Dzogchen
Just as the sun rises in the sky, so, too, may the Great Secret Treasure of all the Victorious Ones, the supreme Dzogchen teaching, arise and spread in all realms!Padmsambhava
Many people today are not interested at all in spiritual matters, and their lack of interest is reinforced by the generally materialistic outlook of our society. If you ask them what they believe in, they may even say that they don't believe in anything. Such people think that all religion is based on faith, which they regard as little better than superstition, with no relevance to the modem world. But Dzogchen shouldn't be regarded as a religion, and it doesn't ask anyone to believe in anything. On the contrary, it suggests that the individual observe him or herself and discover for themselves what their actual condition is.
The following Six Vajra Verses, or more literally, the Six Vajra Lines, since the original Tibetan consists of only six lines, contain a perfect resume of the Dzogchen teachings:
Although apparent phenomena manifest as diversity yet this diversity is non-dual, and of all the multiplicity of individual things that exist none can be confined in a limited concept. Staying free from the trap of any attempt to say it's 'like this', or 'like that', it becomes clear that all manifested forms are aspects of the infinite formless, and, indivisible from it, are self-perfected. Seeing that everything is self-perfected from the very beginning, the disease of striving for any achievement comes to an end of its own accord, and just remaining in the natural state as it is, the presence of non-dual contemplation continuously, spontaneously arises.
From Dzogchen point of view, the nature of our present mind actually contains the wisdom of Buddha. The wisdom of the Buddha is not something we will find in the future. It is right here in the present not only on this day but in this very moment. We have the heart of the Buddha. Our basic fundamental state of mind is completely awake, although most of us cannot realize it or see it right now. In Tibetan dzog means complete
, perfect
or exhaustion
, and chen means great
. Thus dzogchen means great completion
, great perfection
, or great exhaustion
. Great completion
means that within this path everything is complete-- nothing else is needed. Great perfection
means perfect in its own state. For example, in working with a painful emotion we do not have to go outside the emotion --the antidote is already there within the experience. Great exhaustion
refers to the lack of true existence of the afflictive or negative emotions. If we look closely there is no moment that we can pinpoint, when we can say, for example, This experience of anger started here
. We refer to this sate as primordial purity.
From the very beginning all the infinite number of beings that exist have as their essential inherent condition the perfectly pure state of an enlightened being; knowing this to be true also of me, I commit myself to supreme realization.Lines on Bodhicitta, written by Longchenpa (1308-63), expressing the concept of the Base in the Anuyoga
Introduction to Dzogchen
In the Dzogchen teachings, the individual is regarded as functioning at three interdependent levels: body, voice or energy, and mind. Even someone who says they don't believe in anything cannot say they don't believe in their own body! It's basic to their existence, and the limits and problems of the body are clearly tangible. We feel cold and hunger, we suffer pain and loneliness, and we spend much of our lives in an attempt to overcome our physical suffering.
The level of energy, or voice, is not so easy to see, and not so widely understood. Even medical doctors in the West are largely ignorant of it, trying to cure all illnesses at a purely material level. But if the energy of an individual is disturbed, neither the body nor the mind of the individual will be well balanced. Certain illnesses, such as cancer, are caused by disturbances of the energy, and cannot be cured simply by surgery or medication. Similarly, many mental illnesses, and also some less severe mental problems, are caused by poor circulation of energy. Our minds are generally very complicated and confused, and even when we want to stay calm, we may find we can't, because our nervous and agitated energy won't allow us to.
So to deal with these problems of body, voice, and mind, the Dzogchen teachings present practices that work with each of these three levels of the individual, practices that can be integrated with the individual's daily life and which can thus change our whole life experience from one of tension and confusion to one of wisdom and true freedom. The teachings are not merely theoretical, they are practical; and though the Dzogchen teachings are extremely ancient, because the nature of the body, voice, and mind of the individual has not changed, these teachings remain as relevant to the human situation of today as they were to that of yesterday.
The Primordial State
The teaching of Dzogchen is in essence a teaching concerning the primordial state that is each individual's own intrinsic nature from the very beginning. To enter this state is to experience oneself as one is, as the center of the universe though not in the ordinary ego sense. The ordinary ego-centered consciousness is precisely the limited cage of dualistic vision that closes off the experience of one's own true nature, which is the space of the primordial state. To discover this primordial state is to understand the teaching of Dzogchen, and the function of the transmission of the teaching of Dzogchen is to communicate this state from one who has realized, or become established in it, to those who remain caught up in the dualistic condition. Even the name Dzogchen, which means Great Perfection
, refers to the self-perfectedness of this state, fundamentally pure from the beginning, with nothing to reject or accept.
To understand and enter the primordial state one does not need intellectual, cultural, or historical knowledge. It is beyond intellect by its very nature. Yet when people encounter a teaching they have not heard of before, one of the first things they may want to know is where this teaching arose, where it came from, who taught it, and so on. This is understandable, but Dzogchen itself cannot be said to belong to the culture of any country. There is a tantra of Dzogchen, the Dra Thalgyur Tsawai Gyüd, for example, that says that the Dzogchen teaching can be found in thirteen solar systems other than our own, so we can't even truly say that the Dzogchen teaching belongs to this planet Earth, much less to any particular national culture. Although it is true that the tradition of Dzogchen that we are about to consider has been transmitted through the culture of Tibet that has harbored it ever since the beginning of recorded history in Tibet, we nevertheless cannot finally say that Dzogchen is Tibetan, because the primordial state itself has no nationality and is omnipresent.
But it is also true that beings everywhere have entered into the dualistic vision that veils the experience of the primordial state. And when realized beings have tried to communicate with them, they have only rarely been able to communicate the primordial state completely without words or symbols, so they have made use of whatever culture they found present, as a means of communication. In this way it has often happened that the culture and the teachings have become interwoven, and in the case of Tibet this is true to the extent that it is not possible to understand the culture without an understanding of the teachings.
It's not that the teachings of Dzogchen were ever particularly widespread or well-known in Tibet; in fact rather the reverse was true. Dzogchen was always a somewhat reserved teaching. But the Dzogchen teachings are the essence of all Tibetan teachings, so direct that they were always kept a little hidden, and people were often a little afraid of them. Furthermore, there existed a tradition of Dzogchen among the ancient Bön traditions, the indigenous and largely shamanic traditions of Tibet, that pre-date the arrival of Buddhism from India.
Thus, if we consider the Dzogchen teachings as being the essence of all the Tibetan spiritual traditions, both Buddhist and Bön (though itself actually belonging to neither Buddhism nor Bön), and if we understand that the spiritual traditions of Tibet were the essence of Tibetan culture, then we can use the Dzogchen teachings as a key to the understanding of Tibetan culture as a whole. And with this perspective it can be seen how all the various aspects of Tibetan culture have been manifested ·as facets of the unified vision of realized beings, the masters of the spiritual traditions.
Like a crystal at the heart of the culture, the clarity of the primordial state, as manifested in the minds of many masters, has radiated the forms of Tibetan art and iconography, medicine, and astrology, like brilliant rays, or sparkling reflections. So by coming to understand the nature of the crystal, we will be better able to make sense of the rays and reflections that emanate from it.
The Three Sacred Principles
The Three Sacred Principles are three fundamental aspects of the teaching that are always explained right from the beginning. This is true not only in the Dzogchen teachings, but also at the level of Sutra and Tantra. The first of these Three Sacred Principles is Refuge and Bodhichitta; the second is Contemplation; and the third is Dedication of Merit.
At a practical level, what the first and the third of these three principles mean is that when we start a practice, we begin it with an idea or thought; and similarly, when we finish a practice and return to our normal activities again, we begin those activities guiding ourselves with an idea or thought. The fact is that we are not always in the state of contemplation. Even if we have some experience or knowledge of this state, most of the time we are distracted from it. In order to find ourselves in the state of contemplation, we start by guiding ourselves towards it with a particular thought.
Let's assume, for example, that we have at least intellectually understood that our real nature is like that of a mirror that has the capacity to reflect everything without judging it to be good or bad, without accepting or rejecting anything. How can we, on the basis of our intellectual understanding, actually discover this real nature in ourselves? How can we enter into the true state of knowledge and thus come to a real experience of how our thoughts and emotions are actually like reflections in a mirror? We begin by guiding ourselves with the thought of wishing to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. We do this with the Refuge and Bodhichitta.
Refuge and Bodhichitta
It is important, particularly in Dzogchen, to understand what Refuge and Bodhichitta really mean, how to apply them practically, and not just remain at the level of words and external forms.
The origins of the practices of Refuge and Bodhichitta are to be found in the Sutra system. In both the Hinayana and Mahayana systems of Sutra, the way in which one takes refuge determines whether an individual is considered to be Buddhist or not. In Sutra, if a person takes refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, such a person is considered to be a Buddhist.
I may have personally been criticized by some people who claim that I am not a Buddhist because I use another form of Refuge—taking refuge in the Guru, Deva, and Dakini instead of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Such criticism is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the principle involved, because Guru, Deva, and Dakini
do not mean something different from Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
The principle of the teachings does not depend on the superficial level of the names by which things are called, but on the real sense and meaning behind those names. We must understand what Guru, Deva, and Dakini
mean. These are terms used in the Tantric system.
Generally speaking, when we use the word Buddhist, what we are referring to is someone who follows the teaching of the Buddha himself, or something related to the teaching of the Buddha himself. At least this is what is meant by the term Buddhist in the Hinayana view. The official Buddhist teaching is considered in that tradition to be only that knowledge and understanding that the physical Buddha himself actually transmitted. There are, however, many other teachings the Buddha transmitted in manifestations other than his physical body. This is the origin of Tantric transmission. How did the Buddha manifest to transmit the tantras? To transmit these teachings he did not manifest in the form of Buddha Shakyamuni—the physical, historical Buddha—but rather in different ways according to circumstances, and not just according to someone's rule. For a Buddha, there is no rule that his form must be a figure like that of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The form he manifests depends upon circumstances, and a Buddha will work with the situation in which he finds himself.
A Buddha will sometimes manifest in a form similar to those beings to whom he is trying to communicate knowledge and understanding. When a Buddha communicates to an elephant or a monkey, for example, he may manifest as that kind of being. He can do this because he is free. He is able to work with any circumstances; he never remains limited by rules. People who are limited do not understand this and they believe a Buddha can only manifest on the physical level. They believe that if the physical form of the Buddha is not the one with which they are familiar, then this form is not a Buddha at all.
The manifestations of Deva and Dakini are none other than the Buddha, who can manifest in many different ways, not only in the form of a human being. There is a saying in the sutras that the Buddha sometimes manifests as a bridge or as a boat in order to save people; it is not necessary that he should always manifest as a human being. There are many possibilities of manifestation. This is the principle of Deva and Dakini.
Similarly, Refuge is not limited to the taking of a vow as it is in the Hinayana view. Many people like to say that they have taken Refuge with this or that Lama. There are teachers who travel widely and give Refuge vows everywhere, claiming that they have converted enormous numbers of people to Buddhism. They seem to think of Refuge as if it were a matter of conquering people.
This is not how the teachings should be spread. Spreading the teachings really means helping people to wake up and understand something; it should not become another means of conditioning people. That is not to say, of course, that it is not useful for people to take a vow of Refuge if they understand its real sense and meaning. When they do not, however, understand its meaning, they can deceive themselves into believing that something has changed in them when it has not. If they really honestly observe themselves, they will see that their conditioning, attachments, and problems are all still there and are just the same as before they took the vow. Nothing has changed. What then is the benefit of taking refuge? The real point is to know and understand what Refuge means.
Vows
Refuge can be taken with a vow. If we don't have the capacity to control ourselves, we need to take a vow. The Hinayana specifically aims to help individuals whose capacity to integrate emotions is less developed. Taking a vow, such people are able to control their emotions and problems and avoid creating negative karma.
We should not think that since we are Dzogchen practitioners, we are particularly highly developed and do not need vows. Many people have this idea, but it is not true. We must observe ourselves well. We have many weak points. When people want to stop smoking or drinking, for example, they may not succeed for a long time because it is their weak point. Sometimes it is necessary to take a vow to deal with a situation like this. There are people who are not in the Dzogchen Community who have told me that my students are very arrogant, that they feel themselves to be at a very high level and do not feel the need to do the ngöndro, or preliminary practices, that are commonly done.
To think that just because we are Dzogchen practitioners we do not need a vow is completely wrong. When we discover we have a weak point, we may need a vow to help us overcome it. This is why it is said in Dzogchen that we should work with our circumstances. What do we mean by this? Even if we understand that, at the absolute level, spontaneous self-perfection is our inherent condition, and that rules and vows are not necessary at that level, if in our own particular circumstances we find that there are problems we cannot overcome without such methods, then we apply a rule or a vow. The difference between Dzogchen and other levels of teaching is that these relative methods of rules and vows are not considered to be the main point. They are not the fundamental method of Dzogchen practice as they are in Sutra.
In the Hinayana, for example, receiving a vow is considered to be the single most important aspect of the training. In Dzogchen we proceed differently, and although a vow might be used if necessary, it is not the principal method. Of course, if it's the case that someone has received the Refuge vow from a teacher other than myself, then they need to understand its meaning and function. It is ridiculous to think that just because we have taken a Refuge vow we have become Buddhist. It does not mean anything to say we are Buddhist on that basis. The Buddha never asked anyone to become a Buddhist, nor did the Buddha ever propose these limitations. These are our own limitations projected onto the teachings.
The Real Meaning Of Refuge
Therefore, we must try to understand the real sense of the teaching. The real meaning of Refuge is to know that we are on the path. We take refuge in the path. How do we find that path? We find it from a teacher. If there is no teacher, there is no path. Whether we speak of Sutra, Tantra, or Dzogchen, the root of the path is always the teacher. When we take refuge in the Sutra system, with the first words we recite, Namo Buddhaya,
we take refuge in the Buddha; then we take refuge in the Dharma, and in the Sangha. In Tantra, the way of seeing Buddha and the way of seeing the teacher, or Guru, is a little different. In Sutra, the Buddha is understood to be the origin of the teaching, the source of the path. The final goal is seen as the state of the Buddha, or the Dharmakaya. For this reason we take refuge in the Buddha at this level of the teaching.
In Tantra and Dzogchen, we take refuge principally in the Guru. This is because, even though it is the teachings of the Buddha that we are following, we have received them from our own teacher. We can never receive teachings directly from the Buddha. Although we do not even have direct contact with the Buddha's direct students, his students taught other disciples and so on, and in this way the teachings have continued until the present day, when our teacher taught them to us. Tantra is also particularly related to special transmissions such as empowerments. In Dzogchen the principle is to give direct introduction to the state of knowledge and understanding. The students receive this transmission of the introduction from their teacher. Although we may receive explanations or methods that have originated from the Buddha, we can only receive direct transmissions from our own teacher. We can never receive such transmissions from the Buddha. As our teacher is extremely important for us, and because the teacher is the source from which something originated, he or she is referred to as the root Guru. Our root Guru is the source of all transmissions, knowledge, and understanding, and therefore, when we take refuge in the context of Tantra or Dzogchen, we first take refuge in the Guru.
In Dzogchen particularly, when we take refuge, we do so in the Guru. This means that the teacher is considered more important than other persons. If there is a Guru, there is a teaching. This is the Dogchen Transmission.
Sangha
When we speak of the Sangha, we are referring to people with whom we collaborate on the path. In Dzogchen, Sangha can also refer to the Dharmapalas, or Guardians,
beings who help us on our path to realization.
In the Sutra system, when we speak in terms of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, the teacher is considered to be part of the Sangha. What does Sangha mean? In Sutra, Sangha refers to a group of at least four monks. For example, if an individual wants to receive the full vow of a monk or nun, he or she receives it from a Sangha of at least four monks. Three monks is not enough. One cannot receive the full vow just from the teacher. A Refuge vow can be taken from the teacher, but the complete vows of monk or nun can only be received from the Sangha.
Similarly, in the Sutra system, if we make a mistake, we confess it to the Sangha. We cannot confess to the teacher. It is characteristic of the Sutra level that in order to make a confession we always need a Sangha. For this reason, the teacher is part of the Sangha, and the Sangha is considered to be the group of people that helps us.
In Dzogchen, on the other hand, the teacher is indispensable. In the Sutra system, if there is no teacher, we nevertheless still have the teachings of the Buddha. As long as we have the possibility of learning words, reading books, or studying with a group of people, we can still go ahead. That is not possible in Tantra and in Dzogchen. If we want to follow the Dzogchen teachings, we must receive an introduction from a teacher, otherwise our knowledge is not connected with the transmission, and there can be no enlightenment. Similarly, in Tantra, it is necessary to receive an empowerment from a teacher. Otherwise, even if we know many Tantric methods, our situation remains like a plowed field in which no seeds have ever been sown; even if we work it for years and years, nothing will grow in such a field.
Whether or not we take a vow of Refuge does not matter, but we must understand the meaning of Refuge, because Refuge and Bodhichitta together are the first of the Three Sacred Principles.
Bodhichitta
Bodhichitta is a term found principally in the Mahayana, which speaks a great deal about the two truths, absolute and relative. By absolute truth we mean our real condition, the condition of things as they truly are. When we do not have knowledge of this real condition, we remain conditioned by the relative dimension, and that is what is called the relative truth. In the Sutra teaching, relative truth is considered to be like samsara, the state of confused, deluded mind; and absolute truth is considered to be like knowledge, or understanding, or the state of nirvana. The terms nirvana and samsara correspond respectively to absolute truth and relative truth.
Bodhichitta is also explained in that way, in terms of absolute and relative. Absolute bodhichitta means having real experiential knowledge of emptiness, which arises through practice. It is not just having an intellectual idea of emptiness. In the Sutra teaching, one of the principal practices is Shiné, developing a calm state through which we discover emptiness.
When we have experience of emptiness and our knowledge has become more concrete, then finally we can consider that we have at least a little experience of absolute bodhichitta. Absolute bodhichitta is the experience of emptiness from which its compassionate energy or function manifests.
Compassion
When we speak of bodhichitta in general, what we are speaking of is compassion. What is compassion? Compassion arises through our feeling as an experience we have in relation to others. Where does it arise? Compassion arises from emptiness, which is its source and its basis. In an empty sky, for example, you can't find anything; however, sometimes clouds appear in an empty sky. They arise, they develop, and they disappear again into an empty sky. The same is also true of bodhichitta, or compassion. Compassion also manifests from emptiness.
That is the reason why, when we are speaking of Tantra, we always speak of emptiness and clarity. Emptiness and clarity are functions of the same principle. All manifestation comes from emptiness, which is represented as the sky. When we speak of the Dharmadhatu, dharma means all phenomena,
and dhatu means the real condition of emptiness.
Although there is total emptiness, from that emptiness everything manifests. When we speak of the manifestation of the five elements, the first of these is the element of space from which everything manifests. The element of space is emptiness. If there were no element of space, there would be no possibility of manifestation.
In the same way, compassion manifests from emptiness, the real knowledge of which is called absolute bodhichitta. Relative bodhichitta, which is compassion, is related to our thoughts, our sensations, our feelings, and to everything that develops in the dimension of samsara. Sometimes, even when we do have compassion, it is still something limited. For that reason, in our training we practice cultivating compassion beyond our limitations. Otherwise, our compassion and love might always remain limited. For example, a mother has compassion and love for her children; but she never loves anyone else the way she loves her children. In the same way, when people fall in love they are at that moment conditioned by their emotions, and never love anyone else in the same way. That is what we mean when we speak of our compassion being limited.
When we cultivate bodhichitta, it means going beyond limitations characteristic of our dualistic vision. From the beginning we have our narrow ego, our sense of I,
and even if we expand our thinking a little and speak of ourselves
—where at first we said I,
and now we are saying we,
and developing things along those lines—we nevertheless always remain within defined limits. Through the teaching and developing real knowledge we can go beyond that. Working with our intention and thinking, we cultivate bodhichitta. Diminishing our attachment to ego, we place others before ourselves in order to benefit them. The bodhichitta principle is a fundamental teaching of the Mahayana. If we ask, Why do we follow Mahayana teachings? What do we practice in the Mahayana?,
the answer is very simple: we observe our intention and try to cultivate a good intention in everything we do. That is the total practice of Mahayana.
False Bodhichitta
Sometimes people speak a great deal about bodhichitta and love for others, but they never actually observe their own thoughts or intentions at all. Then everything they do can become a little like the games politicians play. Politicians promise all sorts of things, but often don't keep their promises once elected. For example, a certain party might continually make promises that if they are elected, they will provide everything the people need free of charge. But once they win the election they conveniently forget whatever they promised in order to get people to vote for them. Unfortunately, we sometimes do just the same, and claim to be practicing compassion for the benefit of all beings; but if we were to really observe ourselves and the way we actually behave in our lives, we would notice that in fact we never even relax our tensions enough to even get along with our own friends or with our Vajra sisters and brothers. We don't even have compassion for those close to us, let alone all sentient beings. This kind of falsehood clearly does not correspond to real bodhichitta, to the real expression of a pure intention to benefit others.
Contemplation
In contemplation we find ourselves beyond the distracted state of our habitually confused minds, completely relaxed in the naked awareness that is our natural condition. In this natural condition, thoughts or emotions can arise, but they do not disturb us; we remain in the nondual state, integrated with whatever arises, without accepting or rejecting anything. Practicing in this way, we are able to remain in contemplation, working with whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves in.
In the state of nondual contemplation there is really nothing to do or apply. There is no need to struggle with anything; everything can be left just as it is, with nothing to purify or transform. Then we discover for ourselves what is meant by The Great Perfection, or Total Perfection, which are both ways that the Tibetan word dzogchen can be translated. When we discover the self-perfected nature of our own state, we understand that Dzogchen is a word that, rather than referring to a tradition or school, really refers to our own inherent condition, the self-perfected state that is always there in each of us, but which is only experienced in contemplation. So contemplation is the most important of the Three Sacred Principles.
Transmission
The purpose of transmission is to show us that in the very mind we are experiencing right now, we are perfect and enlightened buddhas [...] When we are feeling devoted, we are not one bit more buddha—awake—than when we are feeling pissed off. It is exactly the same. That's why it is called Dzogchen,completely perfect: everything is included, samsara and nirvana
Following the teachings of Tantra or Dzogchen always involves the principle of transmission, which is not something we can receive through reading books, or only through the words of an oral explanation. That kind of approach is more characteristic of how we might follow the Sutra teachings.
In Dzogchen, transmission is the life of the teaching; we cannot attain realization without it. There are three kinds of transmission; direct, oral, and symbolic. Garab Dorje was the first human teacher of Dzogchen on this planet in this time cycle. Before he concluded his life with the realization of the Rainbow Body, he summarized his teaching in what became known as the Three Statements of Garab Dorje. The first of these statements is Direct Introduction. In this direct introduction, the teacher introduces the student to the state of contemplation through experiences of body, voice, and mind.
The second statement is Not Remaining in Doubt. The student experiences the state of contemplation through the transmission he or she has received in the direct introduction, and no longer has any doubt as to what contemplation is.
The third statement is Continuing in the State. This means that the student seeks to remain in the state of contemplation all the time, remaining in the natural condition of instant presence without correcting it, and applying practices as necessary according to circumstances to reenter the state when she or he has become distracted from it.
Thus, when we practice Guruyoga, what we are trying to do is to discover the state in which the teacher continually abides and has transmitted to us. When we are in the state of contemplation, there is no separation between the teacher and ourselves. Through Guruyoga we can enter the state of contemplation. In Dzogchen the teacher is indispensable, because without receiving direct transmission from the teacher, there can be no realization.
Along with this method of direct introduction I have just explained, there are in fact two other kinds of transmission mentioned in the Dzogchen teachings. Oral Transmission refers to general explanations of the teachings, or to particular instructions relating to various methods, such as instructions for visualizations.
Symbolic Transmission refers to the use by the master of objects such as a crystal, a mirror, or a peacock feather as symbols to help the student discover the nature of the inherent potentiality of their own state, and how that potentiality manifests as energy in various ways. Practice enables us to discover within ourselves the state of contemplation through which we find the presence of the master, together with the experience of the knowledge that he or she is transmitting.
Dedication of Merit
The third Sacred Principle is the Dedication of Merit, which is a practice inseparably linked to our intention. When, for example, we do long-life practice, we do it because we want to have a long and prosperous life with as many positive factors influencing it as possible; but if that were to be our only intention, it would not be enough. We need to ask ourselves why we want a long life. We should not want to prolong our lives just in order to have more time for our business or for our political interests. We should do long-life practices because we wish to live for a long time in order to attain realization. If we live longer, we will have more time to practice, and if we are prosperous, we will have fewer obstacles to interfere with our realization. The purpose of realization is to benefit all sentient beings. This is why we are on the path.
We must be aware that the infinite sentient beings to whom we dedicate any merits arising from our good actions and practice have no knowledge of the teachings or of the path. This means that they experience infinite suffering. We are seeking realization not just for our own benefit, but with the awareness of the infinite suffering of the infinite beings in samsara. If we really develop this awareness, there arises a real, rather than an artificial, compassion.
The Buddha taught that we should observe ourselves, and that through observing our own condition there would arise the wish to benefit others. If, for example, we imagine ourselves in the place of those who are not on the path, we can understand how infinite their suffering is. Such beings have no guarantee of liberation, and that is very grievous.
Those of us who are on the path have made a connection through which we are not only able to receive and practice the teachings, but also, through the power of this connection, have a real guarantee that we will one day attain realization. We have the good fortune to have learned many methods, some of which, if we use them correctly, can even bring us to realization in this very lifetime. We must think not only of ourselves, but also remember the suffering of all sentient beings, and thus cultivate bodhichitta, the aspiration to arrive at realization for the benefit of all other beings. Applying bodhichitta in a way that is alive and concrete, we develop a real compassion that is not just a matter of words.
Dzogchen in Relation to the Various Levels of the Buddhist Path
If thoughts arise, remain present in that state; if no thoughts arise, remain present in that state; there is no difference in the presence in either state.Garab Dorje
It will be helpful in coming to an understanding of Dzogchen to consider it in relation to the various other spiritual paths within the spectrum of Buddhism in general, which are all equally precious, and have been taught for the benefit of beings of different levels of capacity. These paths all have the common aim of seeking to overcome the problem that arose when the individual entered into dualism, developing a spurious subjective self
or 'ego' that experiences the world as separate from itself, external and objective, and which continually tries to manipulate that world in order to obtain satisfaction and security. In truth, one will never manage to attain satisfaction and security this way, because the cause of suffering and dissatisfaction is none other than the fundamental sense of incompleteness that is the inevitable consequence of being in the state of dualism--and, moreover, all the seemingly external phenomena on which we try to base our satisfaction and security are impermanent.
Dzogchen differs from the gradual paths (Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana) in that the master introduces the disciple directly to the Great Perfection, which is the heart of all the paths. But the reason why so many paths exist is that there is thus a teaching suited to the capacity of every individual. So, for example, for someone to whom the sutra teaching is best suited, that teaching can be said to be the highest
, because that is the teaching that will work best for that individual. Any use of the words high
, or highest
, in relation to the Dzogchen teachings, should be read with this important proviso in mind.
Dzogchen in Relation to Hinayana
The Buddha was a totally realized being who manifested a human birth in India in the fifth century B.C.E. in order to be able to teach other human beings by means of his words and the example of his life. Suffering is something very concrete, which everyone knows and wants to avoid if possible, and the Buddha therefore began his teaching by talking about it in his famous formulation of the Four Noble Truths.
The first truth draws our attention to the fact that we suffer, pointing out the existence of the basic dissatisfaction inherent in our condition; the second truth explains the cause of dissatisfaction, which is the dualistic state and the unquenchable thirst (or desire) inherent in it: the subject reifies its objects and tries to grasp them by any means, and this thirst (or desire) in tum affirms and sustains the illusory existence of the subject as an entity separate from the integrated wholeness of the universe. The third truth teaches that suffering will cease if dualism is overcome and reintegration achieved, so that we no longer feel separate from the plenitude of the universe. Finally, the fourth truth explains that there is a Path that leads to the cessation of suffering, which is the one described by the rest of the Buddhist teachings.
All the various traditions are agreed that this basic problem of suffering exists, but they have different methods of dealing with it to bring the individual back to the experience of primordial unity. The Hinayana tradition of Buddhism follows the Path of Renunciation that was taught by the Buddha in his human form and later written down in what are known as the Sutras. Here the ego is regarded as a poisonous tree, and the method applied is like digging up the roots of the tree one by one. One has to overcome all the habits and tendencies that are considered negative and hindrances to liberation. There are thus, at this level, many rules of conduct, governed by vows that regulate all of one's actions. The ideal is that of the monk or nun, who takes the maximum number of vows, but in any event, whether as a monk or a lay practitioner one's ordinary way of being is considered impure and to be renounced, in order, through the development of various states of meditation, to recreate oneself as a pure individual who has gone beyond the causes of suffering, an Arhat, who returns no more to the round of births and deaths in conditioned existence.
Dzogchen in Relation to Mahayana
From the point of view of the Mahayana, to seek only one's own salvation in this way, and to go beyond suffering whilst others continue to suffer, is less than ideal. In the Mahayana it is considered that one should work for a greater good, putting the wish for the realization of all others before one's own realization, and indeed continually returning to the round of suffering to help others get beyond it. One who practices in this way is called a Bodhisattva. Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, and Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle, are both parts of the Path of Renunciation, but their characteristic approaches are different. Since to cut through the roots of a tree one by one takes a long time, the Mahayana works more to cut the main root, so that the other roots may wither by themselves. The way to cut the main root is considered to be to discover the essential voidness both of the subject and of all objects, and to develop supreme compassion. It must be noted that, whereas the Mahayana posits the voidness of both the subject and its objects, and tells us to work toward realizing (or discovering) both,--in the Hinayana only the voidness of the ego is posited and must be discovered.
In the Mahayana, the intention behind one's actions is considered as important as one's actions themselves, which is a different approach from that of governing all one's actions with vows as one does in the Hinayana. There is a story that illustrates this difference of approach very well. A wealthy merchant, who was a disciple of the Buddha, went with a very large caravan of other merchants and his servants to a certain island, to bring back for trade some of the gem stones for which this island was famous. On board ship, on the way back, the merchant learned that another passenger on the boat intended to kill all the hundreds of people on board, in order to be a hie to steal the cargo of jewels. The merchant knew the man, and knew that he was indeed capable of killing all those people, and he wondered what to do about it. In the end, despite the fact that he had taken a vow with the Buddha never to take the life of another being, he had no alternative but to kill the would-be robber. He was very ashamed of what he had done, and as soon as he returned home he went to the Buddha to confess his bad action. But the Buddha told him he had not done wrong, because his intention had not been to take life, but to save life. Furthermore, since he had in fact saved the lives of hundreds of people, and had saved the robber from the very negative karma of killing hundreds of people and the inevitable consequences of such a bad action, the Buddha explained that the merchant had in fact done a good action. Because the intention behind one's actions is considered of such importance in the Mahayana, all practice is undertaken for the benefit of others.
Zen Buddhism is a Mahayana path, and because it is often said to be a non-gradual method, people often think that it must be the same as Dzogchen, which is also sometimes spoken of as being a non-gradual path (although it is really more correct to say that it is neither gradual nor non-gradual); but the methods of the two teachings and the realizations obtained by them are fundamentally different. Both the levels of the Path of Renunciation, Hinayana and Mahayana, can be said to work at the level of Body.
Dzogchen in Relation to Tantra
Tantra, on the other hand, works at the level of Energy, or Voice
. Energy is obviously less concrete than body, and less easy to perceive. It is harder to understand energy and how it functions than to understand the simple fact of suffering. A higher capacity is therefore needed to practice tantra. Although the term tantra and its Tibetan equivalent gyü has come to be used to denote the principal texts that contain tantric teachings, the true meaning of the word is continuity
, in the sense that although all phenomena are void, nevertheless phenomena continue to manifest. All tantric methods work with this continuation, taking the voidness of all phenomena, which the sutras work towards, as their basic assumption.
From the sutra point of view, the relative dimension is an obstacle to be renounced in order to realize the absolute level of voidness. But tantra uses the relative to fuel progress on the path that leads beyond it, and its attitude to the passions renounced at the sutra level is expressed in the tantric saying, When there is more wood (passions) there is more fire (realization)
.
There are Outer and Inner tantras (also called Lower and Higher tantras in the schools other than the Nyingmapa, or Ancient School). Both these levels of tantra use visualization as a principal means, but the Outer tantras begin working at the level of the external conduct of the practitioner to bring about The Path of a purification of thought and action to prepare the practitioner Purification to receive wisdom. The Outer tantras thus begin with what is called the Path of Purification, the first level of the Vajrayana, or Indestructible Vehicle
.
The second level of the Vajrayana is the Path of Transformation, which begins with the third and last level of the Outer tantras and includes all the first two levels of the Inner tantras.
These Inner tantras work once again on the basic assumption of the voidness of all phenomena, but the first two levels principally use inner yoga, working on the subtle energy system of the body, to bring about a transformation of the practitioner's whole dimension into the dimension of the realized being visualized in the practice. These methods were taught by the Buddha in a manifestation body, rather than by him in his physical body, as well as by other Sambhogakaya manifestations.
Transmission of tantra is originally received through a manifestation of the Sambhogakaya dimension appearing to a master who has sufficient visionary clarity to perceive that dimension, and the method of practice used in tantra is also that of manifestation. Once one is initiated into the practice by the master, through visualization and the reintegration of one's subtle energy, one follows the example of the original transmission, and manifests oneself as the deity, entering the pure dimension of the mandala. Thus one realizes the Sambhogakaya oneself, transcending the mundane world of the gross dements, which are transformed into their essences. When one dies, one enters the dimension of light and color that is the essence of the elements, and in that purified state, though not active in the individual sense, one remains capable of continually benefiting other beings. It is said that the developed tantric practitioner is like a baby eagle which is ready to fly as soon as it hatches from the egg: as soon as one dies, at that very moment, without entering the Bardo, or intermediate state, one manifests as the divinity whose practice one has accomplished in one's lifetime. This realization is clearly different from the simple cessation of the round of birth and death which is aimed for in the Sutra practices.
To develop sufficient mastery of the inner energy and sufficient power of concentration to complete this process of transformation, however, requires long years of solitary retreat, and is very difficult to achieve in one's daily life, even though it is a quicker method than the methods of the Path of Renunciation, which take many lifetimes to complete.
How Dzogchen Actually Works
But Dzogchen is neither sutra nor tantra. The basis for the communication of Dzogchen is introduction, not transformation into a manifestation as in tantra. And Dzogchen's principal practices work directly at the level of Mind in order to allow the individual to discover the primordial state to which he or she is introduced directly by the master, and to continue in it until the total realization of the Great Transfer or the Body of Light are achieved. It must be noted that, just as the realizations that are the Fruit of tantra are different from those that are obtained as a result of the applying the practices of the sutra vehicles, the Great Transfer and the Body of Light are particular to the Dzogchen teachings and do not correspond to the attainments of the practices of sutric and tantric vehicles. I shall not discuss these levels here, however, but in chapter eight on the Fruit of the Dzogchen teachings.
Even though Dzogchen is a teaching that works principally at the level of Mind, practices of the Voice and Body are found in the Dzogchen teachings; but they are secondary to the practice of non-dual contemplation itself, and are used to bring the practitioner into this state. Only this contemplation can truly be called Dzogchen, but a Dzogchen practitioner may use practices from any of the levels of sutra or tantra, if they are found to be necessary to remove obstacles that block the state of contemplation.
The particular method of Dzogchen is called the Path of Self-Liberation, and to apply it nothing need be renounced, purified, or transformed. Whatever arises as one's karmic vision is used as the path. The great master Pha Tampa Sangye once said:
It's not the circumstances which arise as one's karmic vision that condition a person into the dualistic state; it's a person's own attachment that enables what arises to condition him.
If this attachment is to be cut through in the most rapid and effective way, the capacity for self-liberation inherent in the primordial state must be brought into play. The term self-liberation should not, however, be taken as implying that there is some 'self' or 'ego' there to be liberated. It is a fundamental assumption, as we have already said, at the Dzogchen level, that all phenomenon are devoid of self-nature and it is understood that no phenomena has inherent existence. Self-Liberation, in the Dzogchen sense, means that whatever manifests in the field of the practitioner's experience is allowed to arise just as it is, without judgment of it as good or bad, beautiful or ugly. And in that same moment, if there is no clinging, or attachment, without effort, or even volition, whatever it is that arises, whether as a thought or as a conceptualization of a seemingly external event, automatically liberates itself, by itself, and of itself. Practicing in this way, the seeds of the poison tree of dualistic vision never even get a chance to sprout, much less to take root and grow.
So the practitioner lives his or her life in an ordinary way, without needing any rules other than one's own awareness, always remaining in the primordial state through integrating that state with whatever arises as part of experience-with absolutely nothing to be seen outwardly to show that one is practicing. This is what is meant by self-liberation, this is what is meant by the name Dzogchen-which means Great Perfection-and this is what is meant by non-dual contemplation, or simply contemplation.
Garab Dorje's Three Principles of the Dzogchen Teaching
- Direct Introduction
- The primordial state is transmitted straight away by the master to the disciple. The master always remains in the primordial state, and the presence of the state is thus communicated to the disciple in whatever situation or activity they may share.
- Not To Remain in Doubt
- Through the repeated experience of the primordial state in contemplation, the disciple no longer has any doubts about what his or her true condition is.
- To Continue In the State
- The disciple endeavors to continue at all times in the state of non-dual contemplation, the primordial state, until every thought or experience spontaneously self-liberates in the very instant that it arises, without any effort being necessary, and nothing any longer hides the true condition of the individual (which is obscured, in samsara, by dualistic vision). One continues right up to Total Realization.
The Base, the Path, and the Fruit of Dzogchen
It is quite impossible to find the Buddha anywhere other than in one's own mind.
A person who is ignorant of this may seek externally, but how is it possible to find oneself through seeking anywhere other than in oneself!
Someone who seeks their own nature externally is like a fool who, giving a performance in the middle of a crowd, forgets who he is and then seeks everywhere else to find himself.
admasambhava (The Yoga of Knowing the Mind)
Of the groups of three, the group known as The Base, the Path, and the Fruit is of central importance, and we shall now consider each of these in turn.
The Base of Dzogchen
The Base, or Zhi in Tibetan, is the term used to denote the fundamental ground of existence, both at the universal level and at the level of the individual, the two being essentially the same; to realize the one is to realize the other. If you realize yourself, you realize the nature of the universe. We have previously referred to the primordial state, experienced in non-dual contemplation, and it is in this state that the individual regains the experience of identity with the Base. It is called the Base because it is the base of all phenomena and because, being uncreated, ever pure and self-perfected, it is not something that has to be constructed. Although it is the uncreated and indestructible Base of the existence of each and every individual, it remains hidden to the experience of every being affected by the illusion of dualism: when this happens, it is temporarily obscured by the clouds
constituted by negative mental states in mutual interaction--for example, passions such as attachment and aversion--which arise from the basic ignorance of dualistic vision. However, the Base should not be objectified and considered as a self-existing entity; it is the insubstantial State or condition which serves as the basis of all entities and individuals, of which the ordinary individual is unaware but which is fully manifest in the realized individual.
Transmigration and Dzogchen
In the teachings in general, not just in the Dzogchen teaching, it is considered that consciousness does not cease with the death of the physical body, but transmigrates, the karmic causes accumulated over countless lifetimes giving rise to further rebirths until the individual becomes realized, karma is transcended, and transmigration is brought to an end. The question of how and when this transmigration began is not so much spoken of, because it is considered more important to deal with those things that will actually be helpful in bringing the suffering of transmigration in conditioned existence to an end, rather than to waste one's precious time speculating about a first cause. At the time of the Buddha there was considerable debate amongst the Brahmin sects as to the precise nature of the Creator, and even as to whether a Creator existed. But instead of affirming or denying the existence of a Supreme Being as the first cause, the Buddha advised his disciples to leave aside all doubts and speculation and to strive to attain the state of Enlightenment in which questions disappear and clarity manifests.
At the level of what we ourselves actually experience in our lives it is clear where transmigration begins; it begins in any instant in which we enter into dualism just as it ends when we rediscover the primordial state, which is beyond all limits, including the limits of time, and of words and concepts. Nevertheless, the words of the Song of the Vajra try to describe it:
Unborn, yet continuing without interruption, neither coming nor going, omnipresent, Supreme Dharma, unchangeable space, without definition, spontaneously self-liberating- perfectly unobstructed state- manifest from the very beginning, self-created, without location, with nothing negative to reject, and nothing positive to accept, infinite expanse, penetrating everywhere, immense, and without limits, without ties, with nothing even to dissolve or to be liberated from, manifest beyond space and time, existing from the beginning, immense ying, inner space, radiant through clarity like the sun and the moon, self-perfected, indestructible like a Vajra, stable as a mountain, pure as a lotus, strong as a lion, incomparable pleasure beyond all limits, illumination, equanimity, peak of the Dharma, light of the universe, perfect from the beginning.
Just as the conditioned existence of the individual arises from karmic traces, so too does the existence of whole universes. The ancient Tibetan Bön tradition of cosmology, for example, explains that the space that existed before the creation of this universe was the latent karmic trace remaining from beings of previous universal cycles that had since gone into destruction. This space moved within itself, and the essence of the element wind was formed; the ferocious friction of this wind against itself gave rise to the essence of the element fire; resulting differences in temperature caused the condensation of the essence of the element water; and the swirling of these three already existing essences of elements gave rise to the essence of the element earth, in the same way that churning milk causes it to solidify into butter. This level of the essence of the elements is a pre-atomic level of existence as light and color. From the interaction of all the essences of the elements, the actual elements at an atomic, or material, level are formed, in the same manner and sequence that the essences of the elements were formed. Then from the interaction of the material, or atomic, elements, what is called the Cosmic Egg, made up of all the various realms of being, is formed. These realms are the traditional six dimensions of conditioned existence: those of the Gods and Demi-Gods (including the higher Divinities and Nagas), Humans, Animals, Frustrated Spirits, and the Hell Beings.
If the essences of all the elements (and thus the elements themselves and all the various realms) arise from space, which is the latent karmic traces of past beings, this space is clearly not beyond karma and the conditioned level of existence, and in that case what is said about the Base couldn't be said about it. You couldn't say that it has been fundamentally pure and self-perfected from the very beginning.
So the Base can be compared to space in so far as it is that which allows for the manifestation of entities, but it cannot be identified with conditioned space. What we could say is that the Base is that which allows conditioned space to manifest, and it could thus be compared to the essence of the element space, which we could say is ... unborn, yet continuing without interruption, neither coming nor going, omnipresent, beyond space and time, existing from the beginning...
in the words of the Song of the Vajra.
Cosmic Origination according to Dzogchen
The Dzogchen teachings themselves view the process of cosmic origination in a way that is parallel to, but slightly different from, the Bön tradition. In the Dzogchen teachings, it is considered that the primordial state, which is beyond time, and beyond creation and destruction, is the fundamentally pure base of all existence, both at the universal and the individual levels. It is the inherent nature of the primordial state to manifest as light, which in tum manifests as the five colors, the essences of the elements. The essences of the elements interact (as explained in the Bön cosmology) to produce the elements themselves, which make up both the individual's body and the whole material dimension. The universe is thus understood as the spontaneously arising play of the energy of the primordial state, and may be enjoyed as such by an individual who remains integrated with his or her essential inherent condition, in the self-liberating, self-perfected state, the state of Dzogchen.
But if, through fundamental misperception of reality, the individual enters into the confusion of dualism, primordial consciousness, which is in fact the source of all manifestation (even of dualistic consciousness and, in fact, of all phenomena), itself becomes obscured. The individual's deluded mind then mistakes the manifestations of its own pure, innate primordial awareness for an external reality existing separately from itself, which it endlessly, and ultimately unsuccessfully, attempts to manipulate, trying in vain to bring an end to the continual underlying sense of dissatisfaction and unease which is the inevitable experience of the obscuration of pure awareness. The experience of underlying dissatisfaction (or dukha, in Sanskrit) that unavoidably arises with a deluded mind, continues, no matter how successful the individual becomes in dealing with his or her world in materialistic terms, until the individual regains the experience of the primordial state.
All the various passions arise from the fundamental misperception of reality just described, and the passions once they have arisen continually condition the individual into dualism, deepening the individual's sense of confusion about the nature of reality. This is why samsara, the endless round of conditioned existence, is often described in the teachings as being a vicious cycle
.
The Base and Non-Dualism
The Dzogchen teachings, in the explanations of the Base, the Path, and the Fruit, set out to show how the illusion of dualism has come about, how it can be undone, and what the experience of an individual is when it is undone. But all examples used to explain the nature of reality can only ever be partially successful in describing it because it is, in itself, beyond words and concepts. As Milarepa said, we may say that the essential nature of the mind is like space, because both are empty, but mind is aware, while space is not. Realization is not knowledge about the universe, but the living experience of the nature of the universe. Until we have such living experience, we remain dependent on examples, and subject to their limits.
We could say that the Base is like a mysterious object that I am trying to describe to you. I might say that the object is white and sort of round
, and then you'll get a certain idea of it. But then, the next day you might hear another description given by someone else who has seen the object, and then you'll change your mind according to their description, thinking perhaps that it's rather more oval than round, and the color of mother of pearl rather than white. Fifty descriptions later, you're not really any the wiser about the object, still changing your mind each time you hear it described. But if you once see the object for yourself, then you know for sure what it is like, and you understand that all the descriptions were right, in part, but none really could catch the whole nature of that mysterious object. Something similar happens with the descriptions of the Base, or primordial state, which is, and never ceases to be, the true inherent condition of the individual, pure from the beginning, and remaining so, even while the superficial consciousness of a deluded being is immersed in dualism and enmeshed in the passions.
Now that we have considered the meaning of the term Base as it is understood in the Dzogchen teachings, we can begin to consider how this Base manifests as the individual and the universe he or she experiences. All levels of the teachings regard the individual as being made up of Body, Voice, and Mind. The perfected states of these which manifest in realized individuals are symbolized by the Tibetan syllables Om, Ah and Hum, respectively. Body includes the whole material dimension of the individual, while Voice is the vital energy of the body, known as prana in Sanskrit, and lung in Tibetan, the circulation of which is linked to the breathing. Mind includes both the mind that reasons, and the nature of the mind, which is not subject to the limits of the intellect. The body, voice, and mind of an ordinary being have become so conditioned that he or she has become completely caught up in dualism. Such a being's dualistic perception of reality is called impure or karmic vision, as it is conditioned by the karmic causes continually manifesting as a result of one's past actions, to the extent that one lives enclosed in the world of one's limits, like a bird in a cage. But a realized individual, who has discovered the true condition of the Base which was formerly obscured, and who lives in and for this condition, is said to have pure vision
.
The Explanations of the Base
The self-perfect clarity of the pure vision of the primordial state in realized individuals has allowed them to not limit themselves to only giving a Direct Introduction to the state in which the true condition of the Base is fully manifest, but has permitted them to also give a Symbolic Introduction to the Base, as well as an Oral Introduction in which it is explained verbally.
The Oral Explanation to the Base in Dzogchen
The oral explanation describes the functioning of the Base in terms of three aspects or Three Wisdoms
: the Essence, Nature and Energy. And in order to symbolize the functional aspect of the Base that each of these Three Wisdoms represents, a mirror is traditionally used: the voidness which allows the mirror to fill itself
with any content illustrates the Essence; the mirror's capacity to reflect represents the Nature, and the particular appearances that are reflected in the mirror symbolize the Energy.
The First Asperct of the Base: the Essence
The aspect of the Base that is referred to as the Essence is its fundamental voidness. Practically speaking, this means that, for example, if one looks into one's own mind, any thought that arises can be seen to be void in the three times, past, present, and future. That is to say, if one looks for a place from which the thought came, one finds nothing; if one looks for a place where the thought stays, one finds nothing; and if one looks for a place where the thought goes, one finds nothing-voidness. It is not that there is some void that could be said to be some sort of thing, or place itself, but rather that all phenomena, whether mental events or apparently external actual objects, no matter how solid they may seem, are in fact essentially void, impermanent, only temporarily existing, and all things
can be seen to be made up of other things, in turn made up of other things, and so on. From the enormously large, to the infinitely small, and everywhere in between, everything that can be seen to exist can be seen to be void.
And by way of an example, this voidness is said to be like the fundamental purity and clarity of a mirror. A master may show the disciple a mirror and explain how the mirror itself does not judge the reflections arising in it to be either beautiful or ugly: the mirror is not changed by whatever kind of reflection may arise, nor is its capacity to reflect impaired. It is then explained that the void nature of the mind is like the nature of the mirror, pure, clear, and limpid, and that no matter what arises, the void essence of the mind can never be lost, damaged, or tarnished.
The Second Asperct of the Base: the Nature
Although voidness in the sense explained above is the essential underlying condition of all phenomena, phenomena--whether mental events or real
objects experienced as something external--continue to manifest. Just as reflections, even though they are empty, keep appearing in a mirror, things continue to exist and thoughts keep arising. This continuous arising is the aspect of the Base that is called Nature. The Nature of the Base is to manifest, and in order to illustrate this nature it is compared to the capacity of a mirror to reflect all that is put in front of it.
The master may use a physical mirror in order to show that, no matter whether what is reflected is good or bad, beautiful or ugly, the capacity to reflect inherent to the mirror functions as soon as an object is put in front of it. Then he will explain that the same happens with what is termed nature of mind
, which is discovered in non-dual contemplation. Any thought or event may arise, but the nature of mind will not be conditioned by it and will not enter into judgment: it will simply reflect what arises, just as a mirror does, according to its own nature.
The Third Asperct of the Base: the Energy
So the Zhi, the Base, the fundamental condition of the individual and of existence, is in essence void, and yet its Nature is nevertheless to manifest. How it manifests is as Energy, and by way of example, this Energy is compared to the reflections that arise in a mirror. The master may once again show a mirror to the disciple and explain how the reflections that arise in it are the energy of the mirror's own inherent nature manifesting visibly.
The Essence, Nature, and Energy of the Base are One
Now, although in order to explain the Base we may artificially separate its Essence, Nature, and Energy, the example of the mirror shows that these three aspects are interdependent and cannot be separated from each other. In fact, a mirror's primordially pure voidness, its clear capacity to reflect and the reflections that arise in it are inseparable and are all essential to the existence of what is known as a mirror
.
If it were not empty, the mirror would not reflect; if it did not have a clear capacity to reflect, how could it manifest reflections? And if it could not manifest reflections, how could we say it was a mirror? The same is true of the three aspects of the Base: Essence, Nature, and Energy are inseparable.
How the Energy manifests: Dang, Rolba, Tsal
Energy manifests in three characteristic ways, which are known as Dang, Rolpa, and Tsal. These terms are untranslatable, and we have to use the Tibetan words. They are explained with three examples: the mirror, the crystal ball, and the crystal-prism.
Dang
A mirror has neither form nor color. Yet when a red cloth is placed in front of it, the mirror seems red, and with a green cloth in front of it, it seems green, and so on. Thus, although a mirror's voidness is essentially infinite and formless, the mirror may fill itself with any content. The same happens with the individual's energy: although at the Dang level it is essentially infinite and formless, it is clear that it has the capacity to adopt any form.
In fact, although essentially our energy is totally formless and free from any duality, the karmic traces contained in our stream of consciousness give rise to the forms that we experience as body, voice, and mind, as well as to those that we perceive as an external environment--whose characteristics are in both cases determined by the causes accumulated during numberless lives. The problem is that these karmic traces also give rise to the dualistic delusion and the attachment that cause us to be utterly unaware of our own true condition, so that we experience a radical separation between our person--body, speech, and mind--and that which we take for an external world. This causes us to experience both ourselves and the world around us
as absolute, self-existing realities. The result of this delusion is what is known as karmic vision.
Rolpa
When freed from this illusion, the individual experiences his or her own nature as it is and as it has been from the very beginning: as an awareness free from any restrictions and as an energy free from any limits or form. To discover this is to discover the Dharmakaya or Body of Truth
, which is better rendered as Body of the True Nature of Reality
.
This type of manifestation of the individual's energy is illustrated with the example of a crystal ball. When an object is placed near a crystal ball, an image of the object may be seen inside the ball, so that the object itself seems to be found inside it. The same may happen with the energy of the individual, which has the potentiality to appear as an image experienced internally
, as though it were seen with the eye of the mind
, although what appears is truly neither inside nor outside: no matter how vivid this seemingly internal image may be, it is, just as in the previous case, a manifestation of the individual's own energy, this time in the form of Rolpa energy.
It is on the basis of the functioning of this type of manifestation of energy that many of the practices of Thodgal and of the Yangthig work. (These practices will be discussed in following chapters.) It is the source of the one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities which, according to the Bardo Thodrol or Tibetan Book of the Dead arise in the experience of the chönyid bardo (or bardo of the Dharmata); and it is also the original source of the deities that are visualized by practitioners of the Path of Transformation in order to transform their impure vision into pure vision.
Finally, it is precisely this level of their own energy that realized individuals experience as the Sambhogakaya or Body of Wealth
. The wealth referred to is the fantastic multiplicity of forms that may manifest at this level, corresponding to the essence of the elements, which is light and which realized individuals do not perceive in dualistic terms.
Tsal
Tsal is the manifestation of the energy of the individual him or herself, as an apparently external world. But, in fact, the apparently external world is a manifestation of our own energy, at the level of Tsal. Together with the arising of dualism, however, there simultaneously arises the illusion of a self-existing individual who feels separate from a world which he or she experiences as external. The fragmented dualistic consciousness takes the projections of the senses for objects existing independently and separately from the illusory self
with which it identifies and to which it clings.
The example used to illustrate the illusory nature of our sense of separateness establishes a parallel between the way in which the individual's energy manifests and what happens when a crystal-prism is placed in the light of the sun: when the sun's light falls on a crystal, it is reflected, refracted and decomposed by it, causing the appearance of rays and forms in the colors of the spectrum which seem to be separate from the crystal, but which are actually functions of the crystal's own nature.
In the same way, what appears as a world of apparently external phenomena is the energy of the individual him or herself, as perceived by his or her senses. In truth, there is nothing external to, or separate from, the individual, and all that manifests in the individual's field of experience is a continuum, fundamentally free from duality and multiplicity: this is precisely the Great Perfection that is discovered in Dzogchen.
For a realized individual, the level of manifestation of energy called Tsal is the dimension of the Nirmanakaya, or Body of Manifestation
. But we must keep in mind that neither the Dang, Rolpa, and Tsal forms of the manifestation of energy, nor the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, and the Nirmanakaya, are separate from each other. Limitless, formless Dang energy, the correct understanding of which is the Dharmakaya, manifests on the level of the essence of the elements, which is light, as the nonmaterial forms of the Rolpa energy, the correct understanding of which is the Sambhogakaya, which can only be perceived by those having visionary clarity. On the material level, it manifests as the forms of Tsal energy, which deluded individuals perceive as external to their consciousness, as solid and material, but the correct understanding of which is the Nirmanakaya. (The correct understanding
referred to in each case is clearly not intended to mean a mere intellectual understanding, but refers to a shift from deluded consciousness to the non-dual experience of reality as it is.)
So, to say that the Enlightened ones possess three kaya or bodies does not mean they have three physical bodies in different dimensions, or three levels, like a statue; the kaya are the three modes of the manifestation of the energy of every individual, as experienced in realization. These three kaya will be considered later on in further detail.
The examples just given above are among the ways in which the master may give the disciple a Symbolic Introduction to the Base; and the explanations of the three aspects of the Base, and the way in which the Base manifests as the three types of energy, are how he or she gives the disciple the Oral Introduction to it.
This is the open secret, that everyone can discover for themselves: we live our lives, as it were, inside out, conceiving ourselves as an I
that we take to be absolutely separate from a world that we regard as external, and trying to manipulate that world in order to achieve satisfaction. But as long as we remain in the dualistic state, our experience will continue to be characterized by an underlying sense of lack, fear, anxiety, and dissatisfaction.
When, on the other hand, one goes beyond the dualistic level, anything is possible. Near the cave of Milarepa there lived a very scholarly Tibetan monk who saw himself as being very intelligent. He believed he could overcome everything with his intellect, but the strange thing was that everyone went to receive teachings from Milarepa who had never studied anything, and no one came to see this monk. The monk was very jealous, and went to see Milarepa to debate with him. He wanted to expose him with a few well-chosen words of argument, so he asked: Is space material or immaterial?
Milarepa replied: It's material
. The monk thought to himself: Now I've shown him up as a complete idiot!
and was preparing to debate some more in the same way, when Milarepa picked up a stick and began banging on empty space as if it were a drum. The monk then asked: Is a rock material or immaterial?
Milarepa replied by passing his hand through a rock. The amazed monk became his disciple.
The Path of Dzogchen
Some people spend the whole of their life preparing to practice. Then the end of their life comes, and they are still preparing. So they begin their next life without ever having completed all these preparations!Tragpa Gyaltsen, a great master of the Sakyapa school
The second aspect of the principal group of three--the Base, the Path, and the Fruit--is the Path. Everything in the Path is concerned with how one can work to bring oneself out of the dualistic condition, to realization. Because even if the master has transmitted an Introduction to the primordial state directly, and has given an explanation of the state and how it manifests, the problem is that we ourselves remain closed up in the cage of our limits. We need a key, a way to open the cage, a method with which to work in order to become established in that which the Introduction had allowed us to glimpse. This key is the Path, or Lam in Tibetan, which itself can be seen to have three aspects.
Tawa
the View
, or Vision
of the true condition of the individual and of all phenomena
The first aspect of the Path is the Tawa: the View
, or Vision
of the true condition of the individual and of all phenomena.
The reason the Tawa is sometimes referred to as the Vision
of the true condition, rather than as the View
, is because in Dzogchen the term Tawa does not refer to a philosophical or intellectual point of view. When people speak of a view
they often mean a philosophical position held by a person or school. The Madhyamika philosophy, for example, is often spoken of as being the viewpoint, or view, of Nagarjuna
. But in Dzogchen, rather than the View meaning that we just study, absorb and subscribe to a theoretical philosophical viewpoint, what is necessary is that we observe ourselves so that we can really discover for ourselves what our true condition is.
The direct, non-dual, non-conceptual knowledge of this true condition--our absolute nature, fundamentally pure from the beginning, and completely free from all conditioning, never lost or stained even though it is veiled in the dualistic experience of samsara--is true Tawa or Vision of Dzogchen; and when this Vision becomes stable for us, we overcome the limitations that create and sustain the cage of our limited sense of self, or ego.
But if we are caught up in dualism, the first thing we need to do is to discover exactly how we are so thoroughly conditioned, and how our limitations confine us in the cage of dualism. So the Tawa of Dzogchen also implies, at the relative level, that we observe ourselves thoroughly at the levels of our body, voice, and mind, and confront all our problems, and this may be neither easy nor pleasant.
There are many practical problems relating to our work, our living conditions, getting enough to eat, our health, and so on. These could be called the problems of the body. Then there are the problems of the voice, or energy: nervousness, neuroses, psychosomatic problems, and various other types of disturbances.
And even if we are physically fit and materially well-off, there are still the problems of the mind. These mental problems are so many and can be so subtle and hard to see--there are all kinds of games that we play in order to maintain, impose and boost our egos.
We play these games imagining that through them we will somehow improve our situation, but in fact all we succeed in accomplishing is building a cage and locking ourselves inside it. And once we are in the cage the problem then becomes that we deceive ourselves into no longer even being able to see that it is there. So the first step towards getting out of this self-created cage is that we must become aware that it is there, and this can only be done by observing ourselves all the time. This is another reason why the mirror or melong is such an important symbol in Dzogchen. Besides representing the true condition of the Base and the inseparability of the two truths--relative and absolute--the mirror also serves as a reminder to observe one's own condition at all times.
There is a Tibetan proverb which runs like this:
On someone else's nose one won't fail to notice the presence of even something as small as an ant. But on one's own nose one won't even see something as big as a yak.
That may indeed be the way in which we human beings often tend to behave, but it's not the right outlook according to the Tawa of Dzogchen. According to the Tawa of Dzogchen one should not look outwards and criticize others; one should observe oneself, and by observing oneself, one becomes aware of one's cage.
But it's not enough just to know that the cage is there; one must sincerely want to break out of it, and then actually begin working to that end.
The way to break out of the cage, according to the Dzogchen teachings, is to establish the Tawa or Vision of the true condition of the individual and of all phenomena--which dissolves all illusory limits--and this process can be explained in terms of Garab Dorje's Three Principles: access to the Tawa is gained through receiving the Direct Introduction to the primordial state, or Base, from the master; and it is through repeatedly returning to the Tawa that the practitioner is enabled to not remain in doubt
about the true nature of all experiences; and then he or she endeavors to dwell uninterruptedly in the Vision or Tawa itself, which means continuing
in the primordial state.
But whenever one does not find oneself in the primordial state one should constantly observe oneself without distraction, governing one's behavior with the kind of 'relative' self-observing awareness that recognizes the consequences of one's actions, and one should maintain this awareness for as long as the absolute spontaneous non-dual awareness of the primordial state, that is one's true condition, is not present.
Although we have just considered the Tawa in terms of all three of Garab Dorje's Principles, it might be more usual to regard the first two Principles as referring to the Tawa, while the third Principle refers more specifically to the Gompa and the Chöpa, which will be explained in the next two sections of this book. As we shall see, the Gompa could be defined as remaining in the Tawa
, while the Chöpa could be defined as behavior arising from the Gompa
.
Gompa
practice
The great Dzogchen master Yungtön Dorje Pal was asked:
What meditation do you do?And he replied:What would I meditate on?So his questioner concluded:
In Dzogchen you don't meditate, then?But Yungtön Dorje Pal replied:
When am I ever distracted [from contemplation]?
Chöpa
The distinction between what is meant by the terms meditation and contemplation is an essential one in Dzogchen. The practice of Dzogchen is, properly speaking, the practice of contemplation, which consists in abiding in the non-dual state which, of its own nature, uninterruptedly self-liberates. This state, which is not conditioned by the conceptual level of mental activity, also encompasses thought and the functioning of what we generally consider to be our ordinary minds. Thought can, and indeed does, arise in contemplation--but, in contemplation, one is not conditioned by it; since the primordial state is inherently self-liberating, by simply leaving thought alone, it liberates of itself.
In contemplation, therefore, as the term is used in Dzogchen, the mind makes no effort whatsoever: there is nothing to do, or to abstain from doing. Since what is
is self-perfect just as it is, it is left in its own condition.
What is meant by meditation in the Dzogchen teachings, on the other hand, is one or other of the very many practices that involve working with the dualistic, relative mind, in order to enable one to enter the state of contemplation. These practices can include the various kinds of fixation of the gaze that are done to bring one to a state of calm, as well as the various kinds of visualization practices, and so on. So, in what is called meditation, there is something to be done with the mind, but in contemplation there is not.
In Dzogchen contemplation, free from the defects of sleepiness, agitation and distraction, both the moments of calm that occur between one thought and another, and the movements of thoughts themselves are integrated in the non-dual presence of Enlightened awareness. The term rigpa (the opposite of marigpa--the fundamental delusion of dualistic mind) indicates the pure presence of this inherently self-liberating awareness, in which thought is neither rejected nor followed.
If one cannot find this pure presence, or rigpa, one will never find Dzogchen: to find Dzogchen, one must bring forth the naked state of rigpa. The state of rigpa is the pillar of the Dzogchen teachings, and it is this state that the master seeks to transmit in the Direct Introduction, the transmission of which, as my master Changchub Dorje showed me, is not dependent on either formal ritual initiations or intellectual explanations.
But if one does not find oneself dwelling in the state of rigpa, it is only by observing one's condition at all times that one can know just which practices to work with at any given moment in order to get out of one's cage, and to stay out of it. A bird that has lived in a cage all its life may not even know of the possibility of flight; and it will have to learn how to fly in a protected situation before it can definitively leave its cage, because otherwise, without the ability to fly well--once the bars of the cage are no longer there to protect it--it will be vulnerable to every kind of predator.
So, in the same way, a practitioner must develop mastery of his or her energies, and in the Dzogchen teachings there are practices to make this mastery possible, practices to suit all kinds of birds and all kinds of cages. But one must know for oneself what kind of bird one is, and what kind of cage one is in. And then, one must really want to come out of all cages, because it's no good just making one's cage a little bigger or more beautiful by, for example, adding some fascinating new bars made from some exotic Tibetan teaching. It's no good building a new crystal cage out of the Dzogchen teachings. However beautiful it might be, it's still a cage, and the whole purpose of the Dzogchen teachings is to take one out of all cages into the expanse of the clear sky, into the space of the primordial state.
The practices of the Three Series can be classified as either principal practices--non-dual contemplation itself and the practices leading to it, or as secondary practices --which work with contemplation itself in some way, or work to develop some particular capacity. Among the secondary practices are included the practices known as the Six Yogas: the practice of inner heat, Tummo; the practice of the transference of consciousness, Powa; and so on, as well as all the practices of levels of the teaching other than Dzogchen. Sutra practices and tantric practices of the paths of purification or transformation may be used, but they are secondary for a Dzogchen practitioner.
It must be stressed here that for the practices of Dzogchen, transmission from a master is essential. It's not that Dzogchen masters have a secret that they want to hide from others who must then try somehow or other to get it from them; the secret
of Dzogchen is really self-secret
, because what is hidden from those who are in samsara is the State of Dzogchen itself, and as soon as one discovers it, it is no longer secret. But nevertheless, it must be stressed here in the strongest possible terms that in order to work with the practices of Dzogchen it is essential to have received transmission from a master, and it is also very important that there be a real commitment on the part of whoever wishes to receive specific instruction in the practices. Ideally, in fact, there should be a continuous ongoing collaboration between the master who transmits and the disciple who receives, until the transmission can be said to be complete.
Although there are an enormous variety of practices, one does not have to practice every one of them. On the contrary, one uses the practices sparingly as and when, by observing one's condition, one understands them to be useful or necessary. So here we only need to consider enough of them for a general introductory overview of the Dzogchen teachings. The reader should be aware, however, that a description of a practice is by no means the same as an instruction for that practice.
The Three Series
To serve as a key a table of the Three Series appears in an section. In general there are practices that work with the body, the voice, and the mind. Since each of these has become conditioned, each of these must be worked with. And so, instruction for every practice will usually include the following three elements: what the posture of the body should be, how the breathing should be, and what kind of concentration of attention, type of gaze, or form of visualization should be applied. Some practices are intended to work specifically on one of the aspects of the individual's condition, for example using control of the body and voice to focus the mind. Another practice might be aimed at simply relaxing the body, while another still might work through the voice and sound, like the Song of the Vajra. There are also practices using each of the elements, earth, air, fire, water, and space.
Each of the Three Series, the Semde, the Longde and the Mennagde has its own characteristic approach, but the goal is in each case the same: contemplation. And none of the Three Series is a gradual path, because in each case the master transmits directly. But the Mennagde--which literally means secretly spoken series
, also called the Nyingthig, meaning heart essence
or essence of the essence
--is undoubtedly more direct than the Semde, which works more with oral explanation, detailed analysis, and progressive stages of meditation leading to non-dual contemplation. The Mennagde is extremely paradoxical in its introduction, because the nature of reality does not enter into the limits of logic and so cannot be explained in any other way than by paradoxes. In the Longde, on the other hand, precise positions of the body and breathing instructions lead the practitioner directly into the experience of contemplation, without the need for intellectual explanations at all.
Although the methods of presentation may vary in the Three Series, there is always a Direct Introduction in Dzogchen. It's not that there is no prior preparation, but rather that the preparation is done according to the needs of the individual. This distinguishes Dzogchen from other levels of the path in which there is a hard and fast rule which is the same for everyone. There is no need in Dzogchen for certification of one level of attainment or initiation, as is found in the gradual paths, before another higher level can be approached. Dzogchen does not work in this way. The disciple is given the opportunity to enter at the highest level right away, and only if the capacity for this level is lacking is it necessary to work down to find a level of practice that will enable whatever difficulties there may be to be overcome so that the disciple can proceed to the level of contemplation itself.
In all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, not only does one normally have to proceed gradually up through all the levels of sutra and tantra, but before being allowed to practice tantra at all, one has to complete a sequence of preliminary practices, or Ngöndro, which are also known nowadays as the Four Foundation practices. Their purpose is to develop the capacity of the individual where it is lacking, and it is absolutely correct and traditional that they are a required prerequisite for certain levels of tantric practice. I myself completed the Ngöndro twice during the course of my education. It is considered compulsory for all who wish to approach the higher practices, in all the four schools.
But Dzogchen, as the Path of Self-Liberation, approaches the situation in another way; its principle is different from that of the tantras. Garab Dorje didn't say: First teach the Ngöndro
. He said that the first thing to be done was for the master to introduce the disciple directly to the primordial state, so that the student would have a clear experience of it and would then have no doubts as to the fact that the state is the true condition of all phenomena. Afterwards, he said, the disciple should continue in the state, and if obstacles arose that would make this impossible, he or she should apply the specific practices necessary to overcome those obstacles: if one discovered the lack of a given capacity, one should dedicate oneself to a practice that would allow one to develop it.
Thus one can see that the principle of Dzogchen relies on the awareness of the practitioner in deciding what must be done, rather than on a rule compulsorily applied to one and all. This is how it must be in Dzogchen.
The Ngöndro involves practices of Refuge and Bodhichitta, the offering of the Mandala, reciting the mantra of Vajrasattva, and Guru Yoga, all of which must be carried out over 100,000 times as a preliminary to receiving higher teachings. Every level of teaching has its value and its principle, and the repetition of these practices as preliminaries truly has its function in relation to the capacity of individuals approaching the tantric teachings. In Dzogchen the same practices are carried out; but not as a preliminary to Direct Introduction, the aim being to complete them as part of the general daily pattern of practice, without a requirement to complete a certain specific number of repetitions of them. If the Ngöndro is undertaken as a preparation for tantric practice, then, for it to function, the intention of the practitioner should, in any case, never become merely that of trying to acquire a passport
to obtain higher teachings.
The function of the Ngöndro is to allow the disciple to purify him or herself and to accumulate merits, so that he or she may approach the Way of Wisdom, and the practice of the Ngöndro should deepen his or her commitment, make him or her more humble, increase his or her devotion toward the root-master, and, finally, allow for the surpassing of the disciple's dualistic mind in the unveiling of the state of the master in the student. If the practitioner's intention is not perfect, the Ngöndro will not fulfill its purpose; in particular, if it is undertaken with the attitude of wishing to acquire a passport
, instead of allowing the individual to accumulate merits and to purify him or herself so that he or she may obtain wisdom, it will cause the individual to develop more pride and a false sense of superiority.
Tantric practices may be used as secondary practices by the practitioner of Dzogchen, alongside the principal practice of contemplation. All tantric practice works with visualization, but in the Inner Tantras (also called Higher or Anuttaratantras in the three later schools of Tibetan Buddhism), the practitioner must reintegrate her or his dualistic existence into the non-duality of the primordial state by using inner yogic practices as well as visualization. The process of developing the visualization is called Kyerim, and the work with inner yoga is called Dzogrim, which mean Development
and Completion
stages respectively. By means of these two stages the impure karmic vision of the individual is transformed into the pure dimension, or mandala
, of the divinity into whose practice the master has initiated the disciple. Mantra are recited as part of this process--mantra being the natural sound of the dimension of the divinity, which thus function in practice as the vibrational key to that dimension. It is essential to receive transmission of mantra from a qualified master, or they will not function.
While physical yoga has no important role in Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism, in Tantric Buddhism, also known as the Vajrayana (Indestructible Vehicle) or Mantrayana (Mantric Vehicle), it is a fundamental means for realization. While the Indian form of Hatha Yoga is well known, it is not so widely appreciated that there is a specifically Tibetan form of Yoga based on the Inner Tantras (or on the Higher tantras in the schools other than the Nyingmapa).
Yantra Yoga
Yantra Yoga, unlike the static Hatha Yoga, is dynamic, and works with a series of movements linked to breathing. Trulkhor in Tibetan, or Yantra in Sanskrit, means engine
, or machine
. The Sanskrit term Yoga has been translated into Tibetan as Naljor, a term composed of the noun nalwa and the verb jorwa. Nalwa means the natural, unaltered state
of anything, and jorwa means to possess. Thus, if we put the terms Trulkhor and Naljor together, we can see that Yantra Yoga is a method for the individual to arrive at his or her natural state or condition by way of using the human body in the same way as a machine that, once set in motion, produces a specific effect.
All of us probably have experienced how our emotions and sensations are connected to the way we breathe. A calm, deep, and relaxed regular pattern of breathing accompanies a calm and relaxed state of mind, for example, while a tense, irregular, shallow and rapid breathing pattern accompanies a state dominated by anger or hatred. Thus each mental state has its corresponding pattern of breathing, and Yantra Yoga works with the breathing to regulate the individual's energy and, ultimately, to free the mind from conditioning.
In many individuals, the body and energy are often so troubled by tensions and disturbances that even if such a person is completely dedicated to working with the mind to enter contemplation, progress is difficult. Yantra Yoga has its function as a secondary practice in Dzogchen to overcome such obstacles, and may even help the practitioner overcome physical illnesses, as specific practices of movement linked to breathing are sometimes prescribed by a Tibetan doctor as part of a cure.
It is easy to observe how various positions of the body influence one's breathing pattern. When one is seated with the trunk of the body bent double and thus closed up, the breathing will obviously be completely different from how it is when one is standing with one's arms raised above one's head and one's upper body fully open. To ensure precise control of the breathing, and thus of the energy, Yantra Yoga therefore works with movements that use the possibilities of the various positions in which the body can be placed. What is aimed at is called natural breathing, a way of breathing not conditioned by emotional, physical, or environmental factors.
The Inner Mandala
Many tantric divinities are represented as being in union with consorts, and these forms are known as yab-yum (father-mother) forms. Their union represents the inseparability of relative and absolute, manifestation and voidness, method and wisdom. They also symbolize the union of what are called the solar
and lunar
energies, the two poles of subtle energy that flow in the subtle energy system of the human body, which is called the Inner Mandala. When negative and positive circuits are joined in a lighting circuit, a lamp can be lit. When the solar and lunar energies of the subtle energy system of a human being are brought into the state of non-duality which was their inherent, latent condition from the very beginning, the human being can become illuminated. In the same way that, in the Chinese Taoist system of philosophy, Yin and Yang are seen as two principles of energy that are fundamentally inseparable and mutually interdependent constituents of a totally integrated unity, so, too, the solar and lunar energies are seen as fundamentally not-two from the very beginning. Their fundamental unity is symbolized by the Sanskrit syllable Evam, which is also a symbol of the yab-yum principle.
Karmamudra
The relationship called karmamudra (action-symbol
or symbol of action
), the advanced yogic practice which uses sexual union as a means to achieve the union of the solar and lunar energies, is both the source and a manifestation of the yab-yum image, so prevalent in tantric ritual art, which symbolizes reality as the blissful play of voidness and energy. This relationship is a serious practice rather than being just a way to disguise eroticism as a spiritual practice or a sophisticated way to enjoy sexual contact. Its importance in the advanced stages of tantric practice can be understood from the tantric saying: Without Karmamudra, there is no Mahamudra
.
Karmamudra is not a principal practice in Dzogchen itself. In Dzogchen one integrates one's state with whatever experience one encounters, remaining in contemplation, and allowing whatever arises to self-liberate (i.e., to liberate of itself). Thus, if one does engage in sexual union, it is considered to be a valuable opportunity for practice in that the particular intensity of the sensation that arises in erotic activity can often be clearly distinguished from the state of pure presence, or rigpa, that accompanies it. But, for a Dzogchen practitioner, this way of working with sensations is not confined to the field of erotic activity.
In fact, in Dzogchen, one applies specific practices in order create a variety of sensations, so that the practitioner is more clearly enabled to distinguish the state of presence--which always remains the same--from the sensations which change according to the practice being carried out. This obviously enables one to no longer remain in doubt
as to what the state of pure presence is. The practices known as the twenty-one Semdzin found in the Dzogchen Mennagde, or Upadesha, series, have this particular function, enabling the practitioner to separate the ordinary, reasoning mind from the nature of the mind.
The Vajra Body is the name given to the human body with its Inner Mandala, or subtle energy system, when it is used as a basis for practice to achieve realization. The Inner Mandala consists in three elements: the first is the structured net of vital, subtle energy-currents (which in some cases correspond to physical channels, and in some cases have no such correspondence), called nadi in Sanskrit and tsa in Tibetan; the second is the flow of vital, subtle energy through the organism, which is associated to breathing and that is called vayu or prana in Sanskrit and lung in Tibetan; and the third is subtle energy in its essential form, which in Tibetan is called thigle and in Sanskrit is called kundalini or bindu, and that is not something separate from the prana or lung: thigle is the very essence of the lung.
It is the work done with the Inner Mandala that makes the tantric practices of the Path of Transformation a more rapid path to realization than the practices of the sutras, and there are different types of Yantra connected with the many Mahayoga tantras and their various Heruka (male wrathful yidam) practices.
The primary function of Yantra Yoga is to gain mastery of the prana, the vital energy of the body, by means of a series of movements, or yantra, that are linked to the breathing process to control, coordinate, and develop it; and to activate the thigle, or kundalini, the vital essence, by means of asana, or positions linked to movement. It is from the Inner Mandala, or subtle energy system, that the physical body develops. In the process of conception the flow of subtle energy animates and develops the fertilized physical ovum in the womb of the mother, and then causes the development of the embryo and, later, the fetus; thus the correct development of the fetus depends on the proper flow of subtle energy. Similarly, throughout life of the individual, health depends on the correct circulation of prana and the balance of the elements. A secondary function of Yantra Yoga can therefore be in helping to keep the individual healthy.
According to Tantra there are 72,000 subtle channels in the Inner Mandala; there are main channels, and lesser channels, which branch and interconnect in a pattern like a tree that has a main trunk, with roots and branches spreading out from it into finer and finer configurations. The points where the subtle channels come together, like spokes coming into a hub, are called chakras in Sanskrit, or khorlo in Tibetan. There are very many of these, but the principal ones are found along the central channel, which is like the main trunk of the tree in the analogy above. The essence of prana, kundalini, or thigle concentrates in these principal chakras, in a subtle channel within the spinal column, called the Gyungpa. At the navel chakra sixty-four channels connect; at the heart chakra, eight; at the throat chakra, sixteen; and at the head chakra, thirty-two.
In general, it is said that the central channel--kundarma or uma--is flanked by two further major channels, to the right and left of it, which are respectively called roma and kyangma or solar channel
and lunar channel
, which unite with the central channel in the lower part of the trunk and which then run parallel to it up the body, arching at the top over the cranium, before turning down to link up with the right and left nostrils.
Various tantras give instructions for practice using different numbers of chakras. This doesn't mean, however, that there is an inconsistency between them; the tantras are in agreement as to the nature of the subtle energy system. But since different practices have specific and varying aims, different channels and chakras are put into function to achieve those aims, and in the description of any given practice only the particular channels and chakras specific to that practice are described. If this is not understood it may seem that different tantras contradict each other.
Since prana and the mind are linked, prana follows the mind when guided by concentration; prana gathers when the mind focuses it. And conversely, the mind can be balanced and integrated by working with the prana through the use of controlled breathing patterns and movements that are linked to breathing. There are many types of prana, and they support the many types of dualistic mind; as long as the prana circulates in the many and various channels, these dualistic minds persist. But when the prana is brought into the central channel, its essential nature--thigle, or kundalini--is activated and enters the channels. Dualistic mind is then overcome, and realization achieved. The vital energy will not normally enter the central channel except at the time of death or during sleep. Only practice will otherwise cause it to do so. Although various tantras specify different chakras at which the prana should be induced to enter the central channel, they all specify that it should be brought to enter there.
There are 108 practices of the Union of the Solar and Lunar
Yantra, including five loosening exercises to prepare the muscles and channels, five practices, or purification and loosening joints; eight principal movements; five principal groups of five positions; fifty variations on the twenty-five positions; seven lotuses; and the Wave of the Vajra, which corrects all errors of practice.
These 108 practices also include the nine purification breathings which are always practiced before a session of Yantra Yoga to expel all the impure air from the system, and are also very beneficial before a session of meditation of any kind; and the rhythmic breathing which serves to steady and deepen the breathing, and to develop the capacity for holding the breath which is used in kumbhaka, a particular type of closed holding in which the air is subtly pressed down in the abdominal region, without disturbing the stomach, while at the same time it is pulled up from below, focusing and concentrating the prana, before causing it to enter the central channel.
The eight principal movements, or yantra, are a linked series of movements, each of which serves to guide and guarantee a particular type of breathing. By linking the breathing to movement, correct timing is guaranteed, and the various positions into which the body is moved ensure that the type of breathing is accurate in each case. The eight types of breathing are as follows: Slow Inhaling; Open Holding; Shil (or pushing down); Rapid Exhalation; Rapid Inhalation; Closed Holding; Dren (drawing); and Slow Exhalation. Each of the eight movements have seven phases of breathing.
The five principal groups of five positions, or asanas, each work to develop and stabilize a particular aspect of the breathing, combining the eight types of breathing with five methods for causing the prana to enter the central channel. The practitioner does not have to master all of the twenty-five positions, but one from each group is sufficient, depending on the capacity of the individual and the condition of his or her body. Each of the asanas has seven phases of breathing.
Yantra Yoga is a secondary practice. That is to say, it belongs to the group of practices that help one to gain access to the state of contemplation, or allow one to work with contemplation towards some particular capacity, or to achieve some specific aim, such as healing oneself or others. The reciting of mantras, the visualization of divinities, all the practices of purification, or of transformation, may be used by a practitioner of Dzogchen, but their use is secondary to the practice of contemplation. A practitioner of Dzogchen is not limited, and can draw from any source that is useful, whenever needed. But, naturally, the practitioner is not in the least interested in making a collection of different paths and traditions, or practices. When one functions on the relative plane all [of] one's actions must be governed by a relative awareness that distinguishes clearly between what is useful and what is merely distraction.
Other Dzogchen Practices
There are eight principal classes of Guardians each with many subdivisions. Some are highly realized beings, others not realized at all. Every place--every continent, country, city, mountain, river, lake or forest--has its particular dominant energy, or Guardian, as have every year, hour and even minute: these are not highly evolved energies. The various teachings all have energies which have special relationships with them: these are more realized Guardians. These energies are iconographically portrayed as they were perceived when they manifested to masters who had contact with them, and their awesome power is represented by their terrifyingly ferocious forms, their many arms and heads, and their ornaments of the charnel ground. As with all the figures in tantric iconography, it is not correct to interpret the figures of the guardians as merely symbolic, as some Western writers have been tempted to do. Though the iconographic forms have been shaped by the perceptions and culture of those who saw the original manifestation and by the development of tradition, actual beings are represented.
The Semde practices of shine, involving fixation to bring one into a state of calm, and lhagthong, enabling one to dissolve the mental activity of maintaining that state of calm so that one can work with the arising of thought, are practices of meditation rather than of contemplation. They are nevertheless considered to be principal practices, as they serve to bring one into contemplation; but they are not of themselves the actual practice of Dzogchen, because practice becomes truly Dzogchen only when it reaches the level of non-dual contemplation. Indeed, practices of Semde and Longde, though not exactly the same as those found in the Semde, are to be found in almost all Buddhist schools.
Once the state of non-dual contemplation has been arrived at, by whatever means, from whichever of the Three Series, one will have the taste of it oneself, and one will no longer be in any doubt as to what it is. Then one must continue in it. This continuation has two levels of practice, Tregchod and Thodgal, both principal practices, which are presented in the Mennagde.
The Mennagde is, however, not something only to be practiced after the practices of the Semde and the Longde. It is, on the contrary, a complete teaching in itself that has its own secondary practices of purification and preparation among which are to be found the Rushen, whose aim is to enable us to distinguish the mind from the nature of the mind, separating
them; and the twenty-one principal Semdzin, which work with a whole range of methods, including fixation, breathing, different body postures, sounds, and so on, to bring one into the state of contemplation.
Once one has arrived at contemplation through any method, one has to continue in it, and working to bring this continuation into every action and situation is called Tregchöd, which literally means (spontaneous) cutting of tension
, in the sense that as soon as the primordial state manifests and dualism is thus overcome, one instantly falls into a state of total relaxation, like a bundle of sticks, that, having been tightly bound together, falls loosely into a totally relaxed pattern as soon as the string binding it has been cut.
Continuing beyond Tregchöd there is the practice of Thödgal, which means surpassing the utmost
, with the sense that as soon as you're here, you're there
. This practice is genuinely secret, and it is not appropriate to give more than the most basic description of it here. This is not the same as an instruction for practice. Thödgal is found only in the Dzogchen teachings. Through the practice of it one is able to carry one's state of being rapidly to the ultimate goal.
Through the development of the Four Lights, the Four Visions of Thödgal arise, and working with the inseparability of vision and emptiness one proceeds until the realization of the Body of Light is attained. This is the consummation of existence in which the physical body itself is dissolved into the essence of the elements, which is light. I shall discuss this later, when we come to the section of this book that deals with the Fruit, or realization. But for the practice of Thödgal to function, the practice of Tregchöd must first be perfect, and the practitioner must be able to remain in the state of contemplation at all times.
To begin the practice of Thödgal prematurely, or at the wrong time, without sufficient development of Tregchöd, will certainly cause serious obstacles on the path. The best safeguard against this is the guidance of a qualified master, and complete confidence in his instructions on the part of the disciple.
Dzogchen is considered a very high teaching, containing as it does practices that lead so directly to such complete realization as the Body of Light. Indeed, no one, in any of the Buddhist schools, denies that Dzogchen is a high teaching, even the highest. But what they do say is that it is too high--in fact, beyond the capacity of ordinary people--and they speak of it almost as if it were only to be practiced by realized beings. But if a being is truly realized, he or she has no need of a path at all.
According to the texts of Dzogchen itself, there are just five capacities that someone must have to be able to practice Dzogchen, and if one examines oneself and finds that these five are not missing, then nothing is missing. And if any of the capacities is lacking, then one can set about working to develop it. But in most people they will probably already be present.
Five capacities necessary for the practice of Dzogchen
- Participation
-
This means that one must have a desire to hear and understand the teaching. But more than this, it means that one actively gives one's full cooperation to participating with the master. It is not just that the master explains, and there is nothing required on the part of the disciple.
- Diligence
-
This means that one must be consistent in one's participation, and not waver in one's commitment, changing one's mind from day to day, continually putting off doing something
- Present Awareness
-
This means that one must not become distracted. One must remain present in the moment, every moment. It is no good knowing all the theory of the teaching, but still living distractedly just the same.
- Actual practice
-
One must actually enter into contemplation. It is not sufficient just to know how to practice, one must actually enter into practice. This is to enter into the Way of Wisdom.
- Prajña
-
In the absolute sense, this Sanskrit word means
superknowledge
orknowledge which goes beyond
. In this case, however, the condition indicated by the term is mainly relative and it indicates the possession of the necessary intellectual capacity to understand whatever one is taught, although it also implies the presence of the capacity of insight necessary to directly grasp what is pointed at beyond words, and then to effectively enter into the dimension of transcendent knowledge that the words are pointing to. This way one gains access to wisdom itself.
Chödpa as Conduct, or Attitude
The last of the three aspects of the Path is Chödpa, which means Conduct
, or Attitude
and this is a very important aspect of Dzogchen because this is the way practice is brought into daily life so that there is no separation between practice and whatever activity one engages in.
The absolute, spontaneous, non-dual awareness of the primordial state, experienced in contemplation, is self-perfected and thus beyond all effort. In this state there is nothing to practice, nothing that must be done, and nothing that cannot be done. But whenever the individual is not in the state of contemplation, effort must be applied to recognize this fact and to bring about a return to contemplation.
Until one is able to live in contemplation--in the self-perfected state in which thoughts and passions are like a thief in an empty house
-- one has to train oneself not to become distracted, and to govern one's conduct with awareness--in this case an awareness that requires the provisional application of effort, through which one trains oneself to develop the non-dual, effortless awareness of the primordial state. We have already seen that this kind of awareness maintained through applying effort is one of the five capacities necessary to practice Dzogchen; unless one is the kind of exceptional being for whom the primordial state arises spontaneously, one must at first make an effort to really be present and mindful in every moment.
But once this mindfulness is established, the Dzogchen practitioner can develop this present awareness in daily life so that what would otherwise be the poison
of dualistic experience itself becomes the path to remain in contemplation beyond dualism. In the same way that flowing water freezes into solid ice, the free flow of primordial energy is solidified by the action of conditioned cause and effect--the functioning of the individual's karma--into a seemingly concrete material world. The great perfection
of the practitioner's attitude, or Chödpa, makes possible the mastery of karmic causes, so that they self-liberate as they arise.
For any action of body, voice, or mind to become a perfect primary karmic cause capable of conditioning the individual and producing a full karmic consequence all these three aspects must occur: first there must be an intention to act; then the action itself must be carried out; and finally, there must be satisfaction at having performed the action.
Primary karmic causes, good or bad, are like seeds which are capable of reproducing the species of plant from which they came. But just as seeds need secondary causes such as light, and moisture, and air if they are to mature, so too the primary karmic causes remaining as the traces of past actions in the stream of consciousness of the individual need secondary causes if they are to be able to mature into further actions and situations of the same kind. By means of continual awareness the practitioner can work with the secondary causes arising as the conditions he or she encounters in daily life so that the primary causes of samsara are prevented from coming into fruition, while at the same time whatever is conducive to liberation is furthered, until finally he or she becomes so firmly established in the primordial state that it is impossible to be conditioned by any experience that may arise, good or bad, and the practitioner may be said to have attained total liberation from conditioned existence altogether.
A practitioner can develop beyond the dualistic level of conditioned karma that divides things into good and bad, and may thus be able to do all kinds of things that seem outrageous from the divisive dualistic point of view of ordinary karmic vision. But this kind of authentic behavior
is not the same at all as remaining distractedly caught up in dualism and just doing whatever comes into your head. That kind of distracted behavior would be the most extreme violation of the ideal of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection--the practice of non-dual contemplation that manifests in a spontaneous life in which the play of one's own energies can be fully enjoyed. Nor does everyone who practices Dzogchen have to live like the famous Tibetan crazy-wisdom yogi, Drugpa Kunleg, who was beyond dualism, and beyond all limits, and who therefore never behaved as others expected--so that dozens of interesting stories are told of him to this day, many of them hilariously bawdy.
Dzogchen is not mere license; when the practitioner does not find him or herself in the non-dual state of contemplation, he or she has the commitment to uninterruptedly maintain the presence of awareness--awareness in this case meaning the type of attention that is aware of the effects and consequences of one's actions. As has already been noted, though, this is not the same as living by rules: awareness replaces all rules and becomes the only rule in Dzogchen, for a Dzogchen practitioner never forces him or herself to do something and never submits her or himself to being conditioned by anything external
.
This doesn't mean, though, that a Dzogchen practitioner shows no respect for the rules by which other people live. One doesn't just go around being contrary to everyone else, using Dzogchen to justify one's strange actions. Both the effortless non-dual awareness of rigpa that is the ideal for a Dzogchen practitioner, and the relative awareness
that we make an effort to maintain when we recognize that we are not in the state of contemplation, involve us in being aware of everything-including, of course, the needs of other people. Because, even if the absolute condition is beyond good and evil, the relative condition nevertheless still continues to exist for us as long as we remain conditioned by dualism, and we have to be aware of that, too. But we can live respecting the conditions which exist around us without getting bound up in them. This is the principle of the attitude, or Chödpa, of a Dzogchen practitioner.
One must not become conditioned by the teachings themselves. The teachings are there to make one more independent not more dependent. So a Dzogchen master will always be trying to help the disciple to become more truly autonomous, to come out of all cages, completely. And thus, while the master is certainly able, out of his or her greater clarity, to give advice to disciples, even on quite detailed matters relating to everyday life, he or she will always be trying to help them to observe themselves, and to make decisions out of their own awareness.
So, the Chöpa or conduct of the Dzogchen practitioner consists in remaining constantly and uninterruptedly in the state of absolute presence or non-dual contemplation, not allowing the mind to wander after thoughts about the past, worries about the present, or plans for the future. If dualistic mind arises and interrupts one's state of contemplation, and if one cannot immediately recover the state, then one should maintain the presence of the kind of relative awareness that clearly recognizes the consequences of one's actions and relates them to the principles of the teachings. Every time we find ourselves in the relative, dualistic plane we should maintain this presence.
This does not mean that one should not make any plans at all, but rather that one should remain aware of secondary causes as they arise and--unlike the father of Famous Moon, the unfortunate hero of a Tibetan story that aptly illustrates what may happen when one is not present--one should relate to secondary causes in a way that is free of attachment and aversion, hope and fear, and all the conflicted neurotic entanglements of deluded mind.
The story tells that there was once a man so poor that the only way he could get something to eat was to go from door to door asking others more fortunate than himself to give him some grain. One day he was lucky; he received a great deal of grain, and he went home happy. His house was very small indeed, and since there were so many mice in it, he decided to hang his precious grain in a sack suspended by a rope from the roof beam, so that the mice couldn't get at it. Then he lay down for the night on his bed, which was below the sack, there being so little room in the house. He couldn't get to sleep right away, so he began to make plans in his mind. He thought to himself: I won't eat all the grain in my sack; I'll save some of it for seed, plant it, and then grow more grain. In a year I'll have ten sacks, and the year after that I'll have a hundred.
And he went on planning how year after year he'd have more sacks until he was rich, and then he thought: I won't have to live in this tiny little hut any more, I'll build myself a palace and have servants to look after me. I'll find myself a beautiful wife, and then of course well have children. We'll have a son first, I'm sure, but what on earth shall we call him?
And he lay there trying to think of a name for his future son. He thought of many names, but none of them pleased him. Finally, a clear bright moon rose in the black sky, and as soon as he saw it he exclaimed to himself: That's it! I'll call him 'Famous Moon'!
But at that precise moment a mouse that had been gnawing at the rope that held the sack of grain tied to the beam above him finally cut through the rope with his teeth, and the sack fell on the poor man's head, killing him instantaneously, so that none of his elaborate plans ever came to be. Living in dreams of the future, even the present escaped him.
Principal Practices of the Three Series of the Dzogchen Teachings
Semde
the Series of the Nature of Mind
Four Naljor, or Yogas: to enable one to enter contemplation
- Shiné:
calm state
- Through fixation with an object, and without an object, one arrives at a state of calm. This becomes natural, then stable.
- Lhagthong:
more vision
, or insight - The state of calm is dissolved, or
awakened
. One is able to practice with the movement of thought without the effort of maintaining an internalwatcher
; the state of calm is no longer something constructed. - Nyimed:
non-duality
- Shiné and Lhagthong arise together; one goes beyond duality.
- Lhundrub:
self-perfection
- Non-dual contemplation can be carried into every action. All is totally reintegrated in its own natural condition, and one experiences everything that arises as the self-perfected play of one's own energy. This is the practice of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection.
Longde
the Series of Space
Four Da, or Symbols: to enable one to enter contemplation:
- Salwa:
clarity
- The eyes are open; the whole of the individual's vision is integrated. This is not the same as intellectual clarity.
- Mitogpa:
non-conceptuality
- With open eyes fixed in empty space, unblinking, whatever thought arises, it does not disturb.
- Dewa:
blissful sensation
- The body is kept in a controlled position until one is more developed in the practice, yet it is almost as if the body were not there--although one is completely present. Lightly clenching the muscles of the
lower gates
of the body increases the naturally blissful sensation of complete relaxation. - Yermed:
inseparability
(sometimes translated imprecisely asunion
) - The inseparability of all the other three Da in the state of contemplation and the practice of Dzogchen. As a symbol of this inseparability, one keeps the tongue loose, touching neither the roof nor the floor of the mouth.
All the four Da are practiced simultaneously, together.
Mennagde
The Essential Series
Four Chogshag (literally, as it is
): although this series also has practices to enable one to enter into contemplation-such as the Internal and External Rushen and the 21 Semdzin--the four Chogshag, which enable the practitioner to continue in contemplation, are what is essential to it.
- Riwo Chogshag: Chogshag of the Mountain
- This refers to the body. The body is left
as it is
. Whatever the position of the body, that is the position of practice. - Gyamtso Chogshag: Chogshag of the Ocean
- Refers to the eyes. No particular gaze is needed. Whatever the position of the eyes, that is the position of practice.
- Rigpa Chogshag: Chogshag of the state of contemplation
- One's own state is left as it is, without correction. This Chogshag is the same as Lhundrub in the Semde, and Yermed in the Longde.
- Nangwa Chogshag: Chogshag of vision
- All of one's vision is said to be
as an ornament
. One experiences all one's karmic vision as one's own energy, whether as Dang, Rolpa or Tsal.
The four Chogshag manifest simultaneously in the same instant, and this is Dzogchen. The state of contemplation arrived at is the same in each of the Three Series.
Alternative terminology for three aspects of the practice of the Semde
The terms Shiné
, Lhagtong
, and Nyimed
belong more properly to the Sutra and Tantra levels of the teachings, but because they are more generally known and used, we have used them here. The terms that are usually found in Dzogchen texts for the same phases of practice are:
- In Dzogchen, one has already received Direct Introduction to the Primordial State from the master when one begins to practice the Semde, so, this first contemplation of the Semde is not exactly the same as the practice of Shiné in the Sutra system, because experience of the state of pure presence, or rigpa, is involved from the beginning in Dzogchen. Thus, if one were to speak of the four Naljor of the Semde as being
gradual
--in the sense that one applies the Naljor one by one--one would have to qualify that statement by saying that the Semde could also be callednon-gradual
because in Dzogchen one is always introduced to one's own state right from the beginning. In fact it might be better to say that Dzogchen is neither gradual nor non-gradual: in the Semde one is introduced by the master to the primordial state right away, but one then develops and deepens the state of contemplation gradually through the four Naljor. When the master introduces the state, we usually recognize it, but we may have doubts that make it hard for us to remain in it. So the development of the calm state of Nepa is very important to develop the practitioner's confidence, so that he or shedoes not remain in doubt
about his or her true condition--the second of Garab Dorje's Three Principles. - Migyurwa (
non-movement
) - This stage of the practice of the Semde is concerned with the development of
clarity
. One has found the state of rigpa (or pure presence) through the calm state (Nepa) of the first Naljor, and now, from the point of view of this pure presence, the movement of thought becomes just the same as if it were non-movement. The usual experience of sentient beings is for thought to continually arise without interruption, and for them to be conditioned into dualism by that thought. In fact thoughts arise with such intensity for many people that they don't even notice that there is a space between one thought and another. But when one has the capacity to remain in a state of pure presence as in the Migyurwa Naljor of the Semde, thought can arise but it no longer has any power to disturb. So, whereas thought is considered to be an obstacle to meditation in the Shiné of the Sutra system, wherein one seeks shelter from the storm of thought (as it were) in the state of calm, it is said that for a Dzogchen practitionerthe more thoughts there are, the more wisdom
, because (in this case at this stage in the development of the practitioner of the Semde) one is able to integrate one's thoughts in contemplation, and the arising of thought then actually strengthens the clarity of the state of rigpa rather than distracting the practitioner. - Nyamnyid (equanimity, the state in which all is of the same taste, i.e., non-dual)
- This is the real starting point of contemplation in the Semde. One has the capacity to integrate the objects of the senses. All sense objects are now experienced as the energy of the Primordial State.
- Lhundrub (
self-perfected
, as in the other system of terminology for the stages of the practice of the Semde) - At this point the practitioner no longer needs to apply effort. This is the stage of Enlightenment. One continues and deepens the capacity of integration, integrating frrst the functions of the mind, then of the energy and, finally, of the body. The realization of the Body of Light is the ultimate integration of the body.
Nepa (calm state; literally, the space between one thought and the next
)
It is also worth noting that the term Naljor, for which yoga
or union
is generally given as the Sanskrit equivalent, could be taken to imply a union of two things, whereas in fact, no notion of two things that need to be united exists in the non-dual View of Dzogchen. Naljor is formed from the noun nalma, which means the natural, unaltered state {of something)
, and the verb jorwa, which means to possess
, so that the two parts of the term taken together aptly expressed the concept of the discovery of the natural, or primordial, state
.
Again, for the same reason that there is no notion of a need to unify a duality in Dzogchen, the four phases of practice in the Semde, rather than being referred to as the Four Yogas, are commonly called the four Tingedzin
, or concentrations.
Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Sarvadharma maha:sandhi: sarva means all, everything; dharma in this case designates not the teaching, but existence, everything that exists. Thus sarva dharma indicates the totality of phenomena of existence. Maha, Tibetan chenpo, means great, or total; sandhi conrresponds to the Tibetan dzogpa, meaning perfection or completeness: maha:sandhi or dzogpa chenpo means that everything is perfect or complete, nothing is lacking. Thus the expression sarvadharma maha:sandhi signifies that all existence is perfect, complete in all the aspects that we deem good or bad, of both transmigration in samsa:ra and of the liberation of nirva:ana. In fact, the term "perfect" denotes that everything is included in it, but this should not be understood in the sense that all defects and negativities have been eliminated and only the positive kept. This is not what is meant. True Dzogpa Chenpo is not an object or a text: it is the state of consciousness possessed by each and every individual.
Bodhicitta: The su:tras speak at length about bodhicitta as a commitment motivated by compassion to help others. At hte level of the relative condition, there are deemed to be two kinds of boddhicitta: fodhicitta of aspiration or intention and dochicitta of action, and whoever keeps the bodhicitta commitment is calleda a Bodhisattva. However in Dzogchen, bodhicitta does not mean only the principle of compassion characteristic of the Bodhisattva path. Bodhicitta is the original state, the true condition as it is, immutatle. In Tibetan it is called changchubsem. Chan means purified, or pure, clear and, limpid, since the beginning, because there is nothing to purify. Chub means perfected, because even though one may think it is necessary to progress and to improve in order to achieve realization, the state of the individual has been perfect from the very beginning, there is nothing to perfect or to achieve that one does not already have. In general, sem means the mind, but in this case it refers to the state of consciousness and the mind is like trying to separate a mirror from its reflection. Or, if we think of the sky, trying to distinguish the blue surface from the clouds that form on it. However, essentially, the true condition is indivisible: the reflection derives from the mirror, which is its sole base, and in the same way, the sky also includes the clouds; the clouds themselves are sky. Thus, even thugh it is said that the mind is produced by dualism and its true condition, the state of consciousness, is beyond dualism, the nature of both is single and indivisible. This is the meaning of sem in the term changchubsem, bodhicitta. At times teh texts speak of nyingpo changchubkyi sem, "boddhicitta of the essence," but this in like manner is a reference to the primordial state of consciousness, synonymous with dzogpa chenpo, "total perfection". Gyüd or tantra, which literally means "continuation," too refers to the state of consciousness, as does the term Maha:mudra or "total symbol." In the su:tras, on the other hand, the expression desheg nyngpo or sugatagarbha, "essence of the enlightened ones," is widely used. The state of consciousness can be referred to in many ways, but in Dzogchen, and especially in the Semde series, one the terms most frequently used is bodhicitta.
Kulayara:ja, in Tibetan Kunjed Gyalpo, is the actual title, and the text clearly explains the principle comprised in this title. Ra:ja, or gyalpo, means "king", and kulaya, or kunjed, means the "creator," or "radiator" of all manifestation. Literally it could be rendered "all-creating king" or "creator king". But what does this actually mean? Always and solely it refers to the state of consciousness, regardless whether one calls it Dzogpa Chenpo or bodhicitta. Kunjed Gyalpo thus denotes the primordial state of each individual. Why, then, is it called "creator"? Because all of samsa:ra and nirva:na, everything taht we differentiate, defining it as good or bad, and so forth, can be compared to a reflection in a mirror. The state of consciousness, on the other hand, is like the condition of the mirror that remains clear and pure without changing. Thus all phenomena arise from the state of consciousness in the same way that reflections appear on the surface of a mirror: hence it is called Kunjed Gyalpo, "the all-creating king". This is the name of the tantra. Let us now move on to a brief analysis of the eighty-four chapters of which it is composed, dwelling only on the most important points.
The Fruit of Dzogchen
If the intention is good, the Path and the Fruit will be good. If the intention is bad, the Path and the Fruit will be bad. Since everything thus depends on a good intention, always strive to cultivate such a positive mental attitude.]igmed Lingpa
The divisions of the teaching of Dzogchen are for the purposes of explanation only. Realization is not something that must be constructed; 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. And, in particular, in Dzogchen--which not a gradual Path--the Path consists in remaining in the unveiled, manifest condition of the primordial state or Base, or in other words, in the condition which is the Fruit. This is why the Gankyil, the symbol of primordial energy, which is a particular symbol of the Dzogchen teachings, has three parts which spiral in a way that makes them fundamentally one. The Gankyil, or Wheel of Joy
, can clearly be seen to reflect the inseparability and interdependence of all the groups of three in the Dzogchen teachings, but perhaps most particularly it shows the inseparability of the Base, the Path, and the Fruit. And since Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, is essentially the self-perfected indivisibility of the primordial state, it naturally requires a non-dual symbol to represent it.
So the Path is not something strictly separate from the Fruit; the process of self-liberation becomes ever deeper, until the deluded consciousness that was unaware of the Base which was always our own nature disappears: this is what is called the Fruit. The Tibetan word sewa, which means to integrate
or to mix
, is used here because one integrates each and every experience of ordinary life in the state of contemplation. Since in Dzogchen there is nothing to change--no special clothes to wear and nothing that may be seen from the outside--there is no way to know whether or not someone is practicing. In fact, the practice does not depend at all on outward forms; its principle is that everything in one's relative situation may be brought into the practice and integrated with the state of contemplation. This means, though, that our contemplation must of course be precise, because otherwise there would be nothing with which to integrate the experiences and actions or ordinary life. This is, if fact, implied by the second of the Three Principles of Garab Dorje, Not to Remain in Doubt
: the practitioner no longer has any doubt as to the nature of all phenomena--which is unveiled in contemplation--because the practitioner's contemplation is perfectly precise.
Then the three capacities of Cherdrol, Shardrol, and Rangdrol are developed. The drol part of the name in each case means liberation
, as in the name of the famous Bardo Thödrol, which is translated as liberation through hearing in the state of the Bardo
, but which is better known nowadays as The Tibetan Book of the Dead
.
In Cherdrol, the first of the three, the process of self-liberation is still at a minor capacity. Cherdrol means one observes and it liberates
, and the example given is of the way a dewdrop evaporates when the sun shines on it. But the sun in this example doesn't represent an antidote that should be applied in order to neutralize the poison of dualism. The concept of applying an antidote is alien to the spirit of the Dzogchen teachings. Rather the sun represents the manifestation of the primordial state, which naturally and automatically results in the spontaneous self-liberation of whatever arises. If, every time dualism arises as one becomes distracted from contemplation, one observes the distracting thought in order to grasp its true nature, then the obscuration of dualism self-liberates in the very moment in which the thought is clearly observed, and the primordial state is once again fully unveiled.
The most advanced capacity of self-liberation is called Rangdrol, which means of itself it liberates itself
, and the example used is that of the speed and ease of a snake unwinding a knot made its own body. 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 bird is free, and can finally fly without hindrance. One can enter and enjoy the dance and play of energies, without limit.
The development of this vision is said to spread like a forest fire, until the sense of a subject subsides of its own accord. One experiences the primordial wisdom in which as soon as an object appears, one recognizes its emptiness as being the same as the voidness of one's own state. The inseparability of emptiness and vision, and the presence of the state and emptiness are all experienced together. Then everything can be said to be of one single taste
, which is the emptiness of both subject and object. Dualism is completely overcome. Although there is, on the one hand, still the manifestation of the play of energy which, in the dualistic state, we take for objects, and, on the other hand, the cognitive capacity that in the dualistic state we take for a separate subjective self, because of the uninterrupted presence of contemplation we no longer experience the illusion of a dualism between the one and the other. This is the state pointed to in the last of the Six Vajra Verses:
Seeing that everything is self-perfected from the very beginning, the disease of striving for any achievement comes to an end of its own accord, and just remaining in the natural state as it is, the presence of non-dual contemplation continuously, spontaneously arises.
Now, as realization deepens and increases, certain capacities may begin to manifest. But to understand these capacities one must understand how the illusion of dualism is maintained by the subject-object polarity that manifests in sensory perception, which Buddhist teachings analyze in terms of six sense subjects (six sensory capacities) and six types of sensory objects. This means that, for example, that the sense sight arises interdependently, or co-emergently, with the perception of visual form as an object. This analysis may be applied to each of the senses, until the last of the six, which is considered to be the interdependent arising of mind and existence, the interdependent arising of mind and what one experiences as one's reality.
Through an understanding of this interdependent arising of each sense and its respective object, one can understand how the illusion of duality is self-maintaining, subject implicitly implying object, and object implicitly implying subject, in the case of each sense, until finally, all the senses, including the mind, together create the illusion of an external world separate from a perceiving subject. But the best way to understand this is by observing oneself: observing one's own mind, in practice, and seeing for oneself how thoughts arise like waves, and how one's senses function in relation to one's impression that one is a separate self. As Shakyamuni Buddha himself said:
To enter contemplation for the time it takes for an ant to walk from one end of one's nose to the other, will bring more progress towards realization than a whole lifetime spent in the accumulation of good actions [merit].
With the advancing of the practice, all thoughts, and indeed all dualistic conceptualisations relating to the sensations of all the senses, self-liberate. The illusion of dualism dissolves, the apparent separation of a mental subject and its object disappears and, as a result of this, the five Ngonshes, five higher forms of awareness, may manifest in the practitioner. These are not to be sought for their own sake. They must arise, as the practice progresses, as a by-product of it, and they must not be taken as its goal.
The first of these is of the eyes, vision. It is called real knowledge of the eyes of the divinities
, because we usually think of divinities as beings with a greater capacity than ours. What it means is that one develops the capacity, for example, to see things regardless of distance. One can even see things when they are behind other objects that get in the way of our normal vision.
Then there is a similar capacity with regard to hearing--the real knowledge of hearing
, or hearing with the ears of the divinities
. One is able to hear all sounds, regardless of distance, whether they are loud or soft, and so on.
The third capacity is the knowledge of the minds of others, in other words, being able to read other people's thoughts. The individual is made up of body, voice, and mind. What one sees with the eyes is basically physical form or body, while the capacity for hearing is related to the voice, energy, sound. Body and voice are more concrete than the mind, and so it is easier to gain the capacities relating to them. It is very difficult to know, or to understand, exactly what another person is thinking. But it is a capacity that can arise.
The fourth capacity that may manifest on the path to realization is the knowledge of life and death. One can know, for example, when someone is going to die, in what way, and where they will be reborn. The principle of this is the development of the capacity to know time to the point of being able to go beyond time. One develops the capacity to know all the secondary causes relating to another person. The secondary causes that will manifest when that person dies are actually present in any given moment, and so can be read.
The fifth capacity is called real knowledge of miracles
; and this is not just an intellectual understanding, but the actual concrete capacity to perform miracles. One has gone beyond all limits, and in that state such activity becomes natural rather than really miraculous at all. Miracles are usually thought of as actions someone might perform in relation to seemingly external objects, changing them in some way. But, as the division of reality into internal and external is an illusion, when that illusion is overcome it is possible to go beyond all usual limits, as the great yogi Milarepa did, when he sheltered from a hailstorm by actually getting inside a yak's horn that was lying on the ground, even though it's said that the yak's horn didn't get any bigger, and Milarepa didn't get any smaller. Another insight into the reality beyond our usual limits can be gained from the Buddha's statement that there are as many Buddhas in an atom as there are atoms in the universe. We just can't get at the meaning of such a statement within our usual framework of mental concepts, so we call such things miraculous; but this is how reality is, only we're not used to seeing it as it is. When someone actually develops the capacity to enter into what is, this is called the real knowledge of miracles
.
Total Integration of Subject and Object
So this is how the signs of the Path may develop for a practitioner, though they may not arise in any particular order. But now we come to a sixth capacity, a capacity of the Fruit, which is called Trödral, meaning beyond concept
, or like the sky
. This involves the complete re-integration of subject and object, and is a particular Dzogchen method of attaining Total Realization in one lifetime, through the mastery of one's energy and the way that it manifests.
All the methods of the various paths, those of the sutras and all the levels of tantra, as well as those of Dzogchen, lead to Total Realization--the Fruit. This is the surpassing of conditioned existence in the manifestation of the primordial state, which endows the individual with a perfect understanding of the functioning of reality and all its phenomena, and a perfect Wisdom with manifold capacities. But the sutras explain that, by applying their particular methods, it will take several kalpa, or aeons to attain realization. And although the methods of the lower tantras are quicker, it will still require a very long time to accomplish the goal through them. The higher tantras and Dzogchen, on the other hand, both enable one to reach total realization in a single lifetime. The Visions of Longde and of the practice of ThOdgal--the final and most secret teaching of Dzogchen-allow the practitioner to rapidly undo the knots of conditioned existence and attain the most absolute and total type of realization, which culminates in the complete dissolution of the physical body in the essence of its elements, which is light.
To accomplish this realization, Semnyid, which means the nature of the mind
, also called the internal ying
, is integrated with Chodnyid, which means the condition of existence
, also called the external ying
. That they are both called ying (meaning space
; dhatu in Sanskrit) shows that from the beginning they are of the same nature. It's not that existence is cancelled out in some way. The Dzogchen teachings are based on the knowledge that the essential nature of the microcosm--the individual--and that of the macrocosm--the universe--are the same and, therefore, when one fully discovers and manifests one's own nature, one is discovering and manifesting the nature of the universe. The existence of duality is nothing but an illusion, and when this illusion is undone the primordial inseparability of the individual and the universe is fully discovered and the functions of that inseparability manifest; that is to say, through the integration of the internal and the external ying, the Body of Light manifests. If the other five Ngonshes are signs of development on the Path, this is the ultimate expression of the Fruit.
The Jalü (in Tibetan), or Body of Light, realized through the practice of Dzogchen is different from the Gyulü, or Illusory Body, realized through the practices of the Higher Tantras. The Gyulü is dependent on the subtle prana of the individual, and thus, since prana is always considered to be of the relative dimension in Dzogchen, this Gyulü is not considered to be Total Realization. The Jalü, or Body of Light, itself, is a way of manifesting realization that is particular to the masters who have carried the practice of the Longde or of the Mennagde to their ultimate level, and with only very short breaks in the lineage, it has continued to be manifested right up to the present day.
To use the metaphor of the mirror once again, the realization of the Body of Light means that one is no longer in the condition of a person who is reflected in a mirror and who dualistically sees his or her own reflection in it, but one has become established in the essential condition of the mirror so that one's energy as a whole now manifests in the same way that the energy of a mirror does. Knowing how one's own energy manifests as Dang, Rolpa, and Tsal, one is able to integrate one's energy completely right through to the level of actual material existence. This is accomplished either through the visions of the Longde that arise as a result of the practices of the four Da, or through the practice of the Four Lights that bring about the arising of the Four Visions of Thödgal, which develop in very much the same way as the visions of the Longde develop.
The first of these Four Visions of Thödgal is called the Vision of Dharmata
(or nature of reality
), and the second vision is the further development of the first. The third is the maturation of it, and the fourth is the consummation of existence. If, while alive, one has entered the third level of these visions, and to say one has entered
means that there are certain signs that this is so, then, when one dies, one's body slowly disappears into light. Instead of decomposing into its constituent elements in the usual way, it dissolves into the essence of its elements, which is light. The process may take longer than seven days to happen. All that remains of the physical body are the hair and fingernails, which are considered to be its impurities. The rest of the body has dissolved into the essence of its elements. This is the realization that garab Dorje, and, more recently, many other masters, achieved.
A practitioner who manifests this realization cannot really be said to have died
, at all, in the ordinary sense of the word because he or she still remains spontaneously active as a principle of being in a Body of Light. The spontaneous activity of such an individual will be directed for the benefit of others, and he or she is actually visible to someone in a physical body who has sufficient clarity.
But a practitioner who perfects and completes the fourth level of the Thödgal visions does not manifest death at all, but while still living gradually becomes invisible to those who have normal karmic vision. This level of realization is called the Great Transfer, and this is the realization that Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra manifested. Essentially, the realizations of the Great Transfer and the Body of Light are one and the same; the only difference is that those who attain the Great Transfer do not have to go through death in the clinical sense in order to move from manifestation in the material plane to manifestation in the plane of the essence of elements. These two modes of realization are particular to the practice of Dzogchen.
Total Realization
Ordinary beings are reborn without choice, conditioned by their karma into taking a body according to the causes they have accumulated over countless past lives. A totally realized being, on the other hand, is free from the cycle of conditioned cause and effect. But such a being may manifest a body through which others can have the possibility of being helped. The Body of Light, or the Light Body of a being who has realized the Great Transfer, are both phenomena which can be actively maintained so that those having the visionary clarity necessary for perceiving them can communicate with the fully realized individuals whose bodies find themselves in a dimension of pure light.
But to help those who lack such capacity, a totally realized being may manifest in an actual physical body in the way that, for example, garab Dorje and the Buddha did. All these kinds of bodies are of the Nirmanakaya; kaya in Sanskrit, means body
, or dimension
, and nirmana means manifestation
. So a totally realized individual may choose to manifest a Body of Light, or voluntarily take a rebirth in an ordinary physical body in the gross material dimension, but is not conditioned by such a body, or by the actions carried out in it.
The Sambhogakaya, or Body of Wealth
, is the dimension of the essence of the elements that make up the gross material world, a subtle dimension of light appearing in a wealth of forms which can only be perceived through the development of clarity of awareness and visionary capacity. A totally realized being may manifest a Sambhogakaya form, but in such a form is not active as is a being who manifests in a Body of Light.
Just as the rays of the sun are a manifestation of its inherent qualities, so too the wisdom of a totally realized individual is what that individual is. Each Sambhogakaya form is a personification of a principle of pure wisdom. But just as the sun does not intend to send its rays to any particular place, and it depends on the characteristics of the place as to whether it will receive the rays, it is the practitioner who must be active to perceive the dimension of the Sambhogakaya and gain access to the wisdom personified by a particular Sambhogakaya form, opening that dimension in him or herself.
Although the capacity to manifest either Sambhogakaya or Nirmanakaya forms is a facet of Total Realization, such realization means that one has gone beyond all limits and all forms. One has made manifest that state which always is, and was one's true condition from the beginning, although, in samsara, it has been hidden from deluded mind by the experience of the illusion of dualism. Total realization means that one has realized one's identity with the Dharmakaya, the Body of Truth
, or Dimension of Reality as it is
. It is the omnipresent void matrix, the Zhi, or Base of every individual that manifests in the infinitely interpenetrating dance of the energies of the universe as the Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya forms of a realized individual; or as the limited cage of karmic vision--the body, voice, and mind--of a being trapped in dualism who mistakes his or her own energy for a seemingly separate external world.
Total Realization means the definitive end of illusion, the end of suffering, the cessation of the vicious cycle of conditioned rebirths; it is the dawning of complete freedom, perfect wisdom, supreme unending bliss. In Total Realization death is overthrown, all duality transcended, and the capacity to spontaneously benefit all beings is perfectly manifested in a multiplicity of modes. Of all the possible rebirths in any of the Six Realms, birth in a human body is the most favorable for working towards Total Realization; and to be truly human, to fulfil truly one's humanity, such realization must be one's goal. Otherwise, one lives one's life, as the Buddha pointed out, like a preoccupied child playing with toys in a house that is burning to the ground.
For an ordinary human being death is real, and may come at any time, without warning. To waste one's precious human rebirth in trivial concerns is a tragedy. Only practice leads to one's own realization, and only through one's own realization can one ultimately help others, manifesting the capacities to be able to guide them to attain that same state themselves; any material assistance one can offer can only ever be provisional. To be able to help others one must therefore begin by helping oneself, however contradictory that may sound. Just as in counting to a million one must begin counting at the number one, so to benefit society, one must begin by working on oneself. Each individual must truly take responsibility for him or herself, and this can only be done by working to increase one's awareness, to become more fully conscious, more the master of oneself.
Change on a small scale can bring about change on a wider scale; the influence of one being who is progressing towards realization can be powerful both at the level of subtle spiritual influence and in the concrete terms of influencing society.
We walk, we work, we eat, and we sleep, and all of these activities must be permeated with our practice so that none of our time is wasted in our progress towards realization. Although Changchub Dorje was continually active for the benefit of others, and worked every day at his practice of medicine, his own progress towards realization was in no way impaired. Despite his ordinary lifestyle he was a thoroughly extraordinary man. He died at a remarkably old age, having brought his life's work to conclusion, leaving an invaluable legacy both in the teachings he gave that were written down and in the hearts and minds of his students.
This concludes the presentation here of the Base, the Path, and the Fruit of the Dzogchen teachings. While words and intellectual concepts can only ever be signposts pointing to the true nature of reality, which is quite beyond them, nevertheless the complex interlinked conceptual structure of the teachings is in itself brilliant and beautiful, like a many-faceted crystal whose every facet flawlessly reflects and refers to every other. But please remember that the only way to look into the heart of that crystal is to look into oneself. Dzogchen is not just something to be studied; the Way of Light is there to be travelled.
As a bee seeks nectar from all kinds of flowers, seek teachings everywhere. Like a deer that finds a quiet place to graze, seek seclusion to digest all you have gathered. Like a lion, live completely free of all fear. And, finally, like a madman, beyond all limits, go wherever you please.A Tantra of Dzogchen
Key to the Groups of Three in the Dzogchen teachings
A linear diagram cannot truly represent the complex inter-relationships of the various aspects of the teachings, which would be better represented by a three-dimensional crystalline structure, each of whose points connected with every other. But, since text is a linear presentation because of the very nature of language and how it is written, the teaching, when written as text, has to be presented in a linear sequence. So this diagram is only intended as a provisional key to be of use towards opening up a more subtle vision of the many correspondences in the crystal of the teachings, and as an aid to following the arguments presented here.
-
BASE The primordial state, or base of every individual which comprises:
- ESSENCE, which is void
- NATURE, yet manifestation continues to occur
-
ENERGY, which manifests in three characteristic ways as:
- DANG
- ROLPA
- TSAL
These, as is explained by the examples of the crystal and its rays, the crystal ball, and the mirror and its reflections, are one's own energy. Yet a being in Samsara mistakes them for external phenomena, and sees them as his karmic vision, comprising respectively:
- MIND
- VOICE (or energy connected to breathing)
- BODY
-
PATH
- TAWA, View, or Vision of the true condition of the individual and of the universe. The true view is to observe the condition of one's own true mind, voice, and body.
-
GOMPA, Actual practices presented in the Three Series. There are practices that work with each of the aspects of the individual Body, Voice, and Mind.
- SEMDE, the Series of Mind
- LONGDE, the Series of Space
- MENNAGDE, the Essential Series
PRINCIPAL PRACTICES are the practice of contemplation, of Dzogchen itself, and meditation practices leading one to be able to enter contemplation. The practices of TREGCHÖD help one to be able to recognize the primordial state and to continue in contemplation, while the practices of THÖDGAL rapidly enable one to develop the state of contemplation, through vision, to its ultimate conclusion, in the realization of the Body of Light.
SECONDARY PRACTICES are any practice that may be used together with contemplation, to develop a particular capacity, or to overcome a particular obstacle, such as Yantra Yoga, recitation of mantras, ritual, and so on.
- CHÖDPA, conduct in daily life: how one lives in the light of the Tawa, or View, and the practice, maintaining non-dual contemplation in every action of the 24 hours of one's daily life, or if one cannot succeed in that, at least maintaining the presence of self-observing awareness.
-
FRUIT or, Realization.
- THE GREAT TRANSFER
- THE BODY OF LIGHT
TOTAL REALIZATION: The Three Bodies:
- DHARMAKAYA
- SAMBHOGAKAYA
- NIRMANAKAYA
The Three Bodies are the correct perception of the three ways of manifestation of energy (Dang, Rolpa and Tsal) and of the three aspects of the Base that they illustrate--which have always been the true condition of each and every individual and of the whole universe.
The Lineage of Dzogchen
According to the Dzogchen lineage history Samantabhadra is the source of the Dzogchen teachings. The Dzogchen teachings were transmitted from the enlightened heart of the dharmakaya Buddha Samantabhadra to the sambhogakaya buddha Vajrasattva. The Dzogchen lineage was transmitted from Vajrasattva to the nirmanakaya Buddha Garab Dorje. Through Garab Dorje, the lineage was transmitted to many other masters in India, finally coming to Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava was the primary figure who brought the Dzogchen teachings to Tibet in the early eighth century.
Padmasambhava and Dzogchen
It was the great eighth and ninth-century C.E. master Padmasambhava who was primarily responsible for enabling the Buddhist teachings to become established in Tibet, where obstacles had previously been created by the shamanic practitioners of the indigenous Bön traditions. Padmasambhava was a totally realized being who manifested an extraordinary birth in Ogyen, where he received visionary transmission of Dzogchen directly rom Garab Dorje as well as receiving the lineal or Kama transmission from the spiritual successors of Garab Dorje who were his contemporaries. Later, he travelled to India, where he absorbed and mastered all the tantric teachings being taught there at that time. He developed the capacity to transform himself into any form he chose, as well as all the other 'siddhis', or powers that may arise when the dualistic condition is overthrown. Thus, when he was invited to go to Tibet to further the spread of the Buddhist teachings there, he was able to overcome the obstacles that he encountered in the form of negative energies, by means of his own superior powers.
Bön shaman priests had the capacity to focus the various dominant energies of Tibet. They had used this power to make it difficult for the Buddhist teachings to take root there. Padmasambhava manifested in various forms to gain mastery of the local dominant energies himself, and to harness them to protect the Buddhist teachings, of which they then became the Guardians.
Since he was, however, beyond all limits, he did not consider it necessary to reject what was of value in the local traditions of Tibet, but instead created the conditions in which Buddhism could integrate with the local culture, with its sophisticated systems of cosmology, astrology, ritual and medicine, in the same way that Buddha Shakyamuni had taught within the framework of the Indian culture of his time, using it as the basis to communicate something essentially beyond culture. Thus, through Padmasambhava's influence and activity, there came into being that great confluence of spiritual traditions from Ogyen, India, and local Bonpo sources that is what we now know as the characteristically Tibetan form of Buddhism. The original disciples of Padmasambhava in Tibet did not consider themselves a school, or sect. They were simply practitioners of tantric Buddhism and Dzogchen. But when there arrived later different traditions of practice following other lines of transmission from Indian tantric masters, and these developed as schools, the original followers of Padmasambhava became known as the Nyingmapa
, the Ancient Ones
, or Ancient School
. One must be careful to avoid the mistake, however, of thinking that the Dzogchen teachings are a school or sect, in themselves, or that they belong to any school or sect. What is meant by dzogchen is always the primordial state, or a practice that enables us to discover and remain in that state. And although a lineage of transmission of this state from master to disciple does indeed exist, members of that lineage, all equally practitioners of Dzogchen, could be and still can be found in all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, or among the practitioners of Bön, or belonging to no school or sect at all.
Merging Dzogchen and Shambhala: an Exchange
I have considered myself a follower of the Shambhala path, as outlined by Chogyam Trungpa, for a couple of years. Due to scheduling conflicts, I have been unable to do formal training. I feel I am at a point where I need formal training to continue progressing.
Strangely enough, I have been drawn to Dzogchen teachers of late, especially Dzigar Kongtrul and Tarthang Tulku. Now there is an opportunity to begin teacher training in the Dzogchen tradition here in Tucson.
There is a great opportunity to do pointing out instruction and bodhichitta instruction next weekend, and I plan to do both as a preparation for the class in case I decide to follow through with that.
I have no intention of being a teacher, but I think I could really benefit from the formal instruction.
Here's my question to the other Buddhists out there: Does anyone have experience with both traditions and maybe have anything you can share that might help in my decision? I'm not opposed to following both paths, but Shambhala is very secular compared to Dzogchen, so I'm not sure how compatible the teachings might be. And I also think there is benefit in choosing a path and giving it all of my attention.
Thanks in advance for info you can share.
This got the following reply, among others:
Hey William, this is a good question and I spoke about this with a senior student in the Dzogchen Community of Namkhai Norbu. Partly, it depends on your Dzogchen master. Namkhai Norbu teaches very essential Dzogchen and it can be practiced in addition to other paths out there. Some masters seem to teach a combo of Dzogchen and a more lineage oriented approach. If it's the latter, you might have difficulty pursuing two paths. If it's the former, you still might run into akwardness. The practitioner I spoke with said she did it, but it was akward being around the more secular community because she was/had to be secretive about her Dzogchen practice.
It seems to me, according to my master's teachings, that you can practice in both just fine. As a practitioner though, it might be easier to choose. And I agree, I think it's better to give your all to one path versus two, generally speaking. I guess, I'm sort of doing both by studying at Naropa, but it's more mixed with academics. The difficulty I think you might find is in the view of the two paths and holding them both equally. Dzogchen's view is none other than our real state, nothing to uphold. Whereas more secular, traditional paths definitely hold a view, and one that's definitely different than that of Dzogchen.
Love to hear more about your process, what more your thinking/feeling, and what your decision ultimately will be.
ryan