Topic: Yogin training

[Michael]

I'm going to post some material from one of the books I am reading currently.

I got this book in India, and I expect it is not likely to be found in bookshops elsewhere. It is very interesting, and I have to say very close to my spirit.

The Yogins of Ladakh, by John H. Crook and James Low.

I have travelled to some of the places they cover in this book - spent the night in Lamayuru, and some time in Ley. The yogins are the hermits who live in the caves and huts high in the mountains, in extremely remote places. they keep themselves warm by a technique which forms part of their training, called Tumo, which is explained by David-Neel, who also mastered this technique, whereby you keep the body warm via inner visualisation created heat.

I will also summarise his first chapter later, to expalin how all the different sects of Tibetan Buddhism came about. The yogins belong to the mystical side of the family - the older sects.

As these are extracts, please don't reproduce them publically.

[Michael]

"In summer he journeyed from his gompa of that name in the Indus valley to visit his subsidiary establishments in Zangskar. He was the functional head of the Drugpa Kargyu sect which had four gompas in the valley. Suddenly he stopped, moved a yard or so off the track, squatted down and. slightly raising the bottom of his robe, proceeded to relieve himself.

The porters were busy preening themselves; they washed and combed their hair and made ready for a visit. Calling on the monks was an occasion. I too was excited, the little cavern and the building placed within its depth under an enormous cliff created an atmosphere that transformed the harshness of the valley. I had watched the monks and searched the monastery through the glasses with increasing absorption. Before me was a gateway to the Tibetan mind. Thinking of the place in winter, freezing, isolated, hidden among the forbidding cliffs and the snow covered boulders I felt awe at its austere strength of purpose.

We climbed up the slope to the cave. The building was three storeys high and filled the cavern's entrance. Some monks welcomed us and led us through the door into a dark passageway and up a lightless flight of steps to an upper chamber. We sat on cushions in a row and were offered tea. The lads went around the building with great reverence paying respects to the images painted on the walls.

A heavy stillness which seemed ageless hung about the room. We talked little, responding to simple questions about our homeland and the crossing of the pass. Butter tea, warm, comforting and with a novel not unpleasant taste, was served by an old, attentive monk. After a while I turned and gazed out of the window. The consequence was extraordinary.

The window looked out into a space so enormous that the mind reeled. The valley fell away below the building, immediately opposite rose sheer cliffs with the great sky arched above. A torrent of water was pouring over a ledge and huge boulders, swept down from some glacier above, came crashing over the edge. The sun's heat of the last week had unfrozen the power of the ice and, where the boulders hit the hillside, the earth was being torn away, swept down in a mud-laden tumult of rushing sand, stones and water. As it poured into the stream below, it set up a standing wave which reached across to the bank below us which was steadily falling away into the flood. The whole landscape seemed to be coming apart and the sound of its dissolution hung in the all-including silence of the air.

As I watched it, all my thoughts disappeared, my mind seemed to be drawn out into the landscape, leaving behind an inner stillness like a mirror. A meditative absorption possessed me, filling me with a peace of mind such as I have rarely known. Into an ever widening stillness came the atmosphere of the room in which a curious silence slowly spread. I seemed released from all the cares of the expedition and the excitement of arrival. I felt an inner emptiness in which the silence of the room now merged with the vastness of the outer space. I no longer felt myself to be a separate entity observing it. I sat astonished with wonder. I could hear the voices of my friends talking, I knew what they said but had no response. Looking around the room I saw the old monk standing in the shadow of a pillar. Out of the darkness his bright eyes gazed with a crystalline intensity into mine. For a moment our eyes held, and then he looked away. I felt he understood.

After a while I got away from the others and found myself on the roof. The experience persisted. It was as if there was no one there: my experience was the landscape, the landscape itself was my experience. It went on for about half an hour as I gazed around. Slowly I returned and the observer once more looked at the observed. The others were already descending the hillside, going back for a rest in camp. After some time I followed them.

This was not the first time I had had such an experience but the intensity and suddenness of it suggested that for me there was something to be discovered here in the great mountains, something about the very nature of experience. It seemed to be pointing not at the contents but at the basis of mind itself.

When I got back to camp I was in a reflective mood and I asked my companions how they felt. Everyone had been impressed by the monastery but no one reported any unusual awareness. Although I tried to say something about the experience it did not meet with any response, so after a while I left it. It remained a private memory, but one which I was to be made to recall several times as we proceeded deeper into the mountains."

[Michael]

Tragthog Gompa and Staglung Rimpoche

Mahamudra or Chagchen was the prime practice of our Drugpa Kagyu friends. I wanted to know how the practice of Dzogchen differed.

"Actually," Khamtag Rimpoche had told me, "there is no difference between Dzogchen and Chagchen. They both refer to the unborn mind that is the basis of experience but each is a different way of viewing it, a contrasting perspective. Dzogchen and Chagchen both provide an experiential understanding of the basis of mind but in different ways. Chagchen is a path meditation and Dzogchen a fruit meditation." And he had left it at that.

It was to gain some understanding of this enigmatic definition that we travelled to Tragthog Gompa in the valley of Sakti to the east of Leh. Tashi told us that the incarnate lama of the monastery was a renowned expert in Dzogchen. We took a bus there and stayed in monk's quarters below the gompa.

Sakti is a wide valley of great beauty narrowing to the north into a V shaped pass that leads over to Nubra. Tragthog is in the upper part of the valley and we gazed down its length at the distant Himalayas and the great mass of Stok Kangri forming a group of snowcapped peaks. The gompa lies among rocky crags above fields and poplar groves. Harvesting was in progress and the air was filled with work songs. On the evening of our arrival our monk host was testing his young nephew's memory of texts and the two sat together chanting. Above us, the gompa building lay among great weathered boulders of granite, some of the rooms being let into caves between them. There is a cave shrine to Guru Rimpoche and many fascinating images and paintings.

Staglung Rimpoche's rooms were at the top of the gompa and commanded a vast view. The door was opened by a smiling, traditionally obsequious assistant who politely sucked in his breath in response to our requests as if drinking hot soup. Rimpoche was out but we were soon settled in his tastefully furnished room. We did not sit on his sofa clearly intended for foreigners because this would have raised us above the level of his seat - very bad manners - but chose cushions on the floor. We took buttered tea and waited.

Rimpoche came through the curtains smiling and apologising. He was a large, heavy man breathing deeply from the climb. After he had sat down, we performed the customary salutations and resumed our seats ignoring the preferred hand pointing us to the sofa.

We explained our interests and Rimpoche began by denying that he knew much about Dzogchen. He suggested we should visit his teachers in Kalimpong and Gangtok to obtain truly authoritative teaching. This was a familiar line and again I felt the interview might come to an end right then and there.

I had with me a bedraggled typescript given me by a friend in London purporting to express the main tenets of Dzogchen. It had been compiled by Mike Hookham from personal teachings received from Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche in London some years previously and subsequently passed on to four students. Trungpa was of the Kargyupa order and Dzogchen traditionally a Nyingmapa teaching. I wanted to know therefore whether these supposed tenets were authentic or whether they had become distorted by filtering during their presentation to Westerners. Rimpoche agreed that he could verify whether they were correct or not. Tashi began translating the document. As we went on, Rimpoche nodded assent saying "La so" to each of the main points. I have paraphrased them here as follows:

The original mind, the unborn, is quite pure. It is the beginning and the ending of both confusion and realisation, the very ground of samsara and nirvana. Since it is of the nature of the universal process and empty of mentally created discriminations it is free from any bias towards enlightenment. It has no intentionality. Yet, although insight will find in it no concepts differentiating qualities, it is useful to view it as showing three fundamental aspects: complete openness, absolute spontaneity and natural perfection.

Complete openness: All aspects of every phenomenon are intrinsically clear and lucid, for the whole universe is open and unobstructed with everything mutually interpenetrating. Everything is naked, clear and free from obstruction so that there is nothing hidden to realise or attain. The nature of things is there to be seen, appears naturally and is present in time transcending awareness.

Absolute spontaneity: All phenomena are completely new, fresh, unique at the instant of their appearance. They are free from any conceptualisations of the past, present and future which we ourselves are inclined to impose upon them. This unique spontaneity is experienced as outside the usual dimensions of temporal experience. The wonder, splendour and spontaneity of this continual stream of fresh discovery and revelation is the playful dance aspect of the universe. It inspires as do the expressions of a guru. It is eternally young.

Natural perfection: Because everything is naturally pure and undefiled it is also perfect. Phenomena appear naturally in their modes and situations, forming ever changing patterns like participants in a great dance. Every experience is a symbolic representation yet there is no difference between the symbol and whatever is symbolised. With no effort or practice whatsoever liberation, enlightenment and Buddhahood are already fully perfected.

The everyday practice is thus ordinary life itself; the development of complete openness to all situations and emotions, and to all people. The tremendous energy usually locked up in evasion is experienced by never withdrawing protectively into oneself. There should be no striving to reach some exalted goal since this conditions awareness, producing something artificial which acts as an obstruction to the free flow of the mind.

Meditation is a natural process like eating or breathing, not a formal event conditioned by purpose. Never should one consider oneself sinful or worthless but as naturally pure lacking nothing. Everyday life is like a mandala of which one is the centre, free from prejudice from the past and expectations of the future.

Rimpoche said that knowing the text to be correct was one thing but understanding it quite another! Without a correct insight into the unborn mind the whole matter would be misconceived.

"It is important to comprehend three things thoroughly - the basis, the path and the fruit. The basis is the intuitive insight into the self-evident correctness of the doctrine itself. After all how could the universe not be perfect! The path is any one of the nine ways or yanas. Any one of these practices is sufficient when it is seen in the light of the last one, ati-yoga, the great perfection, Dzogchen itself."

"The host of various techniques and the yogas themselves are merely the expedient means or paths for people of varying abilities and attainments. Ati-yoga or Dzogchen is the ultimate appreciation of their meaning and hence the "fruit" of experience. Whatever practice one uses needs to become informed by this pervading insight. Whether you perceive the insight quickly or not depends upon previous lives and the quality of your karma."

I asked Rimpoche how Dzogchen might be practised.

"You can't practise it," he said, "unless you know it beforehand."

"Then how can one begin?"

"Either you see it or you don't."

"What happens if you don't ?"

"Then you are following a path meditation like Chagchen which has an intention of going somewhere. If you do see it, you are practising fruit meditation in which you are merely abiding in the perfection of insight, recalling it to mind. Once the fruit is eaten there need be no path to it. If you have found the apple tree there is no more search for the apples."

I experienced Staglung Rimpoche as a great teacher. He watched us closely as I conferred with Tashi during the interpretation, his face solemn and alert. His face has only two expressions; the gentle charm of his mannered exposition, smilingly making his points with a vigorous eloquence, and the relaxed sombre, brooding and rather ugly face of a heavily built man, the first for teaching and the second simply being himself. Rimpoche lacked entirely the many faces of social artifice.

We talked of the ultimate unreality of knowledge which he found hugely amusing, roaring with laughter. The whole relationship between mind and universe seemed to become an impossible joke. I began to feel there was no problem and a feeling of relief swept over me, a peculiar sense of freedom in which no anxiety existed. The baffled mind came to a stop in a sort of joyous emptiness, and, in the company of the Rimpoche, the Buddha's smile became this special laughter.

"Do the monks here study Dzogchen?"

"No."

"But how strange since you are a Dzogchen teacher."

"They never ask. They are too busy with their visualisations, their pujas and their cooking to wonder what it all is. Whenever one does so, then I respond."

"You mean their usual activities are pointless?"

"Not at all - a mind may lack insight and need training. Each must go according to the needs set by his own karma. It is entirely appropriate to set traps before the fox is caught. To perceive meditation as a matter of savouring the fruit rather than treading a path requires unusual understanding. That is why Dzogchen means Great Completion."

"Would you say that Dzogchen begins where Chagchen ends?"

"A Chagchen practitioner might indeed say that; Chagchen discloses the Unborn and this realisation is then Dzogchen. But from the Dzogchen viewpoint the Unborn is never absent."

"So the end is in the beginning?"

"Exactly so - don't move!"

[Michael]

The Training Schedule of the Lamayuru Yogins

The group of yogins first assembles with the teacher and constitute themselves as a class. Each monk then enters his cell to work through a series of contemplative meditations on his own, practising from authoritative texts on each subject. He moves from step to step only after interviews and examination by the teacher.

Ordinary preliminaries

i) The precious opportunity presented by human life.

The monk meditates on how rare is the occasion to be born as a human being. He is fortunate in that good karma has led to this and that he has not ended up as an animal, a hungry ghost, a titan or a god. Being human provides him with the opportunity of escaping the wheel altogether through yogic training. He must resolve to use the precious opportunity to the best of his ability and strength.

ii) The fact of impermanence.

Everything is impermanent, especially life itself. The mind resists this fact. Meditative contemplation leads to acceptance of it.

iii) The law of cause and effect.

All things are produced by causes and generate effects that are in turn causes. This is called the interdependent origination of all things. As the Universe unfolds the continuing generation of causes and effects produces an enormously complex scenario of interdependent phenomena which is ever extending. This is the basic process of karma. In practical terms what one experiences now is due to one's actions in the past but these do not inevitably determine the future. What I do now taken in conjunction with what I have done determines the future. Hence I need to act rightly now.

iv) The meaninglessness of worldly life (samsara) and the vow to become a Buddha.

To be endlessly caught in the chain of karmic retribution is meaningless; it is the suffering born of ignorance of causation. To transcend such suffering through insight into its nature is the goal, but to do this there is only one way: one must become a Buddha. To do this in this very lifetime is the yogins' vow.

Twenty one days are spent on each topic and then, depending on the understanding gained, the teacher will allow the trainee to proceed.

Special preliminaries

i) Grand prostrations.

The purpose of prostration is to reduce egoism, engender humility and effect purification through repentance. Prostration can also become a meditative exercise in itself. One hundred thousand is the basic commitment. The grand prostration is a full length stretch on the ground performed from a standing position and accompanied by certain prayers or refuge formulae. An additional 10,000 are done to atone for errors in the practice, and then an additional 1000 in case of further mistakes. The total is put at 111,125 prostrations. The Refuge formula is recited on every movement or on every two or three. The entire procedure takes about two to three months given diligent practice. It is hard work and carried out between 1 am - 7 am, 8 am - 12 am , 1 pm - 3 pm , 4 pm - 8 pm. The monk then sleeps from 10 pm till 1 am. There are also some visualisations and recitations to be done. Needless to say a practitioner must be fit and indeed becomes very fit during this training.

ii) Mandala Offerings.

A mandala is constructed as an offering either using trays, rice and objects or mentally. This is accompanied by the offertory prayers. The offering is made for the same number of times as the prostrations and takes about the same time.

iii) Visualisation of the teacher as guru.

The teacher is visualised as a tantric guru and identified with oneself. Thus one makes one’s own mind of the same quality as the teachers.

The special preliminaries may take 8-12 months to complete.

The main training

i) Contemplative meditation on love.

In Tibetan Buddhism, love is the practice of empathy with the joy of others.

ii) Contemplative meditation on compassion.

Compassion is the practice of empathy with the suffering of others.

iii) Contemplation on the Bodhisattva Vow.

It is not enough to try to achieve release for oneself in this lifetime. So long as another suffering sentient being remains, it is ones duty to help them to go before one into Nirvana. The Bodhisattva is one who practices in this way. All yogins take this vow.

iv) Evocation of Heruka Cakrasambhava as protector.

To protect the practice it is important to receive the assistance of a protector, a powerful deity or visualised being who will come to ones aid. In this case the deity is Heruka.28 Such a visualised deity or wrathful Buddha is known as a yidam. Yidams come in many forms. Here there are two figures in a sexual embrace symbolising the union of Bliss and Means. They are attended by numerous dakinis, female principles of action. The yogin visualises himself as the male and female figures in union as the mental experience of the unity of Bliss and Means. There are 400,000 mantric repetitions for the 'father' and 200,000 for the 'mother' together with 100,000 for the retinue of dakinis. This evocation protects the previous contemplations and the endeavour of the Yogin. The meditation symbolises the use of skilful means to enter Bliss-Emptiness and reveals that Bliss- Emptiness itself comprises the means.

These four meditations require twenty one days each in the case of the first three and three months practice for the vidam. The series ends with a Fire ceremony as a celebration.

v) Contemplation of the guru as emptiness.

Having identified with the guru, the meditator now sees him as ultimate emptiness. Through deepening the guru visualisation he discovers the flux of all things and goes beyond attachment to the teacher. This takes three months.

vi) Mahamudra.

Mahamudra is a profound meditative practice involving insight into the nature of a calmed mind. This is the ultimate path which can take the yogin all the way. Eventually yogins may drop most other methods and simply use this one, even going beyond that into "not meditation". Mahamudra is discussed in later chapters, especially 17 There is no time limit on its practice but within the training it is introduced in a session one month long.

vi) The Six Yogas of Naropa.

The six yogas provide the yogin with a powerful support for Mahamudra practice. The six begin with Heat generation and continue with Dream meditation, Illusory body, Clear light, Intermediate stage and Transference of consciousness. All make use of the visualised channels of breath in the body and breathing exercises which generate prana much in the same way as Taoist exercises develop chi. The practices provide a deep understanding of the processes of the body and mind. One cycle takes six months.

vii) Dedication.

On completing the course the yogin may become a hermit and continue to practise on his own in lengthy enclosed retreats. He has the aim of becoming a siddha, a meditator of exceptional ability. He may however also remain in a community and practise there. He has not been given permission to teach, yet his influence in the world will have greatly changed as a result of his training. A dedication is performed when the formal training ends.

The exhaustively thorough nature of this training will be apparent to anyone who takes the trouble to examine what is involved. Its intensity and the duration through which it is sustained demand high levels of mental and physical fitness to say nothing of determination and motivation. It demands total faith.

As one of the yogins said to us, somewhat distancing himself from the manner of our enquiry - "The difference between a Westerner and a yogin is that we are consecrated persons."

[erik]

Thanks for that, Michael! I have been reading and pondering Dzogchen for a couple of months now.

[Michael]

I am going to give a quick summary here to clarify a rather confusing aray of names and styles of practice found in Tibetan Buddhism.

It all began with Santarakshita, who was unable to establish Buddhism in Tibet (he was invited by the king, Trisong Deutsan) because of those damned demons and spirits who thwarted his every attempt to build a monetary at Samye.

So they call in the main man of Tibetan Buddhism - the originator par excellence: Guru Rimpoche. Known as Padmasambhava. He defeated the demons and the Bon, across the land, and established Buddhism in Tibet around 817 CE.

From Guru Rimpoche came the oldest linage: Nyingmapa. It is tantric and also known as Vajrayana. These are very way out people who practice this stuff.

Anyway, the kingdom fell, and the Royal family escaped to Guge, where they set up a wonderful kingdom which has probably the best claim to the original Shambhala. They were eventually wiped out a long time later by the kingdom of Laddahk (the Royal family of Guge came to a nasty end, and their bones are still there to be seen in a small cave).

Nyingmapa was never a systematised monastic tradition. That came next, when the great Atisa came to Tibet around 1000 CE. He took the place by storm and set up the celibate order of monks known as Kadampa.

The teachings which eventually came to be used by the Yogins of Tibet began in India with a man called Tilopa, who also lived around 1000 CE. Tilopa was a solitary, mystical and learned yogi.

A man who was one of the greatest scholars of India at the time, known as Naropa, discovered he really knew nothing and sought real knowledge from Tilopa. This he gained, and subsequently he travelled and meditated in many caves in the Himalayas.

The main story then begins with Marpa, a married man in Tibet who journeyed many times to India for knowledge, and in particular found Naropa from whom he learned the real stuff. Marpa returned to Tibet and taught this knowledge to selective pupils.

Then around 1100, Milarepa learned this knowledge from Marpa - there is his story, which is a famous classic, in Restless Soma, put up by Ellen. But Milarepa went off to meditate, and not much would have happened if it weren't for one of his disciples, Gampopa, who came from the Kadampa tradition. It was Gampopa who founded the highly disciplined and mystical sect known as Kargyu (Red Hats, and Nyingma are also know as Red Hats).

Later in the 14th century, another reform brought about by a man called Tsongkhapa, produced the sect known as Gelugpa (Yellow Hats) to which the Dalai Lama (also known as Gyalwa Rinpoche) belongs. They are far more academic, although they do have their yogins also (who mainly learn from the Red Hats).

Later, a monk of the mystical sect, Kargyu, named Tsangpa Gyare, set up one of the six sub-sects of Kargyu, called Drugpa - named after a dragon seen thundering in the sky. Drugpa Kargyu has become well known in the West.

There is another primary sect, the Sakya, which is also a Red Hat. Doesn't seem too relevant these days.

[Josh]

Dzogchen, the great completeness, is a Mahayana system of practice leading to enlightenment and involves a view of reality, way of meditating, and way of behaving . It is found earliest in the Nyingma and Bon (pre-Buddhist) traditions.

Zhang-zhung was conquered by Yarlung (Central Tibet) in 645 CE. The Yarlung Emperor Songtsen-gampo had wives not only from the Chinese and Nepali royal families (both of whom brought a few Buddhist texts and statues), but also from the royal family of Zhang-zhung. The court adopted Zhang-zhung (Bon) burial rituals and animal sacrifice, although Bon says that animal sacrifice was native to Tibet, not a Bon custom. The Emperor built thirteen Buddhist temples around Tibet and Bhutan, but did not found any monasteries.

This pre-Nyingma phase of Buddhism in Central Tibet did not have dzogchen teachings. In fact, it is difficult to ascertain what level of Buddhist teachings and practice were introduced. It was undoubtedly very limited, as would have been the case with the Zhang-zhung rites.

The next major figure, Emperor Tri Songdetsen, was cautious of the Chinese and paranoid of Zhang-zhung, most likely because his pro-Chinese father had been assassinated by the xenophobic, conservative Zhang-zhung political faction in the imperial court. In 761, he invited the Indian Buddhist abbot Shantarakshita to Tibet. There was a smallpox epidemic. The Zhang-zhung faction in court blamed Shantarakshita and deported him from the land. On the abbot's advice, the Emperor then invited Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) from Swat (northwestern Pakistan), who drove out the demons who had caused the smallpox. The Emperor then reinvited Shantarakshita.

Guru Rinpoche left in 774, without having completed the full transmission of dzogchen. Seeing that the times were not ripe, he buried some texts as buried treasure texts (gter-ma, "terma"). They were exclusively texts on dzogchen.

Samyay Monastery (the first monastery in Tibet with the first seven Tibetan monks) was completed shortly afterwards. Chinese from the Chan (Jap. Zen) tradition, Indian, and Zhang-zhung translators worked together there. Buddhism became the state religion in 779, probably because Emperor Tri Songdetsen needed an alternative culture to Zhang-zhung for unifying the country. The Emperor appointed three families to support each monk.

Tibet conquered Dunhuang, (a Buddhist oasis on the Silk Route northwest of Tibet) from China in 781. Yet, the Chinese emperor sent two Chinese monks to Samyay every other year from 781, to maintain his influence.

Shantarakshita died in 783, warning of trouble from the Chinese, and advised inviting his disciple Kamalashila to debate them, which the Tibetans did.

The next year, in 784, a grand persecution and exile of the Bonpos (followers of Bon) took place. Most went to Gilgit (northern Pakistan) or Yunnan (southwestern China). According to the traditional Bon account, Zhang-zhung Drenpa-namka buried the Bon texts (all categories, not just dzogchen) at this time for safekeeping.

Historical and political analysis reveals that the reason for the exile was suspicion that the xenophobic conservative Zhang-zhung political faction might assassinate the Emperor for being pro-Indian, as they had done to his father. Moreover, the state kept the Bon burial rituals and sacrifices. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that it was a persecution of the Zhang-zhung political faction, not a persecution of the Bon religion.

For this reason, several Western scholars assert that the term Bonpo (followers of Bon) in this period had primarily a political rather than religious reference. It was used for the Zhang-zhung political faction at the court and their followers, rather than for the spiritual leaders who performed the Zhang-zhung religious rites at the court and their followers.

Emperor Tri Songdetsen sent Vairochana, one of the seven original Tibetan monks from Samyay, to India for more texts. He brought back both dzogchen and Buddhist medicine tantras, and invited the Indian dzogchen master Vimalamitra, who brought more texts.

The Samyay debate was in 792-794, between Indian and Chinese Buddhism. The Indian side, led by Kamalashila, won; the Chinese, led by Hoshang Mahayana (Chinese for "Mahayana monk"), were expelled from Tibet. The Tibetans officially adopted Indian Buddhism and Indian Buddhist medicine, although they kept some Chinese medicine influences combined with it.

Shortly afterwards, the Tibetan Vairochana was exiled after Indian abbots slandered him for revealing too much, so he buried more dzogchen texts, as did the Indian Vimalamitra.

From the treasure texts buried by Vairochana and Vimalamitra and those buried earlier by Guru Rinpoche, the dzogchen teachings were later divided into three divisions.

   1. semdey (sems-sde, mind division), emphasizing pure awareness (rig-pa) as the basis for all (kun-gzhi, Skt. alaya),
   2. longdey (klong-sde, open sphere division), emphasizing the open sphere aspect (klong) of pure awareness as the basis for all,
   3. menngag-dey (man-ngag sde, personal instructions division), also called nyingtig (snying-thig, heart essence division), emphasizing pure awareness being primally pure (ka-dag).

The first two derive from the treasure texts buried by the Tibetan monk Vairochana and are not practiced much today. The mind division comes from Indian texts that Vairochana translated; the open sphere division from his oral teachings. The personal instructions division has two sections from the two Indian teachers, one from Guru Rinpoche: Kadro Nyingtig, Dakini Heart Essence Teachings) and one from Vimalamitra: Vima Nyingtig, Vimalamitra's Heart Essence Teachings).

[Firestarter]

The original mind, the unborn, is quite pure. It is the beginning and the ending of both confusion and realisation, the very ground of samsara and nirvana. Since it is of the nature of the universal process and empty of mentally created discriminations it is free from any bias towards enlightenment. It has no intentionality. Yet, although insight will find in it no concepts differentiating qualities, it is useful to view it as showing three fundamental aspects: complete openness, absolute spontaneity and natural perfection.

Complete openness: All aspects of every phenomenon are intrinsically clear and lucid, for the whole universe is open and unobstructed with everything mutually interpenetrating. Everything is naked, clear and free from obstruction so that there is nothing hidden to realise or attain. The nature of things is there to be seen, appears naturally and is present in time transcending awareness.

Absolute spontaneity: All phenomena are completely new, fresh, unique at the instant of their appearance. They are free from any conceptualisations of the past, present and future which we ourselves are inclined to impose upon them. This unique spontaneity is experienced as outside the usual dimensions of temporal experience. The wonder, splendour and spontaneity of this continual stream of fresh discovery and revelation is the playful dance aspect of the universe. It inspires as do the expressions of a guru. It is eternally young.

Natural perfection: Because everything is naturally pure and undefiled it is also perfect. Phenomena appear naturally in their modes and situations, forming ever changing patterns like participants in a great dance. Every experience is a symbolic representation yet there is no difference between the symbol and whatever is symbolised. With no effort or practice whatsoever liberation, enlightenment and Buddhahood are already fully perfected.

The everyday practice is thus ordinary life itself; the development of complete openness to all situations and emotions, and to all people. The tremendous energy usually locked up in evasion is experienced by never withdrawing protectively into oneself. There should be no striving to reach some exalted goal since this conditions awareness, producing something artificial which acts as an obstruction to the free flow of the mind.

Meditation is a natural process like eating or breathing, not a formal event conditioned by purpose. Never should one consider oneself sinful or worthless but as naturally pure lacking nothing. Everyday life is like a mandala of which one is the centre, free from prejudice from the past and expectations of the future.

~*~
.........


"Do the monks here study Dzogchen?"

"No."

"But how strange since you are a Dzogchen teacher."

"They never ask. They are too busy with their visualisations, their pujas and their cooking to wonder what it all is. Whenever one does so, then I respond."

"You mean their usual activities are pointless?"

"Not at all - a mind may lack insight and need training. Each must go according to the needs set by his own karma. It is entirely appropriate to set traps before the fox is caught. To perceive meditation as a matter of savouring the fruit rather than treading a path requires unusual understanding. That is why Dzogchen means Great Completion."

"Would you say that Dzogchen begins where Chagchen ends?"

"A Chagchen practitioner might indeed say that; Chagchen discloses the Unborn and this realisation is then Dzogchen. But from the Dzogchen viewpoint the Unborn is never absent."

"So the end is in the beginning?"

"Exactly so - don't move!"