century CE): A scholar and translator who is said to have collaborated with Padmasambhava in transmitting Dzogchen teachings.
• Yeshe Tsogyal (8th – 9th century CE): The main consort of Padmasambhava and a key figure in Dzogchen tradition. She is said to have played a vital role in preserving and transmitting Dzogchen teachings.
• Longchenpa (1308-1363 CE): A renowned Nyingma scholar and meditation master who is considered one of the most important figures in the development of Dzogchen teachings. He is known for his vast and influential writings on Dzogchen theory and practice.
• Jigme Lingpa (1729-1798 CE): A revered treasure revealer (Terton) who discovered numerous hidden Dzogchen texts (termas) that are important to the Nyingma tradition.
• Dudjom Rinpoche (1900-1984 CE): A prominent Nyingma teacher and scholar who was influential in transmitting Dzogchen teachings to the West.
• Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987 CE): A renowned Tibetan lama who introduced Dzogchen and other Vajrayana teachings to a Western audience. He is known for his innovative approach to teaching Buddhism in a way that is relevant to contemporary Westerners.
• Mipham the Great, also known as Jamgön Ju Mipham Gyatso (1846-1912), was a towering figure in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, considered one of its greatest philosophers and polymaths. A prolific writer, he composed influential works on Dzogchen, the core meditation practice of the Nyingma tradition, illuminating its profound concepts with clarity and accessibility. Mipham was also a master of various Buddhist disciplines, contributing significantly to topics like ritual, logic, and Buddhist history. His vast scholarship and insightful teachings continue to be a cornerstone of Nyingma practice and a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring the depths of Dzogchen and Tibetan Buddhism.

It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other important figures in the history of Dzogchen. These are just a few of the most well-known teachers and scholars who have helped to shape and transmit this tradition.

May all beings be happy

May all beings be peaceful

May all beings be safe

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature

May all beings be free