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Dzogchen ( 'Great Completion' or 'Great Perfection'), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in
Indo-Tibetan Buddhism ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emp ...
and
Bön Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate
ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the solid terrestrial surface of the Earth * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical circ ...
of existence. The goal of Dzogchen is the direct experience of this basis, called (
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
: ). There are spiritual practices taught in various Dzogchen systems for discovering . Dzogchen emerged during the first dissemination of
Buddhism in Tibet Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...
, around the 7th to 9th centuries CE. While it is considered a Tibetan development by some scholars, it draws upon key ideas from Indian sources. The earliest Dzogchen texts appeared in the 9th century, attributed to Indian masters. These texts, known as the Eighteen Great Scriptures, form the "Mind Series" and are attributed to figures like
Śrī Siṅgha Sri Singha (Sanskrit: , ) was the teacher of Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and Vairotsana. He was a principal student and dharma-son of Mañjuśrīmitra in the Dzogchen lineage, and is credited by the Nyingma school with introducing Dzogchen to Tibet ...
and
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
. Early Dzogchen was marked by a departure from normative
Vajrayāna ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emp ...
practices, focusing instead on simple calming contemplations leading to a direct immersion in awareness. During the Tibetan renaissance era (10th to early 12th century), Dzogchen underwent significant development, incorporating new practices and teachings from India. This period saw the emergence of new Dzogchen traditions like the "Instruction Class series" and the "Seminal Heart" (). Dzogchen is classified into three series: the Semdé (Mind Series, ), Longdé (Space Series, ), and Menngaggidé (Instruction Series, ). The Dzogchen path comprises the Base, the Path, and the Fruit. The Base represents the original state of existence, characterized by
emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation, nihilism, and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression (mood), depression, loneliness, anhedonia, wiktionary:despair, despair, or o ...
(''stong pa nyid''), clarity (''gsal ba'', associated with luminous clarity), and
compassion Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based ...
ate energy (''snying rje''). The Path involves gaining a direct understanding of the mind's pure nature through meditation and specific Dzogchen methods. The Fruit is the realization of one's true nature, leading to complete
non-dual Nondualism includes a number of philosophical and spiritual traditions that emphasize the absence of fundamental duality or separation in existence. This viewpoint questions the boundaries conventionally imposed between self and other, min ...
awareness and the dissolution of dualities. Dzogchen practitioners aim for self-liberation (), where all experiences are integrated with awareness of one's true nature. This process may culminate in the attainment of a rainbow body at the moment of death, symbolizing full
Buddhahood In Buddhism, Buddha (, which in classic Indo-Aryan languages, Indic languages means "awakened one") is a title for those who are Enlightenment in Buddhism, spiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained the Buddhist paths to liberat ...
. Critics point to tensions between gradual and simultaneous practice within Dzogchen traditions, but practitioners argue these approaches cater to different levels of ability and understanding. Overall, Dzogchen offers a direct path to realizing the innate wisdom and compassion of the mind.


History

Dzogchen arose in the era of the first dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet (7th to 9th centuries CE) during the
Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (,) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. It expanded further under the 38th king, Trisong De ...
and continued during the
Era of Fragmentation The Era of Fragmentation () was an era of disunity in history of Tibet, Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became the Imperial Preceptor of the three regi ...
(9th to 11th centuries). American Tibetologist
David Germano David Francis Germano is an American Tibetologist and professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia (UVA), where he has dual appointments in its School of Nursing and Department of Religious Studies. Germano is a form ...
argues that Dzogchen is likely a Tibetan Buddhist development. However, numerous ideas key to Dzogchen (like
emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation, nihilism, and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression (mood), depression, loneliness, anhedonia, wiktionary:despair, despair, or o ...
and
luminosity Luminosity is an absolute measure of radiated electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic energy per unit time, and is synonymous with the radiant power emitted by a light-emitting object. In astronomy, luminosity is the total amount of electroma ...
) can be found in Indian sources, like the
Buddhist tantras Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth- ...
,
buddha-nature In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature ( Chinese: , Japanese: , , Sanskrit: ) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within ...
literature and other
Mahāyāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
sources like the ''
Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra The ''Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: लङ्कावतारसूत्रम्, "Discourse of the Descent into Laṅkā", , Chinese: 入楞伽經) is a prominent Mahayana Buddhist sūtra. It is also titled ''Laṅkāvatāraratnasūt ...
''. Furthermore, scholars like
Sam van Schaik Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist. Education He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa. Career Sin ...
see Dzogchen as having arisen out of tantric Buddhist
completion stage The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), a form of Buddhist meditation centered on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. '' yidam''). This involves the recitatio ...
practices. The earliest Dzogchen sources appeared in the first half of the 9th century, with a series of short texts attributed to Indian saints. The most of important of these are the "Eighteen Great Scriptures", which are today known as the "Mind Series" (''Semdé'') and are attributed to Indian masters like
Śrī Siṅgha Sri Singha (Sanskrit: , ) was the teacher of Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and Vairotsana. He was a principal student and dharma-son of Mañjuśrīmitra in the Dzogchen lineage, and is credited by the Nyingma school with introducing Dzogchen to Tibet ...
,
Vairotsana Vairotsana () was a lotsawa or "translator" living during the reign of King Trisong Detsen, who ruled 755-97 CE. Vairotsana, one of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava, was recognized by the latter as a reincarnation of an Indian pandita. ...
and
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
''.'' The later Semdé compilation tantra titled the ''All-Creating King ( Kunjed Gyalpo, kun byed rgyal po)'' is one of the most important and widely quoted of all Dzogchen scriptures. Germano sees the early Dzogchen of the Tibetan Empire period as characterized by the rejection of normative
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
practice. Germano calls the early Dzogchen traditions "pristine Great Perfection" since it is marked "by the absence of presentations of detailed ritual and contemplative technique" as well as a lack of funerary, charnel ground and death imagery found in some Buddhist tantras. According to Germano, instead of tantric
deity yoga The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantric practice, Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), a form of Buddhist meditation centered on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''). Thi ...
methods, early Dzogchen mainly focused on simple calming ( śamatha) contemplations leading to a "technique free immersion in the bare immediacy of one's own deepest levels of awareness". Similarly, Christopher Hatchell explains that since for early Dzogchen "all beings and all appearances are themselves the singular enlightened gnosis of the buddha All Good (Samantabhadra, ''Kuntu Zangpo'')", there is nothing to do but to recognize this inherent awakened mind, relax and let go. During the Tibetan renaissance era (10th century to the early 12th century) many new Vajrayāna texts, teachings and practices were introduced from India. At this time, the
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
school and its Dzogchen traditions reinvented themselves, producing many new scriptures and developing new practices influenced by the Sarma traditions. These new influences were absorbed into Dzogchen through the practice of finding treasure texts (''terma'') that were discovered by "treasure revealers" ('' tertons''). These tantric elements included
subtle body A subtle body is a "quasi material" aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, according to various Western esotericism, esoteric, occultism, occult, and mysticism, mystical teachings. This contrasts with th ...
practices, visionary practices like
dark retreat Dark retreat (Allione, Tsultrim (2000). ''Women of Wisdom''. (Includes transcribed interview with Namkhai Norbu) Source(accessed: November 15, 2007)) is a spiritual retreat in a space that is completely absent of light, which is an advanced pract ...
, and a focus on death-motifs and practices (such as funerary and relic rituals,
bardo In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state b ...
teachings,
phowa ''Phowa'' (, ) is a tantric practice found in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It may be described as "transference of consciousness at the time of death", " mindstream transference", "the practice of conscious dying", or "enlightenment without medit ...
, etc). These new methods and teachings were part of several new traditions such as the "Secret Cycle" (''gsang skor''), "Ultra Pith" (''yang tig''), "Brahmin's tradition" (''bram ze'i lugs''), the " Space Class Series," and especially the "Instruction Class series" (''
Menngagde In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Menngagde (, ), is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen (''Great Perfection'' ). Dzogchen is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma sch ...
''), which culminated in the "Seminal Heart" (''snying thig''), which emerged in the late 11th and early 12th century. The most influential texts in this period are
Seventeen Tantras The ''Seventeen Tantras of the Esoteric Instruction Series'' () or the ''Seventeen Tantras of the Ancients'' (''rnying-ma'i rgyud bcu-bdun'') are an important collection of tantras in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. They comprise the cor ...
(''rgyud bcu bdun''). The most important scholarly figure in the systematization of these new traditions was Longchenpa Rabjampa (1308–1364). Later figures who also revealed important treasure text cycles include
Karma Lingpa Karma Lingpa (1326–1386) was the tertön (revealer) of the Bardo Thodol, the so-called ''Tibetan Book of the Dead''. Tradition holds that he was a reincarnation of Chokro Lü Gyeltsen, a disciple of Padmasambhava. History Karma Lingpa was ...
, (1326–1386, who revealed the '' bar-do thos-grol''),
Rigdzin Gödem Rigdzin Gödem (Tibetan language (standard), Tib. རིག་འཛིན་རྒོད་ལྡེམ།, ''rig 'dzin rgod ldem,'' 1337–1409)''.'' also known as Rigdzin Gokyi Demtru Chen and Ngodrub Gyaltsen, was a major Nyingma tertön (a r ...
(1337–1409),
Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) was a Tibetan ''tertön'' of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the promulgator of the Longchen Nyingthig, the Heart Essence teachings of Longchenpa, from whom, according to tradition, he received a v ...
(1730–1798), who revealed the influential ''
Longchen Nyingthig Longchen Nyingthig () or ''Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse'' is a cycle of teachings revealed as '' Terma'' by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), after his series of visions of the teacher Longchenpa.Hans Kop, " The Nyingtik Project: The History". c. ...
'' and Dudjom Lingpa (1835–1904).


Etymology and concepts

''Dzogchen'' is composed of two terms: * ''rdzogs'' – perfection, completion * ''chen'' – great According to the
fourteenth Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...
, the term ''dzogchen'' may be a rendering of the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
term ''mahāsandhi''. The term initially referred to the "highest perfection" of Vajrayāna
deity yoga The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantric practice, Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), a form of Buddhist meditation centered on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''). Thi ...
. Specifically, it refers to the stage after the
deity visualisation A divine embodiment or godform refers to the visualized appearance of the deity assumed in theurgical, tantric, and other mystical practices. This process of ritual embodiment is aimed at transforming the practitioner, aligning them with di ...
has been dissolved and one rests in the natural state of the innately luminous and pure mind. According to
Sam van Schaik Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist. Education He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa. Career Sin ...
, in the 8th-century tantra ''Sarvabuddhasamāyoga,'' the term refers to "a realization of the nature of reality" which arises through the practice of tantric
anuyoga Anuyoga (Devanagari: अनुयोग 'further yoga') is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. This schema categorizes various sta ...
practices which produce bliss. In the 10th and 11th centuries, when ''Dzogchen'' emerged as a separate vehicle to liberation in the
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
tradition, the term was used synonymously with the Sanskrit term ''ati yoga'' (primordial yoga).


''Rigpa'' (knowledge) and ''ma rigpa'' (delusion)

''
Rigpa In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. Vidya (Knowledge), vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the Ground (Dzogchen), ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' (''Avidyā (Buddhism), avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the sta ...
'' (Sanskrit: ''vidyā'', "knowledge") is a central concept in Dzogchen. According to Ācārya Malcolm Smith: ''Ma rigpa'' ( ''avidyā'') is the opposite of ''rigpa'' or knowledge. ''Ma rigpa'' is ignorance, delusion, or unawareness, the failure to recognize the nature of the basis. An important theme in Dzogchen texts is explaining how ignorance arises from the basis or dharmatā, which is associated with ''ye shes'' or pristine consciousness. Automatically arising unawareness (''lhan skyes ma rig pa'') exists because the basis has a natural cognitive potentiality which gives rise to appearances. This is the ground for saṁsāra and
nirvāṇa Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
.


Traditional exegesis

''
The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva ''The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva'' () is numbered amongst the Seventeen Tantras of Menngagde () within Dzogchen discourse and is part of the textual support for the Vima Nyingtik. ''The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva'' conveys how ...
'' (''Dorje Sempa Nyinggi Melong'', ''rdo rje sems dpa' snying gi me long''), a major Dzogchen tantra, explains the term ''Dzog'' (Perfection) as follows: ''The Mirror of the Heart of Vajrasattva'' explains that Dzogchen is "great" because: * It is the pinnacle of all vehicles, views, meditations, behaviors, goals. * It is "never moving from the natural state." * It functions "without obstacles in the realm beyond change." * It manifests "beyond concepts in the realm beyond attachment." * It manifests "without attachment in the realm beyond desire" * It manifests "in great bliss in the realm beyond speech." * It is "the source that pervades pure enlightenment." * It is "non-substantial ''rigpa'' beyond action and effort." * It remains "in equality without moving from the realm of total bliss" and "without moving from the essential meaning." * It exists "everywhere without being a dimension of grasping." * It is "the essence of everything without being established with words and syllables."


Three series

The Three Series of Dzogchen () are a traditional
Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...
classification which divides the teachings of the
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
school's Dzogchen tradition into three series, divisions or sections. These three are: the ''
Semde Semde (; Sanskrit: , "mind division", "mind class" or "mind series" is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage (Buddhism), lineage divisions within the Dzogchen (Great Perfection) tradition. The Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism tradition ...
'' ('Mind Series'), the ''
Longdé Longdé (, ) is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Dzogchen, which is itself the pinnacle of the Yana (Buddhism)#The nine yanas, ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. The name "longd ...
'' ('Space Series') and the ''
Menngagde In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, Menngagde (, ), is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen (''Great Perfection'' ). Dzogchen is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma sch ...
'' ('Instruction Series'). Traditional accounts of the
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
school attribute this schema to the Indian master
Mañjuśrīmitra Mañjuśrīmitra (d. 740 CE) () was an Indian Buddhism, Buddhist scholar. He became the main student of Garab Dorje and a teacher of Dzogchen. Nomenclature and etymology Mañjuśrī-mitra was his ordination-name—before ordination he was named "S ...
(c. 8th century). According to modern Tibetologists, this doxographic schema actually developed in the literature of the Instruction Series (c. 11th century onwards) as a way to distinguish and categorize the various Dzogchen teachings at the time. According to Instruction Series texts, the Mind Series is based on understanding that one's own mind is the basis of all appearances and that this basis, called mind itself, is empty and luminous. The Space series meanwhile is focused on
emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation, nihilism, and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression (mood), depression, loneliness, anhedonia, wiktionary:despair, despair, or o ...
(Skt. ''śūnyatā,'' T. ''stong-pa nyid''). Finally, the Instruction Series itself is seen as the most direct kind of realization, without the need to meditate on emptiness or mind. Over time, the Instruction Series came to dominate the Dzogchen tradition and it remains the series that is most widely practiced and taught while the other two series are rarely practiced today (with the exception of a few masters like
Namkhai Norbu Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen and a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at Naples Eastern University. He was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, par ...
). According to
Namkhai Norbu Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen and a professor of Tibetan and Mongolian language and literature at Naples Eastern University. He was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, par ...
, the three series are three modes of presenting and introducing the state of Dzogchen. Norbu states that Mennagde is a more direct form of introduction, Longde is closely associated with symbolic forms of introducing Dzogchen and Semde is more focused on oral forms of introduction. Germano writes that the Mind Series serves as a classification for the earlier texts and forms of Dzogchen "prior to the development of the Seminal Heart movements" which focused on meditations based on tantric understandings of
bodhicitta In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhicitta ("aspiration to enlightenment" or "the thought of awakening") is the mind ( citta) that is aimed at awakening (bodhi) through wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings.Dayal, Har (1970). ''T ...
(''byang chub kyi sems''). This referred to the ultimate nature of the mind, which is empty (''stong pa''), luminous (od gsal ba''), and pure. According to Germano, the Space and Instruction Series are associated with later (historical) developments of Dzogchen "which increasingly experimented with re-incorporating tantric contemplative techniques centered on the body and vision, as well as the consequent philosophical shifts his became interwoven with."


Base, Path, and Fruit

In Dzogchen, there are three central aspects: the ''Base'', the ''Path'' and the ''Fruit''. The ''Base'' represents the original, unchanging state of existence, characterized by emptiness, clarity, and compassionate energy. The ''Path'' comprises three key elements: view, practice, and conduct. The view focuses on gaining a direct understanding of the pure nature of the mind. Practice involves meditation techniques and specific Dzogchen methods. Conduct means integrating these practices into daily life. The ''Fruit'' represents the ultimate goal – realizing one's true nature and achieving Buddhahood. This involves discovering the inherent state of the base and integrating all experiences with one's awareness of it. Ultimately, it leads to complete non-dual awareness, transcending egoic limitations, and dissolving dualities.


The Base or Ground

A key concept in Dzogchen is the "base", "ground", or "primordial state" (Tibetan: ''gzhi'', Sanskrit: ''āśraya''), also called the general ground (''spyi gzhi'') or the original ground (''gdod ma'i gzhi''). The basis is the original state "before realization produced ''buddha''s and nonrealization produced sentient beings". It is atemporal and unchanging and yet it is "noetically potent", giving rise to mind (''sems,'' Skt. ''
citta ''Citta'' (Pali and Sanskrit: चित्त, or in Prakrit script 𑀘𑀺𑀢𑁆𑀢, pronounced ''chitta'' ͡ɕit̚.tɐ́sup>( key)) is one of three overlapping terms used in the Nikaya to refer to the mind, the others being '' mana ...
''), consciousness (''shes pa,'' Skt. ''
vijñāna ''Vijñāna'' () or ''viññāa'' ()As is standard in WP articles, the Pali term ''viññāa'' will be used when discussing the Pali literature, and the Sanskrit word ''vijñāna'' will be used when referring to either texts chronologically subse ...
''), delusion (''ma rig pa,'' Skt. '' avidyā'') and knowledge (''
rigpa In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. Vidya (Knowledge), vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the Ground (Dzogchen), ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' (''Avidyā (Buddhism), avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the sta ...
'', Skt. ''vidyā''). Furthermore, Hatchell notes that the Dzogchen tradition portrays ultimate reality as something which is "beyond the concepts of one and many."


Three qualities

According to the Dzogchen-teachings, the ''Ground'' or
Buddha-nature In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature ( Chinese: , Japanese: , , Sanskrit: ) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within ...
has three qualities: * ''ngo bo'', "essence", oneness or emptiness (), * ''rang bzhin'', "nature", luminosity, lucidity or clarity (as in the
luminous mind Luminous mind ( Skt: or , Pali: ; Tib: ; Ch: ; Jpn: ) is a Buddhist term that appears only rarely in the Pali Canon, but is common in the Mahayana sūtras and central to the Buddhist tantras. It is variously translated as "brightly shining ...
of the
Five Pure Lights The Five Pure Lights () is an essential teaching in the Dzogchen tradition of Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. For the deluded, the matter seems to appear. This is due to the non-recognition of the five lights. Matter includes the ''mahābhūta'' or cla ...
) (), * ''thugs rje'', "power", universal compassionate energy (), unobstructed (). Herbert V. Guenther points out that this ''Ground'' is both a static potential and a dynamic unfolding. They give a process-orientated translation, to avoid any essentialist associations, since The 19th–20th-century Tibetan Buddhist scholar, Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal, sees the Buddha-nature as ultimate truth, nirvana, which is constituted of profundity, primordial peace and radiance:


Direct introduction

Direct introduction is called the "Empowerment of Awareness" (, pronounced "rigpay sall wahng"), a technical term employed within the Dzogchen lineages for a particular lineage of empowerment propagated by
Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) was a Tibetan ''tertön'' of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the promulgator of the Longchen Nyingthig, the Heart Essence teachings of Longchenpa, from whom, according to tradition, he received a v ...
. This empowerment consists of the direct introduction of the student to the intrinsic nature of their own mind-essence,
rigpa In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. Vidya (Knowledge), vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the Ground (Dzogchen), ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' (''Avidyā (Buddhism), avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the sta ...
, by their empowering master.


Pointing-out instruction

In Dzogchen tradition, pointing-out instruction () is also referred to as "pointing out the nature of mind" (), "pointing out transmission", or "introduction to the nature of mind". The pointing-out instruction (''ngo sprod'') is an introduction to the
nature of mind Nature of mind (Sanskrit: cittatā or citta-dharmatā; Tibetan: སེམས་ཉིད་, ''semnyi''; Wyl. ''sems nyid'') may refer to: * Dharmatā, also called suchness or thatness ( Tathātā), the true nature of all things in Mahayana Buddhi ...
.


The Path

There are three major divisions of the Dzogchen path, known as the "Three Dharmas of the Path." These are ''tawa'', ''gompa'', and ''chöpa''. Namkhai Norbu translates these three terms as 'view,' 'practice,' and 'conduct.'


Garab Dorje's three statements

Garab Dorje Garab Dorje (c. 665) () was the first human to receive the complete direct transmission teachings of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. The circumstances of his birth are shrouded in different interpretations, with some accounts describing a miraculous ...
(c. 665) epitomized the Dzogchen teaching in three principles, known as "Striking the Vital Point in Three Statements" (''Tsik Sum Né Dek''), said to be his last words. They give in short the development a student has to undergo: Garab Dorje's three statements were integrated into the ''Nyingthig'' traditions, the most popular of which in the ''
Longchen Nyingthig Longchen Nyingthig () or ''Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse'' is a cycle of teachings revealed as '' Terma'' by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), after his series of visions of the teacher Longchenpa.Hans Kop, " The Nyingtik Project: The History". c. ...
'' by
Jigme Lingpa Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798) was a Tibetan ''tertön'' of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the promulgator of the Longchen Nyingthig, the Heart Essence teachings of Longchenpa, from whom, according to tradition, he received a v ...
(1730–1798). The statements are: # Introducing directly the face of rigpa itself (''ngo rang tok tu tré''). Dudjom Rinpoche states this refers to: "Introducing directly the face of the naked mind as the rigpa itself, the innate primordial wisdom." # Deciding upon one thing and one thing only (''tak chik tok tu ché''). Dudjom states: "Because all phenomena, whatever manifests, whether saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, are none other than the rigpa’s own play, there is complete and direct decision that there is nothing other than the abiding of the continual flow of rigpa." # Confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts (''deng drol tok tu cha''). Dudjom comments: "In the recognition of ''namtok'' rising thoughts whatever arises, whether gross or subtle, there is direct confidence in the simultaneity of the arising and dissolution in the expanse of dharmakāya, which is the unity of rigpa and ''śūnyatā''."


View

Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
Dzogchen texts use unique terminology to describe the Dzogchen view (Tib. ''tawa''). Some of these terms deal with the different elements and features of the mind and are drawn from classic Buddhist thought. The generic term for consciousness is ''shes pa'' (''Skt.
vijñāna ''Vijñāna'' () or ''viññāa'' ()As is standard in WP articles, the Pali term ''viññāa'' will be used when discussing the Pali literature, and the Sanskrit word ''vijñāna'' will be used when referring to either texts chronologically subse ...
''), and includes the six sense consciousnesses.
Worldly The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...
, impure and dualistic forms of consciousness are generally referred to with terms such as ''sems'' (''citta,'' mind), ''yid'' ('' mānas'') and ''blo'' (''buddhi''). On the other hand, nirvanic or liberated forms of consciousness are described with terms such as ''ye shes'' (''
jñāna In Indian philosophy and religions, ' (, ) is "knowledge". The idea of ''jñāna'' centers on a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced. It is knowledge inseparable from the total experience of reality, especially the total or divin ...
'', 'pristine consciousness') and ''shes rab'' ( ''prajñā'', wisdom). According to
Sam van Schaik Sam Julius van Schaik is an English tibetologist. Education He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa. Career Sin ...
, two significant terms used in Dzogchen literature is the ground (''gzhi'') and gnosis (''rig pa''), which represent the "
ontological Ontology is the philosophical study of being. It is traditionally understood as the subdiscipline of metaphysics focused on the most general features of reality. As one of the most fundamental concepts, being encompasses all of reality and every ...
and gnoseological aspects of the nirvanic state" respectively. Nyingma Dzogchen literature also describes nirvana as the "expanse" or "space" (''klong'' or ''dbyings'') or the "expanse of Dharma" (''chos dbyings'', Sanskrit: ''
Dharmadhatu Dharmadhatu (; ; ) is the 'dimension', 'realm' or 'sphere' (dhātu) of the Dharma or Absolute Reality. Entire Dharmadhatu was filled with an infinite number of buddha-lands (Sanskrit: buddhakṣetra) with ineffable number of Buddhas. This rea ...
''). The term '' Dharmakaya'' (Dharma body) is also often associated with these terms in Dzogchen, as explained by
Tulku Urgyen Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920A Brief Biography of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
...
: The Dzogchen View of the secret instruction series (''man ngag sde'') is classically explained through the
eleven vajra topics In Dzogchen, the eleven vajra topics explain the view of the secret instruction series (''man ngag sde''). These can be found in the ''String of Pearls Tantra'' (''Mu tig phreng ba''), the ''Great Commentary by Vimalamitra'' as well as in Longche ...
. These can be found in the ''String of Pearls Tantra'' (''Mu tig phreng ba''), the ''Great Commentary by Vimalamitra'' as well as in
Longchenpa Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), or simply Longchenpa (1308–1364, "The Great One Who Is the Vast Cosmic Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school, the 'Old School' of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David German ...
's ''Treasury of Word and Meaning'' (''Tsik Dön Dzö).''


Practice

Dzogchen practice (''gompa'') relies on the Dzogchen view which is a "direct, non-dual, non-conceptual knowledge" of the pure nature. This is achieved through one's relationship with a
guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
or
lama Lama () is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan word ''la-ma'' means "high mother", ...
who introduces one to our own primordial state and provides instruction on how to practice. This "direct introduction" and transmission from a Dzogchen master is considered absolutely essential. The Dzogchen tradition contains numerous systems of practices, including various forms of meditation, tantric yogas and unique Dzogchen methods. The earliest form of Dzogchen practice (the ''Semde'', "Mind" series) generally emphasized non-symbolic "formless" practices (as opposed to tantric deity yoga). Later developments led to the main Dzogchen practices becoming more infused with various preliminary and tantric methods like deity yoga, semdzin (holding the mind), rushen (separating samsara and nirvana), and ''vipasyana'' (''lhagthong''), which are all seen as skillful means to achieve the basic state of contemplation of the primordially pure state. The key Dzogchen meditation methods, which are unique to the tradition are ''
trekchö In Dzogchen, ''trekchö'' (''khregs chod'') means "(spontaneous) cutting of tension" or "cutting through solidity." The practice of ''trekchö'' reflects the earliest developments of Dzogchen, with its admonition against practice. In this practice ...
'' ("cutting tension") and ''
tögal In Dzogchen, ''tögal'' () literally means "crossing, surpassing the skull." It is sometimes translated as 'leapover,' 'direct crossing,' or 'direct transcendence.' ''Tögal'' is also called "the practice of vision," or "the practice of the Clear ...
'', along with unique Dzogchen teachings on awakening in the ''
bardo In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state b ...
'' (intermediate state between death and
rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * '' ...
). In ''trekchö,'' one first identifies the innate pure awareness, and then sustains recognition of it in all activities. In ''tögal'' ("crossing over"), a yogi works with various gazes and postures which lead to various forms of visions (in
dark retreat Dark retreat (Allione, Tsultrim (2000). ''Women of Wisdom''. (Includes transcribed interview with Namkhai Norbu) Source(accessed: November 15, 2007)) is a spiritual retreat in a space that is completely absent of light, which is an advanced pract ...
or through sky gazing). The most comprehensive study of sky-gazing meditation, known as ''
tögal In Dzogchen, ''tögal'' () literally means "crossing, surpassing the skull." It is sometimes translated as 'leapover,' 'direct crossing,' or 'direct transcendence.' ''Tögal'' is also called "the practice of vision," or "the practice of the Clear ...
'' or '' thod rgal'', has been written by Flavio A. Geisshuesler. Although the term ''thod rgal'' is generally translated as "Direct Transcendence" or "Leap Over," Geisshuesler argues that the expression really means "Skullward Leap" as it consists of the Tibetan words ''thod'' ("above," "over," but also "head wrapper," "turban," "skull") and ''rgal'' ("to leap over"). In the larger Tibetan cultural area, it is the most elevated part of the human body—the skull or, its extension in the form of a turban-like headdress—that allows the religious practitioner to gain access to the source of vitality located in the heavens. Both the head and the headdress have deep resonances with animals—particularly deer and sheep—which are central for the sky-gazing practice because of their ability to ascend and descend vertically to move in between various realms of existence.


Conduct

Norbu notes that "Tantric practices may be used as secondary practices by the practitioner of Dzogchen, alongside the principal practice of contemplation." Similarly, physical yoga (Tib. '' trulkhor'') may also be used as supporting practices.


The Fruit


Self-liberation

According to Namkhai Norbu, in Dzogchen, "to become realized simply means to discover and manifest that which from the very beginning has been our own true condition: the Zhi (gzhi) or Base." Since the basis, the path of practice and the fruit or result of practice are non-dual from the ultimate perspective, in Dzogchen understands the path as not separate from the result or fruit of the path (i.e.
Buddhahood In Buddhism, Buddha (, which in classic Indo-Aryan languages, Indic languages means "awakened one") is a title for those who are Enlightenment in Buddhism, spiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained the Buddhist paths to liberat ...
). Once a Dzogchen practitioner has recognized their true nature (and "do not remain in doubt" regarding this), the path consists of the integration (''sewa'') of all experiences in their life with the state of rigpa. All these experiences are self-liberated through this integration or mixing. This process is often explained through three "liberations" or capacities of a Dzogchen practitioner: *Cherdrol ("one observes and it liberates") - This is when an ordinary appearance occurs and one sees its true nature, which leads to its self-liberation. It is compared to how a drop of dew evaporates when the sunlight shines on it. *Shardrol ("as soon as it arises it liberates itself") - This occurs when any sense contact or passion arises self-liberates automatically and effortlessly. This is compared to how snow melts immediately on falling into the sea. *Rangdrol ("of itself it liberates itself"), according to Norbu, this is "completely non-dual and all-at-once, instantaneous self-liberation. Here the illusory separation of subject and object collapses of itself, and one's habitual vision, the limited cage, the trap of ego, opens out into the spacious vision of what is". The
simile A simile () is a type of figure of speech that directly ''compares'' two things. Similes are often contrasted with metaphors, where similes necessarily compare two things using words such as "like", "as", while metaphors often create an implicit c ...
used here is a snake effortlessly unwinding its own body. Advanced Dzogchen practitioners are also said to sometimes manifest supranormal knowledge (Skt. ''abhijñā,'' Tib. ''mngon shes''), such as
clairvoyance Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to h ...
and
telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
.


Rainbow body

''Tögal'' practice may lead to full
Buddhahood In Buddhism, Buddha (, which in classic Indo-Aryan languages, Indic languages means "awakened one") is a title for those who are Enlightenment in Buddhism, spiritually awake or enlightened, and have thus attained the Buddhist paths to liberat ...
and the self-liberation of the human body into a
rainbow body In Dzogchen, rainbow body (, Jalü or Jalus) is a level of realization. This may or may not be accompanied by the 'rainbow body phenomenon'. The rainbow body phenomenon is pre-Buddhist in origin and is related to the indigenous Tibetan Bon religi ...
at the moment of death, when all fixation and grasping has been exhausted. Tibetan Buddhism holds that the rainbow body is a nonmaterial
body of light The body of light, sometimes called the 'astral body' or the 'subtle body,' is a "quasi material" aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, posited by a number of philosophers, and elaborated on according to ...
with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever as pointed by one's compassion. It is a manifestation of the sambhogakāya and its attainment is said to be accompanied by the appearance of lights and rainbows. Some exceptional practitioners are held to have realized a higher type of rainbow body without dying (these include the 24
Bön Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
masters from the oral tradition of
Zhang Zhung Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, existing from about 500 BCE to 625 CE, pre-dating Tibetan Buddhism. The Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philos ...
,
Tapihritsa Tapihritsa or Tapahritsa (c 7th ~ 8th century) was a Bon practitioner who achieved the Dzogchen mastery of the rainbow body and consequently, as a fully realised trikaya Buddha, is invoked as an iṣṭadevatā () by Dzogchen practitioners in bo ...
,
Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ('Born from a Lotus'), also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Guru'), was a legendary tantric Buddhist Vajracharya, Vajra master from Oddiyana. who fully revealed the Vajrayana in Tibet, circa 8th – 9th centuries... He is consi ...
, and
Vimalamitra Vimalamitra () was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist monk. His teachers were Buddhaguhya, Jnanasutra, Jñānasūtra and Sri Singha, Śrī Siṃha. He was supposed to have vowed to take rebirth every hundred years, with the most notable figures bein ...
). Having completed the four visions before death, the individual focuses on the lights that surround the fingers. His or her physical body self-liberates into a nonmaterial body of light with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever as pointed by one's compassion.


Critique


Simultaneous and gradual practice

As noted by van Schaik, there is a tension in the
Longchen Nyingtik Longchen Nyingthig () or ''Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse'' is a cycle of teachings revealed as '' Terma'' by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), after his series of visions of the teacher Longchenpa.Hans Kop, " The Nyingtik Project: The History". c. ...
tradition of Dzogchen between methods which emphasize gradual practice and attainments, and methods which emphasize primordial liberation, simultaneous enlightenment, and non-activity. This seeming contradiction is explained by authors of the tradition as being related to the different levels of ability of different practitioners. For example, the works of Jigme Lingpa contain criticisms of methods which rely on cause and effect as well as methods that rely on intellectual analysis. Since Buddhahood is uncaused and transcendent of the intellect, these contrived and conceptual meditations are contrasted with "effortless" and "instantaneous" approaches in the works of Jigme Lingpa, who writes that as soon as a thought arises, it is to be seen nakedly, without analysis or examination. Similarly, a common theme of Dzogchen literature is the elevation of Dzogchen above all other "lower" ('''og ma'') vehicles and a criticism of these lower vehicles which are seen as inferior (''dman pa'') approaches. In spite of these critiques, Dzogchen cycles like Jigme Lingpa's ''
Longchen Nyingthig Longchen Nyingthig () or ''Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse'' is a cycle of teachings revealed as '' Terma'' by Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), after his series of visions of the teacher Longchenpa.Hans Kop, " The Nyingtik Project: The History". c. ...
'' do contain numerous practices which are not instantaneous or effortless, such as tantric Mahayoga practice like
deity yoga The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantric practice, Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), a form of Buddhist meditation centered on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''). Thi ...
and preliminary methods such as ngondro (which are equated with the path of accumulation). Furthermore, Jigme Lingpa and Longchenpa also criticize those who teach the simultaneous method to everyone and teach them to dispense with all other methods at once. In response to the idea that the gradualist teachings found in the Longchen Nyingtik texts contradict the Dzogchen view of primordial liberation, Jigme Lingpa states: This division of practices according to level of ability is also found in Longchenpa's ''Tegchö Dzö.'' However, as van Schaik notes, "the system should not be taken too literally. It is likely that all three types of instruction contained in the threefold structure of YL 'Yeshe Lama''would be given to any one person." Therefore, though the instructions would be given to all student types, the actual capacity of the practitioner would determine how they would attain awakening (through Dzogchen meditation, in the bardo of death, or through transference of consciousness). Jigme Lingpa also believed that students of the superior faculties were extremely rare. He held that for most people, a gradual path of training is what is needed to reach realization.


See also

;Teachers *
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche Chagdud Tulku (, 1930–2002) was a Tibetan teacher of the Nyingma school of Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism. He was known and respected in the West for his teachings, his melodic chanting voice, his artistry as a sculptor and painter, and his skill ...
*
Dilgo Khyentse Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Tashi Paljor () (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, Terton, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism ...
*
Dudjom Rinpoche Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe DorjeJoseph McClellan, "Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje", ''Treasury of Lives'', February 2024 (, THL ''Düjom Jikdrel Yéshé Dorjé'') was known simply as Dudjom Rinpoche (10 June 1904 – 17 January ...
*
Dzogchen Rinpoche Dzogchen Rinpoche () is the head lama of Dzogchen Monastery, one of the largest monasteries in eastern Tibet which was destroyed in 1959 and rebuilt in the 1980s. The current Dzogchen Rinpoche, who is enumerated as the seventh in the lineage of ...
*
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö ( – 1959) was a Tibetan people, Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th-century Tibetan Buddhism. Though he died in 1959 in Sikkim, and is not so well known ...
* Jigme Phuntsok ;  *
Lopön Tenzin Namdak Lopön Tenzin Namdak (; 1925 – 12 June 2025) was a Tibetan religious leader and the most senior authority and teacher of Bon, in particular of Dzogchen and the Mother Tantras. Background Tenzin Namdak's father was a farmer in Chamdo a ...
* Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche *
Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche Nyoshül Khenpo Rinpoche (13 July 1932 – 27 August 1999), more fully Nyoshül Khenpo Jamyang Dorje (), was a Tibetan lama born in the Derge region of Kham.
*
Sogyal Rinpoche Sogyal Rinpoche (; 1947 – 28 August 2019) was a Tibetan Dzogchen lama. He was recognized as the incarnation of a Tibetan master and visionary saint of the 19th century, Tertön Sogyal Lerab Lingpa. Sogyal Rinpoche was the founder and form ...
*
Tharchin Rinpoche Lama Tsedrup Tharchin Rinpoche () (1936–July 22, 2013) was a Tibetan Dzogchen master in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was tenth holder of the family lineage known as the Repkong Ngakpas. Early life and education Tharchin Rinpoche wa ...
*
Tulku Urgyen Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920A Brief Biography of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
...
;Terms *
Ganachakra A ganacakra ( ' "gathering circle"; ) is also known as tsok, ganapuja, cakrapuja or ganacakrapuja. It is a generic term for various tantric assemblies or feasts, in which practitioners meet to chant mantra, enact mudra, make votive offerings a ...
* Lukhang *
Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmud ...
*
Ngagpa In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a ''ngakpa'' (male), or a ''ngakma'' (female) (; Sanskrit ''mantrī'') is any practitioner of Vajrayana who is not a monk or a nun. The terms translates to "man or woman of mantra" or "man or woman of secret mantra". ...
*
Trul khor ''Trul khor'' ('magical instrument' or 'magic circle;' Skt. ), in full ''tsa lung trul khor'' ( 'magical movement instrument, channels and inner breath currents'), also known as yantra yoga, is a Vajrayana discipline which includes pranayama ( ...
*
Tukdam In the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, ''tukdam'' (, Wylie transliteration, Wylie: ) is a meditative state said to occur after clinical death in which the body reportedly shows minimal signs of decomposition, retaining a lifelike appear ...


References


Notes


Citations


Works cited


Dzogchen texts

* * * * *


Contemporary Buddhist sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Western academic sources

*
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Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Bon Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist philosophical concepts Tibetan Buddhist practices