Lopon Tenzin

Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings
Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings

according to
LOPON TENZIN NAMDAK
Dzogchen Teachings from the Retreats in

Austria, England, Holland and America
Vajra Publications
Kathmandu, Nepal
Vajra Publications
Kathmandu, Nepal
Distribution:
Vajra Book Shop
PO Box 21779
Kathmandu
Nepal
http://www.vajrabooks.com.np
Tel/fax: 977-1-4220562
Transcribed and edited, together with Introduction and Notes, by John

Myrdhin Reynolds
© 2006 by John Myrdhin Reynolds. All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photography, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval
system or technologies now known or later devel-oped without permission in
writing from the publisher.
Photos © 2006 by Elisabeth Egonviebre
ISBN 99946-720-5-3
Printed in Nepal
Contents
Preface to the First Edition lX
Preface to the New Edition Xlll
Introduction to Bon 1
Bon and Buddhism in Tibet 1
Tonpa Shenrab and Olmo Lung-ring 3
The Causal Ways of Bon 9
The Four Portals and the Treasury 11
Yungdrung Bon 12
Hidden Treasure Texts 14
The Nine Ways of Bon 15
Shenchen Luga and the Revival of Bon 20
The Traditions of Bonpo Dzogchen 22
1. Introduction to the Practice of Dzogchen 25
2. The Attaining of Buddhahood according to Sutra,

T antra and Dzogchen 37
The Hinayana View 37
The Mahayana View 38
The T antra View 40
The Dzogchen View 41
3. Four Essential Points for Understanding Dzogchen 49

vi - Contents
4. The View of Shunyata found in Madhyamaka,

Chittamatra and Dzogchen 57
The View of the Sutra System 57
The View of Madhyamaka 58
Madhyamaka and Dzogchen on the Two Truths 66
The View of Chittamatra 73
Chittamatra and Dzogchen 82
5. The Views of T antra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen 89

The View of T antra 89
Mahamudra and Dzogchen 99
6. The View of Dzogchen 107

Dzogchen as the Highest Teaching 107
The Base 109
Commitment to the Dzogchen View 111
The Dzogchen View 112
First Contradiction - Chittamatra 114
Second Contradiction - Madhyamaka 115
Third Contradiction- the Lower Tantra 117
Fourth Contradiction- the Higher Tantra 119
Inseparability 120
7. The Practice of Dzogchen 123

View 123
Meditation 135
Action 149
Fruit 153
Conclusion 155
8. Rushans: The Preliminary Practices of Dzogchen 157

Rushan Exercises 157
Impermanence of Life 157
Karmic Causes and Consciousness 158
Contents - vii
Methods of Purification 165

The Outer Rushans 166
The Inner Rushans 170
The Secret Rushans 172
Recognizing the Nature of Mind 173
Meditation 177
Continuing in the View 182
How to Practice Meditation 183
Disturbances to Meditation 185
Signs of Right Meditation 187
9. Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal 189

The Natural State 189
The Three Series of Dzogchen Teachings 190
Thekchod and Thodgal 193
Thodgal Visions 194
Development of Visions 199
The Four Lamps 201
The Rainbow Body 203
Appendix 209
The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak 209
The Curriculum of Studies at
Triten Norbutse Monastery 224
Notes 231
Selected Bibliography 265

Preface to the First Edition
During 1991, the Bonpo Dzogchen master, Lopon Tenzin

Namdak, visited the West twice, coming first to Europe and later to
America, where he taught a number of meditation retreats and gave a
series of public talks on Bon and Dzogchen. In March and April,
Lopon Rinpoche taught a meditation retreat focusing on the practice
of Dzogchen at Bischofshofen, south of Salzburg in the Austrian Alps,
and several weeks later he gave a series of talks on Dzogchen at the
Drigung Kagyu Centre in Vienna. After that he went to Italy where he
taught two retreats in Rome, and also briefly visited Merigar in
Tuscany, the retreat center of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. Coming to
England next, the Lopon taught a ten-day Dzogchen retreat in Devon
in the west of England, at a locale near T otnes, and after that he gave
several talks in London. Proceeding later to Amsterdam, he taught a
five-day retreat on Dzogchen in the city at the beginning of June. With
the exception of the Italian visit, I was present on all of these
occasions and served as a facilitator and sometime translator for the
teachings.
Then in October, Lopon Rinpoche visited New York city at the
invitation of H.H. the Dalai Lama and Tibet House, to par-ticipate in
the Kalachakra Initiation and in other activities con-nected with the
Year of Tibet. In particular, the Lopon was the first speaker in the
afternoon series called "Nature of the Mind Teachings." During the
Devon retreat, the Lop on had prepared a brief paper on the Bonpo
teachings for presentation in this series in New York. I translated this
into English as "The Condensed Meaning of an Explanation of the
Teachings of Yungdrung Bon" and this has been published elsewhere.
[1] During his time in
x -Preface to the First Edition
New York city, the Lopon gave three further talks, at which I was
again the facilitator as I had been in Europe. Towards the end of the
month, at the invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Conway,
known as Tsegyalar, the Lopon gave a weekend seminar at Amherst
College in western Massachusetts. In November, I met up with the
Lopon in San Francisco where, again at the invitation of the Dzogchen
Community, he gave a two-day seminar on Guru Yoga practice. After
that he went to Coos Bay, Oregon, where for eight days he held a
retreat on the Dzogchen teachings.
On these occasions also I served as facilitator and translator and
made detailed notes on the teachings. These notes again served as the
basis of the transcripts found herein of the Lopon's teachings in
America. Although the Lopon spoke in English, on many occasions he
asked me to translate technical terms and help clarify various other
technical points. All of this I recorded in my notes. In order to further
clarify matters, he requested that after each portion of the teaching I
repeat from my notes what he had said. So the transcripts found here
result from our collaboration together. Nevertheless, I alone must take
responsibility for any errors that might be found. I have done some
editing of the tran-scripts, adding any additional clarifications required
as well as any sentences needed to link the various paragraphs or
topics. But generally, I have left the language in the style of the
Lopon's oral presentation and have not rendered the text into a literary
presen-tation since the present collection of teachings is not
envisioned as a commercial publication, but as an aid for practitioners
of Dzogchen.
I have included only transcripts directly related to the Lo-pon's

teachings on Dzogchen, and to where the views of Sutra and Tantra
are contrasted with that of Dzogchen. The Lopon's teachings on Guru
Yoga, the Rite of the Guardians, specific Tan-tric teachings such as
the practice of Zhang-zhung Meri, and so on, as well as the Dzogchen
teachings from specific texts of the
Preface to the First Edition -xi
Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, are found elsewhere in the publications of

the Bonpo Translation Project. [2]
I began working on the translation of Bonpo Dzogchen texts first
with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal in Italy some years ago, and continued
doing this with Lopon Tenzin Namdak on his three visits to the West.
As a consequence of this work, I organized the Bonpo Translation
Project in order to make translations of Bonpo texts and prepare
transcripts and monographs on the Bonpo tra-dition available for
interested students and practitioners in the West.
Before the arrival of these two learned Bonpo Lamas in the West,
my inter.est in the Bon tradition was stimulated by Nam-khai Norbu
Rinpoche, head of the Dzogchen Community. Rin-poche, although
not a Bonpo Lama himself, was for many years interested in the
Bonpo tradition because he was researching the historical roots of the
pre-Buddhist Tibetan culture known as Bon. [3) He was also very
interested in discovering the historical sources of Dzogchen teachings,
for which there exist two authen-tic lineages from at least the eighth
century CE, one found among the Nyingmapas and the other found
among the Bonpos. [4] More than any other Tibetan teacher, Namkhai
Norbu Rinpoche has played a key role in transmitting Dzogchen
teachings to the West, and for this he has the profound gratitude of all
of us.
For their help and assistance in various ways during the re-treats
with Lopon Rinpoche and also later while compiling and editing these
transcripts, I wish to thank Gerrit Huber, Waltraud Benzing, Dagmar
Kratochwill, Dr. Andrea Loseries-Leick, Armin Akermann, Ken
Rivad, Tim Walker, Lee Bray, Florens van Can-stein, Michael Katz,
Des Berry, Dennis Waterman, Bob Kragen, Michael Taylor, Anthony
Curtis, and last, but not least, Khenpo Nyima Wangyal and Geshe
Tenzin Wangyal. It is also my hope here as translator and editor that
this small collection of Lopon Tenzin Namdak's teachings on
Dzogchen according to the Bonpo
xii - Preface to the First Edition
tradition, its view and its practice, will prove of use and benefit to
Western students and practitioners of Dzogchen.
MU-TSUG SMAR-RO
John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha),

Amsterdam
March 1992
Preface to the New Edition
Even though these teachings on Dzogchen were given by Lo-pon

Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche some years ago in 1991, and have
circulated privately as transcripts, they remained in need of some
further editing regarding repetitions and annotations. This has been
provided here, as well as a new introduction to Bon in gen-eral, and
some further material on the education given to young monks and nuns
at Lopon Rinpoche's monastery in Kathmandu, Triten Norbutse (Khri-
brten nor-bu'i rtse). This further material is found in the appendix. The
monastery is primarily an educa-tional institution for monks and nuns,
aimed at preserving and perpetuating the ancient culture of Bon, rather
than a residential monastery. After finishing their education here, the
former stu-dents will go elsewhere and serve as teachers or enter lay
life. Students are drawn from the Bonpo areas of Nepal, such as Dolpo
and Mustang, as well as from Tibet itself, where a tradi-tional Bonpo
education is becoming progressively more difficult to obtain.
The educational program at Triten Norbutse includes the thirteen-

year course in Geshe studies at the Dialectics School or Lama College
(bshad-grwa), at present under the direction of the chief teacher of the
Dialectics School (mtshan-nyid bshad-grwa dpon-slob), Lopon
Tsangpa Tenzin. The focus is on the philoso-phical studies (mtshan-
nyid) found in the Bonpo tradition, and on cultivating skills in correct
thinking and the art of debate (rtsod-pa). In addition, a number of
traditional secular sciences (rig-gnas) are studied and mastered. Upon
completion of the course and passing several examinations, the
student is awarded a Geshe
xiv ~ Preface to the New Edition
degree (dge-bshes), the equivalent of a Western doctorate. Inde-

pendent of this program in Geshe studies, there is also a Medita-tion
School (sgrub-grwa) at the monastery which has a four-year program
for the study and practice of the four major systems of Dzogchen
found in the Bonpo tradition. Whereas in the Dialec-tics School, the
emphasis is on academic study and learning the skills of debate, here
the emphasis is on the actual meditation practices of Dzogchen in a
semi-retreat situation. This school is at present under the direction of
its Abbot (sgrub-grwa mkhan-po), Kenpo Tsultim Tenzin. During
these courses of study and prac-tice, the students are housed and fully
supported by the monas-tery. Frequently young monks and nuns come
as refugees from Tibet seeking a Bonpo education and possess no
funds of their own at all.
With Lopon Rinpoche now in retirement at the age of 80, the

monastery is under the able direction of its present Abbot, Khenpo
Tenpa Yungdrung. However, Lopon Rinpoche continues to teach on
occasion at the monastery, in sessions open to both monks and lay people,
and also to Westerners at his new medita-tion center in France, Shenten
Dargye Ling, near Saumur in the Loire region, south-west of Paris.
Moreover, Lopon Rinpoche's collected works (gsung 'bum) in thirteen
volumes were published last year by the monastery. A number of Geshes
at the monastery, with the help of modern computer technology provided
by Jap-anese friends, have been digitalizing the basic Bonpo texts which
are studied at the monastery, including those of Dzogchen~ The texts are
then published in India and Nepal for the use of stu-dents.
Now that Bon is becoming increasingly recognized in the West as

an important spiritual tradition in its own right, and as an original
component of the Tibetan culture and civilization which continues and
even thrives today both in Tibet and in exile, it was felt that these
teachings of Lopon Rinpoche on Dzogchen should be republished for
a wider reading audience. My thanks, as the
Preface to the New Edition - xv
editor of these teachings, go to Vajra Publishing of Kathmandu for

undertaking this project, to Elisabeth Egonviebre for provid-ing the
photographs included here, and to Dr. Christine Daniels for her
editorial and other help while completing this project. I would
especially like to thank Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung for sup-plying
additional information on the expanded educational pro-gram at
Triten Norbutse. It is my prayer that these rare explana-tions of Lopon
Tenzin Namdak Yongdzin Rinpoche, being excep-tionally lucid and
clear, will help to clarify the relationship be-tween Dzogchen and
Madhyamaka, Chittamatra, T antra and Mahamudra, for interested
Western students.
MU-TSUG SMAR-RO!
John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha),

Kathmandu, Nepal,
Losar, February 2006
Introduction to Bon
Bon and Buddhism in Tibet

Bon is the name of the pre-Buddhist religious culture of Tibet and
often in Western books in the past it has been equated with a kind of
primitive North Asian shamanism. Indeed, shamanism as a traditional
practice still exists among Tibetans, both in Tibet it-self and in
adjacent regions such as Ladakh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Yunnan. Such
practitioners were known as Pawo (dpa'-bo) or Lhapa (lha-pa) in
Tibetan. But this is not Bon. In terms of reli-gious affiliation, these
shaman practitioners are usually Buddhist, belonging to the old
tradition of the Nyingmapa.
Nowadays Tibetan Bonpo Lamas are not shamans but monks and
scholars with a monastic system fully comparable to the four
contemporary schools of Tibetan Buddhism, that is, the Nying-mapa,
the Sakyapa, the Kagyudpa, and the Gelugpa. Bonpos have a learned
literary and scholastic tradition extending back to the early period of
the eighth century of our era, and even before. Moreover, since 1988,
when H.H. the Dalai Lama visited the Dialectics School at the Bonpo
monastery in Dolanji, northern India, Bon has been officially
recognized by His Holiness and by the Tibetan Government in Exile
as the fifth Tibetan school. The Bonpos have now been given
representation on the Council of Religious Affairs at Dharamsala.
If Bonpo practitioners possess institutions, practices, and

teachings similar to the four Buddhist schools, what then is the
difference between them? Tibetans themselves clearly distinguish Bon
from Chos, which is their name for the Buddhism of Indian origin.
Both sides agree that the difference is principally a matter
2 - Introduction to Bon
of lineage. Whereas all the Buddhist schools of Tibet look back to the
historical Buddha Shakyamuni, who flourished in southern Nepal and
northern India about two thousand five hundred years ago, as the
source of their tradition and teaching known as the Buddha Dharma,
Bonpos look back to an earlier prehistoric Bud-dha in Central Asia,
named Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche (sTon-pa gShen-rab mi-bo-che) as
the ultimate source of their spiritual tra-dition known as Yungdrung
Bon (g.yung-drung bon), the Eternal Dharma.
The Tibetan term "Yungdrung" means "eternal, everlasting,

indestructible," and corresponds to the Buddhist term "vajra" or
"dorje" (rdo-rje), meaning "diamond," and hence indestructible. The
term "Bon" means "dharma," the teachings of the Buddhas about the
nature of reality, the practice of which will bring re-lease from the
cycle of rebirth and thus the ultimate enlighten-ment of a Buddha. It
has usages similar to the Tibetan Buddhist term chos.
Like Buddhists, Bonpo practitioners take refuge in the Triratna, or

the Three Jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, that is to
say, the teacher, his teachings, and the commu-nity of practitioners of
the teachings, the Great Bodhisattvas. This Dharma is believed to have
been taught by all the enlightened Buddhas who have appeared
throughout history and before, not only on this planet earth, but in all
world systems inhabited by in-telligent life forms. Therefore, this
Dharma is said to be eternal and indestructible but, of course, the
actual presentation of the Dharma depends on the capacities of
disciples, and so there exists a plurality of ways or vehicles to
enlightenment. All of these ways are complete and valid within their
contexts and circumstances. Thereby all of the teachings and practices
derived from Indian Buddhism, although imported from outside by
non-Tibetans, are regarded by Bonpo Lamas as authentic Dharma, the
teachings of the Buddhas. Since the Dharma is like the light of the sun,
it is
Introduction to Bon - 3
omnipresent; its revelation is not dependent upon a single histori-cal

figure or restricted to a single period in history.
Nevertheless, the Dharma and the Sangha, the teachings and the
community, do not represent the ultimate refuge. Both of them are
dependent on the Buddha for their existence. Thus, the Buddha is the
ultimate and supreme refuge. However, there have been many
Buddhas in the past history of this planet, the histori-cal Buddha
Shakyamuni merely being the last in their number. According to
ancient Indian Buddhist belief, there have been six prehistoric
Buddhas who preceded Shakyamuni, namely, Vi-pashyin, Shikhin,
Vishvabhu, Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni and Kashyapa. It was said
that even in his own day when Shakyamuni was still a young prince, a
few followers of the earlier Buddha Ka-shyapa still existed. The great
Stupa of Baudhnath in Nepal is said to contain the relics of this earlier
Buddha. An inscription of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka, from pre-
Christian times, records the repairing of a stupa in Nepal said to
contain the relics of the Bud-dha Kanakamuni. Another list in early
Buddhist scriptures records twenty-four Buddhas from Shakyamuni
back to the Buddha Di-pankara in the distant past.
These Nirmanakaya Buddhas, who manifested in time and

history, appeared not only in India, but in Central Asia as well, for in
ancient times India and Central Asia formed a single cul-tural region.
Moreover, both Buddhists and Bonpos agree that Maitreya will be the
next Buddha, whose advent will be some time in the indefinite future.
[1]
Tonpa Shenrab and Olmo Lung-ring

Thus Bonpo Lamas look to a prehistoric Buddha from T azik
(stag-gzig), in Central Asia, as the source of their tradition. The ti-tle
Tonpa (ston-pa) means "teacher" in the sense of the original founder
of a spiritual tradition, who is the source of this revela-tion.
According to Bonpo belief, T onpa Shenrab was not merely a
priest or a shaman, but a fully enlightened Buddha (sangs-rgyas).

Shenrab was a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Buddhahood, ap-pearing
in time and history, whereas his Sambhogakaya aspect known as
Shenlha Odkar (gShen-lha 'od-dkar), corresponds to the Buddhist
Vajrasattva (rDo-rje sems-dpa'). The Dharmakaya aspect is known as
Kuntu Zangpo (Kun tu bzang-po, Skt. Saman-tabhadra), as is also the
case in the Nyingmapa system. [2] The ti-tle Shenrab Miwoche means
"the great human being who is the supreme Shen practitioner." The
ancient word gshen is untrans-latable and is sometimes used as a
synonym for Bon and Bonpo. Shen was also the name of the clan to
which Tonpa Shenrab be-longed, that is, dMu-gshen, the celestial
Shen. The Shen clan (gshen gdung-rus) continues as one of the
principal Bonpo line-ages even today. In the early days, transmission
of the teachings was often through family lineages.
T onpa Shenrab was said to have already been enlightened in his

celestial pre-existence as Chimed Tsugphud ('Chi-med gtsug-phud).
In this guise, on a higher plane of existence, he transmit-ted the
teachings of Dzogchen and Tantra to a prince from Tazik named
Sangwa Dupa (gSang-ba 'dus-pa, Skt. Guhyasamaja), who returned
with them to earth. Thereafter he propagated the teach-ings and
subdued many gods and demons for the benefit of hu-manity. It is said
that in a future incarnation this prince became the Buddha
Shakyamuni. According to Bonpo Lamas, this would account for the
similarities in teaching and practice between In-dian Buddhism and
Bon. They both have the same ultimate source. [3]
According to Bonpo accounts, namely the hagiographies of

Tonpa Shenrab, the mDo- 'dus, the gZer-myig and the gZi-brjid [4 ],
he is said to have manifested himself as a human being, as a royal
prince, in the country of Olmo Lung-ring ('ol-mo lung-ring), located
somewhere in the Iranian-speaking region of an-cient Central Asia
known as Tazik. This would correspond to the present-day republics
of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and parts of
northern Afghanistan. In this region, Iranian-speaking people are still

known as Tajiks. However, Olmo Lung-ring is not considered by the
Bonpos to be an ordinary geographical location that a tourist might
visit. It is a hidden land, or Beyul (sbas-yul}, the Bonpos nowadays
identify with Shambhala which, in turn, is well known in the West as
the mysterious land that is the source of the Kalachakra Tantra. As in
the Buddhist understanding of Sham-bhala, Olmo Lung-ring exists in
a higher spiritual dimension and only those who have evolved to a
higher level spiritually are able to travel there and find entrance. For
ordinary, deluded human beings, Olmo Lung-ring and Shambhala lie
in concealment, al-though they remain a source of great spiritual
inspiration for un-awakened humanity. Symbolically, Olmo Lung-ring
represents the center of the world and in the middle of that sacred land
is the cosmic mountain, the nine-tiered indestructible Swastika
Mountain (g.yung-drung dgu brtseg). [5]
It was in Olmo Lung-ring that Tonpa Shenrab demonstrated the

process of becoming enlightened for the benefit of humanity in terms
of twelve great deeds:
1. Accomplishing the Deed of Rebirth m a human body (sku bltams-

pa'i mdzad-pa). The Lord was born into the royal clan of dMu at
the palace of Barpo Sogyed (bar-po so-brgyad) in the country of
Olmo Lung-ring in Tazik. The Brahman who examined the child
found that he possessed all the thirty-two marks and eighty
characteristics of a great being. This is said to have occurred
approximately 18,000 years ago.
2. Accomplishing the Deed of Disseminating the Teachings (rnam-
par spel-pa'i mdzad-pa). During the course of twelve years in his
youth he taught the Four Causal Ways of Bon, as well as the
remaining ways among the Nine Successive Ways of Bon, and in
addition he taught the Four Portals of Bon and the Treasury to his
followers.
3. Accomplishing the Deed of Subduing Beings (rnam-par 'dul-ba'i

mdzad-pa). He emanated aspects of himself as the Six Dulshen
('dul-gshen drug) into the six realms or destinies of rebirth.
4. Accomplishing the Deed of Guiding Beings (rnam-par 'dren-pa'i

mdzad-pa). He subdued, and led into virtue, great beings such as
Trishi Wanggyal, Halaratsa, Guwer Gyalpo, and Gu-ling Mati
who were dominated by aversion, jealousy, pride and lust
respectively,
5. Accomplishing the Deed of Definitive Marriage (rnal-par nges-
pa'i mdzad-pa). Beseeched by the gods, he married the princess
Horza Gyalmedma (Hor-za rgal-med-ma), the incar-nation of the
great wisdom goddess Jyamma (Byams-ma).
6. Accomplishing the Deed of Emanating his Progeny (rnam-par
sprul-pa'i mdzad-pa). He fathered eight sons and two daugh-ters,
and conferred the teachings of Bon upon them.
7. Accomplishing the Deed of Conquering the Mara Demons (rnam-
par 'joms-pa'i mdzad-pa). Fearing that the teachings of Bon
would empty Samsara of sentient beings, the Mara de-mons
attacked the Lord. Then the demon prince Khyabpa Lag-ring
seduced Shenrab's youngest daughter and afterwards stole his
horses, only to be subdued and converted in the end.
8. Accomplishing the Deed of Vanquishing the Rakshasa De-mons
(rnam-par rgyal-ba'i mdzad-pa). He came to the aid of the king
Kongtse Trulgyi Gyalpo (Kong-tse 'phrug gyi rgyal-po) who,
when he attempted to build a temple on an island in the sea, was
attacked by the Rakshasa demons. He then im-parted the Four
Portals and the Treasury to the king.
9. Accomplishing the Deed of Knowledge (rnam-par rig-pa'i
mdzad-pa). Then in order to teach beings the path of renun-
ciation and defeat the afflictions caused by the Mara demons, he
demonstrated the method of renouncing worldly life to become a
monk and practice the ascetic path.
10. Accomplishing the Deed of Retirement (rnam-par dben-pa'i

mdzad-pa). He retired to the forest on the nine-tiered Swas-tika
Mountain to practice meditation and he taught his fol-lowers
according to their capacities as superior, intermediate, or inferior.
11. Accomplishing the Deed of Liberation (rnam-par grol-ba'i

mdzad-pa). He taught his disciples the progressive path to
enlightenment in terms of compassion and the Ten Perfec-tions,
and entrusted his teachings to his respective followers.
12. Accomplishing the Deed of Final Realization (rnam-par grub-pa'i
mdzad-pa). Finally, he demonstrated the impermanence of life
and the inevitabiliry of death by passing beyond this present life.
At the end of his earthly career, it is said that his vanous teachings
were collected together and put into writing. These were translated
into many different languages, including the lan-guage of Zhang-
zhung from which, in turn, they were translated into Tibetan. Among
his many disciples, it was Mucho Demdruk (Mu-cho Idem-drug) who
was principally entrusted with organiz-ing the master's teachings in
written form and he turned the wheel of Bon for three years. He was
followed by the six great translators, namely,
1. Mutsa Trahe (dMu-tsha tra-he) of Tazik

2. Trithok Partsa (Khri-thog spar-tsa) of Zhang-zhung,
3. Huli Parya (Hu-li spar-ya) of Sum-pa,
4. Lhadak Ngagdrol (Lha-bdag ngags-grol) of India,
5. Legtang Mangpo (Legs-tang rmang-po) of China, and
6. Serthok Chejyam (gSer-thog lce-byams) of Phrom (the West).
These were the six scholars known as ornaments of the world.

Each of them was said to have translated the teachings of T onpa
Shenrab into their own languages. [6]
During his career in Olmo Lung-ring, Tonpa Shenrab is said to

have visited Tibet only once and then briefly. He went there in pursuit
of his seven horses that had been stolen by the magician and demon
prince Dudje Khyabpa Lag-ring (bDud-rje khyab-pa lag-ring). The
demon hid them in Kongpo in southeastern Tibet. Tonpa Shenrab
came there and fought ferocious magical battles with the demon
prince, whereby, it is said, they literally hurled mountains at each
other. Shenrab set down a crystal mountain of light on the north bank
of the Tsangpo river, which then settled matters. Since then this holy
mountain of Kongpo Bonri has been a place of pilgrimage for Bonpos
and remains so even today.
After further contests, Tonpa Shenrab utterly defeated the demon
prince in magical combat and as a result he became the Buddha's
disciple. At that time, human beings in Tibet were in an exceedingly
primitive state, living in caves, and were greatly op-pressed and
afflicted through the activities of evil spirits. Humans had no grasp of
the higher spiritual teachings and so Tonpa Shen-rab only taught them
the art of practicing shamanism, and this in order to free themselves
from the baleful effects of these evil spir-its. He taught ritual magical
actions including lha gsol-ba (invok-ing the positive energies of the
gods), sel-ba (exorcising the nega-tive energies of demons and evil
spirits), and g.yang 'gug (sum-moning prosperity). Such rituals are
now found among the Causal Ways of Bon. However, before
departing again for Olmo Lung-ring with his recovered horses, he
prophesized that the higher spiritual teachings of Bon, in the form of
Sutra, T antra and Dzog-chen, would be brought to Tibet from T azik
and Zhang-zhung when the Tibetans were ready for them. This
process began in the time of the second king of Tibet, Mutri Tsanpo
(Mu-khri btsan-po).
The Causal Ways of Bon

It is true that the Bonpo tradition does preserve many texts of
archaic rituals, totally un-Indian in character, which maintain tra-
ditions and myths from the times before Indian Buddhism came to
Tibet. These old rituals invoke and placate the gods of the mountains
(yul-lha) and the spirits of wild nature (gzhi-bdag) in a manner that
we might term shamanic.
In the older classification of Bonpo texts, such shamanic practices
were known as Chab-nag, which in contemporary Ti-betan would
mean "black waters." However, in ancient times, the word chab may
have had a different meaning, perhaps that of "ritual practice." Nag or
"black" refers not to an evil intent, as in the West, but to the
exorcising, expelling, and dissolving of nega-tive energies, whereas
dkar, "white" refers to the invoking of positive energies. Thus these
shamanic practices of evoking and exorcising spirits comprise one of
the four doorways or Portals of Bon (bon sgo bzhi) in the system of
classification known as the Four Portals and the Treasury which is the
Fifth (sgo bzhi mdzod lnga).
Like the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Bonpo

tradition also divides the teachings of the Buddha into nine suc-
cessive vehicles to enlightenment (theg-pa rim dgu). According to the
classification system of the Southern Treasures, the shamanic
practices in question constitute the Causal Vehicles (rgyu'i theg-pa) or
the Bon of Causes (rgyu'i bon). These represent the first four ways
among the nine ways or vehicles of the teachings of Bon, namely,
1. the way of the practice of prediction (phywa gshen theg-pa),

2. the way of the practice of visible manifestations (snang gshen
theg-pa),
3. the way of the practice of magical power ('phrul gshen theg-pa),

and
4. the way of the practice of existence (srid gshen theg-pa).
Many of the practices found here have been adopted and as-
similated into the various Buddhist schools for the purpose of
harmonizing the relationship between our human world and the other
world of the spirits. Indeed, one possible origin of the word "bon" is
an ancient verb meaning "to invoke the spirits", and this certainly is
one principal activity of the shaman, as well as the priest. [7] Again, in
ancient times, there seems to have been a va-riety of religious
practitioners designated by the term Bonpo. Nowadays, among
Tibetans at least, Bonpo refers exclusively to a practitioner of
Yungdrung Bon. Like their Buddhist colleagues, Bonpo Lamas are
adamantly opposed to the practice of blood sacrifice (dmar mchod),
which is still carried out by practitioners of shamanism in Nepal and
some other regions. In both Bud-dhism and Yungdrung Bon, the use
of torma (gtor-ma), or offer-ing cakes, often elaborately sculptured,
has come to replace blood sacrifice as a suitable offering for the gods
and spirits.
We find here not only archaic shamanic rituals and magical
practices, the aim of which is to secure worldly benefits for the
practitioner and his patrons in this present life, but also the higher
spiritual teachings of Sutra, T antra and Dzogchen (mdo sngags sems
gsum). The aim of these latter teachings is not just worldly benefits
here and now, but the transcendent goal of lib-eration from the
suffering of Samsara, the beginningless cycle of death and rebirth, and
attainment of the enlightenment of a Bud-dha, the ultimate potential of
human development and evolution. In contrast to the above Causal
Bon (rgyu'i bon), these higher spiritual teachings are known as the
Fruitional Bon ('bras-bu'i bon).
The Four Portals and the Treasury

The Four Portals of Bon and the Treasury, which is the Fifth (bon
sgo bzhi mdzod lnga), represent an ancient system for the
classification of the Bonpo teachings into four groups known as the
Four Portals (sgo bzhi). This system appears to be independ-ent of the
classification of the teachings into the Nine Ways and is probably
earlier. These groups or classes of teachings are as fol-lows:
1. The Bon of "the White Waters" containing the Fierce Man-tras

(chab dkar drag-po sngags kyi bon): this collection con-sists of
esoteric T antric practices focusing on the recitation of wrathful or
fierce mantras (drag sngags) associated with vari-ous meditation
deities. Within this class are included the Chy-ipung cycle or
"General Collection" (spyi-spungs skor), that is to say, the
practices associated with the Father Tantras (pha rgyud). [8]
2. The Bon of "the Black Waters" for the continuity of existence

(chab nag srid-pa rgyud kyi bon): this collection consists of
various magical rituals, funeral rites, ransom rites, divination
practices, and so on, necessary for the process of purifying and
counteracting negative energies. This collection would seem to
correspond, by and large, to the Four Causal Ways described
above. Here the term "black" refers not to the practitioner's
intention, but to the expelling of negativities, which are
symbolically black in color.
3. The Bon of the Extensive Prajnaparamita from the country of
Phanyul ('phan-yul rgyas-pa 'bum gyi bon): this collection
consists of the moral precepts, vows, rules, and ethical teach-ings
for monks and also for lay people who have taken one to five
vows and remained householders. In particular, the focus is on
the philosophical and ethical system of the Prajna-paramita
Sutras, which are preserved in the Bonpo version in
12 -Introduction to Bon
sixteen volumes known as the Khams-chen. This collection

basically represents the Sutra system, whereas the Chab dkar
above represents the T antra system. [9]
4. The Bon of the Scriptures and the Secret Oral Instructions of the
Masters (dpon-gsas man-ngag lung gi bon): this collection
consists of the oral instructions (man-ngag) and written scrip-
tures (lung) of the various masters (dpon-gsas) belonging to the
lineages of transmission for Dzogchen.
5. The Bon of the Treasury, which is of the highest purity and is all-
inclusive (gtsang mtho-thog spyi-rgyug mdzod kyi bon): this
collection contains essential material from all Four Por-tals of
Bon. The Treasury, which is the fifth (mdzod lnga), is described
in the gZer-myig: "As for the highest purity (gtsang mtho-thog), it
extends everywhere. As insight, it belongs to the Bon that is
universal (spyi-gcod). It purifies the stream of consciousness in
terms of all four Portals." [10]
Yungdrung Bon
Yungdrung Bon (g.yung-drung bon) as such consists of the
teachings and the practices attributed to Shenrab Miwoche him-self in
his role as the Teacher, or the source of revelation (ston-pa), and, in
particular, this means the higher teachings of Sutra, T antra and
Dzogchen. He is said to have revealed these teachings to his disciples
in Olmo Lung-ring on earth, as well as elsewhere in a celestial realm
in his previous incarnation as Chimed Tsug-phud ('Chi-med gtsug-
phud). [11] These teachings of Tonpa Shenrab, already set down in
writing in his own time or in the subsequent period, are said to have
been brought at a later time from Olmo Lung-ring in Tazik to the
country of Zhang-zhung in western and northern Tibet where they
were translated into the Zhang-zhung language. Zhang-zhung appears
to have been an ac-tual language, distinct from Tibetan, and apparently
related to the west Himalayan Tibeto-Burman dialect of Kinnauri.
Thus, it was
not some artificial creation fabricated by the Bonpos in order to have

an ancient source language corresponding to the Indian San-skrit of
the Buddhist scriptures. [12]
Beginning with the reign of the second king of Tibet, Mutri
Tsanpo, it is said that certain Bonpo texts, in particular the Father
Tantras (pha rgyud), were brought from Zhang-zhung to central Tibet
and translated into the Tibetan language. [13] Thus the Bonpos assert
that Tibetan acquired a system of writing at this time, based on the
sMar-yig script used in Zhang-zhung which, therefore, would have
been ancestral to the dbu-med script now often used for composing
Tibetan manuscripts, especially among Bonpos. [14]
The Bonpos subsequently experienced two persecutions in central

Tibet, the first under the eighth king of Tibet, Drigum Tsanpo (Dri-
gum btsan-po}, and the second under the great Bud-dhist king of
Tibet, Trisong Detsan (Khri-srong lde'u-btsan) in the eighth century of
our era. According to tradition, on both occa-sions the persecuted
Bonpo sages concealed their books in various places in Tibet and
adjacent regions such as Bhutan. These caches of texts were
rediscovered from the tenth century onwards. Thus they are known as
rediscovered texts or "hidden treasures" (gter-ma). [15]
Certain other texts were never concealed, but remained in

circulation and were passed down from the eighth century on-wards in
a continuous lineage. These are known as snyan-rgyud, literally "oral
transmission," even though they are usually said to have existed as
written texts even from the early period. One ex-ample of such an
"oral tradition" is the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud which, in the eighth
century, the master Tapihritsa allowed his disciple Gyerpungpa to
write down in the form of his pithy secret oral instructions (man-ngag,
Skt. upadesha). Alternatively, the texts were dictated during the
course of ecstatic visions or altered states of consciousness by certain
ancient sages or certain deities to Lamas who lived in later centuries.
One such example of this
was the famous lengthy hagiography of Tonpa Shenrab known as the

gZi-brjid, dictated to Lodan Nyingpo (blo-ldan snying-po, b.1360) by
the ancient sage Tangchen Mutsa Gyermed (sTang-chen dMu-tsha
gyer-med) of Zhang-zhung. [16] This classifica-tion is quite similar to
the Nyingmapa classification of its canon of scriptures into bka'-ma
and gter-ma. [17] This form of Old Bon has flourished in western and
central Tibet down to our own day.
The teachings of Bon revealed by Tonpa Shenrab are classi-fied

differently in the three traditional hagiographical accounts of his life.
In general, Tonpa Shenrab was said to have expounded Bon in three
cycles of teachings:
1. The Nine Successive Vehicles to Enlightenment (theg-pa rim

dgu);
2. The Four Portals of Bon and the fifth which is the Treasury (sgo
bzhi mdzod lnga);
3. The Three Cycles of Precepts that are Outer, Inner and Secret
(bka' phyi nang gsang skor gsum). [18]
Hidden Treasure Texts

These Nine Ways or Nine Successive Vehicles to Enlighten-ment
are delineated according to three different systems of hid-den treasure
texts (gter-ma) that were said to have been concealed during the
earlier persecutions of Bon and rediscovered in later centuries. These
hidden treasure systems are designated according to the locations
where the concealed texts were rediscovered:
1. The System of the Southern Treasures (lho gter lugs): these were
the treasure texts rediscovered at Drigtsam Thakar ('brig-mtsham
mtha' dkar) in southern Tibet and at Paro (spa-gro) in Bhutan.
Here the Nine Ways are first divided into the Four Causal Ways
which contain many myths and magical
shamanic rituals, and which principally concern working with

energies for worldly benefits. Then there are the five higher
spiritual ways known as the Fruitional Ways. Here the pur-pose is
not to gain power or to ensure health and prosperity in the present
world, but realization of the ultimate spiritual goal of liberation
from the suffering experienced in the cycles of rebirth within
Samsara. The final and ultimate vehicle found here in this nine-
fold classification is that of Dzogchen.
2. The System of the Central Treasures (dbus gter lugs): these
treasure texts were rediscovered at various sites in central Ti-bet,
including the great Buddhist monastery of Samye (bsam-yas). In
general, this classification of the Bonpo teachings is quite similar
to the system of the Nine Vehicles found in the traditions of the
Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Some of these Bonpo
texts are said to have been introduced from India into Tibet by the
great native-born Tibetan trans-lator Vairochana of Pagor, who
translated works from both the Buddhist and the Bonpo traditions.
[19]
3. The System of the Northern Treasures (byang gter lugs): these
treasure texts were rediscovered at various locations north of
central Tibet. However, according to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, not
much is currently known regarding this system. [20]
The Nine Ways of Bon

The Nine Ways of Bon or, rather, the nine successive vehicles of
Bon (bon theg-pa rim dgu) as classified in the System of the Southern
Treasures (lho gter lugs), is expounded in as many chap-ters in the
gZi-brjid, the most extensive hagiography of Tonpa Shenrab. Here the
Nine Ways are listed as follows:
1. The Way of the Practice of Prediction (phywa gshen theg-pa):

literally theg-pa means a vehicle or conveyance, rather than a
16 -Introduction to Bon
road or a way. gShen, a word of obscure origin and meaning, can

here be translated as "practice" or "practitioner" accord-ing to the
Lopon. And the term phywa means prediction or prognostication.
This way or vehicle is principally concerned with divination
(mo), astrological and geomantic calculations (rtsis), medical
diagnosis (dpyad), and the performing of heal-ing rituals (gto).
2. The Way of the Practice of Visible Manifestations (snang gshen

theg-pa): this way is principally concerned with visible
manifestations (snang-ba), perceived as positive manifesta-tions
of the activities of the gods (lha) who come to the aid of
humanity. Therefore, the emphasis is placed on invoking the
gods· (lha gsol-ba) for their aid. This includes such classes of
deities as the Thugs-dkar, the sGra-bla, the Wer-ma, and so on.
3. The Way of the Practice of Magical Power ('phrul gshen theg-pa):

this way is principally concerned with magical ritu-als to ensure
prosperity and control over the spirits evoked, especially the rites
of exorcism (sel-ba) to eliminate negative energy and the negative
provocations of evil spirits (gdon) who come to disturb human
existence. The practitioner works with these energies in terms of
evocation, conjuration and application (bsnyen sgrub las gsum).
4. The Way of the Practice of Existence (srid gshen theg-pa): here

the term "existence" or "becoming" (srid-pa) properly refers to the
processes of death and rebirth. This way is also known as 'Dur
gshen, the practice of ceremonies for exorcis-ing (' dur) the spirits
of the dead who are disturbing the living. It is, therefore,
principally concerned with the three hundred and sixty kinds of
rites for accomplishing this, as well as methods for ensuring the
good fortune and long life of the living. These four represent the
Four Causal Ways of Bon (bon rgyu'i theg-pa bzhi). They are
followed by the higher ways of a more spiritual nature, whose
goal is liberation and
enlightenment, collectively known as the Fruitional Ways ('bras-

bu'i theg-pa).
5. The Way of the Virtuous Lay Practitioners (dge-bsnyen theg-pa):

this way is principally concerned with morality and eth-ics, such
as the ten virtuous deeds (dge-ba bcu), the Ten Per-fections or
Paramitas, and so on, as well as pious activities such as erecting
stupas, especially on the part of lay practi-tioners (dge-bsnyen,
Skt. upasika).
6. The Way of the Ascetic Sages (drang-srong theg-pa): the term
drang-srong (Skt. rishi), meaning a sage, has here the technical
significance of a fully ordained monk who has taken the full
complement of vows, corresponding to the Buddhist bhikshu (dge-
slong). The principal concern is with the vows of the monk and the
rules of monastic discipline ('dul-ba).
7. The Way of the White A (A-dkar theg-pa): this way is mainly
concerned with the Tantric practice of transformation by way of
visualizing oneself as the meditation deity, and the prac-tices
associated with the mandala. Here are included both the Lower T
antras and the Higher T antras.
8. The Way of the Primordial Shen (ye gshen theg-pa): this way is
concerned with certain secret Tantric practices including the
proper relationship with the Guru and with the Tantric consort, as
well as with the methodologies of the Generation Process
(bskyed-rim) and the Perfection Process (rdzogs-rim) and the
conduct connected with them.
9. The Ultimate Way (bla-med theg-pa): this ultimate and un-
surpassed (bla na med-pa) way is comprised of the teachings and
practices of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, which de-scribes the
process of enlightenment in terms of the Base, the Path and the
Fruit, as well as the practice of contemplation in terms of view,
meditation and conduct.
The Nine Ways according to the System of the Central Treasures

(dbus gter lugs) are also divided into the Causal Vehi-
des (rgyu'i theg-pa) and the Fruitional Vehicles ('bras-bu'i theg-pa).

These are as follows:
1. The Vehicle of Gods and Men where one relies upon another (lha
mi gzhan rten gyi theg-pa}, that is to say, this is the vehi-cle of
those disciples who must first hear the teachings from another.
This vehicle corresponds to the Shravakayana in the Buddhist
system and the philosophical view is that of the Vaibhashikas.
2. The Vehicle of the Shenrabpas who understand by themselves

alone (rang-rtogs gshen-rab kyi theg-pa}. These practitioners do
not need to hear the teachings first from another, rather, they
discover the meaning of the teachings for themselves in their
meditation practice. This vehicle corresponds to the
Pratyekabuddhayana of the Buddhists and the philosophical view
is that of the Sautrantikas.
3. The Vehicle of the Compassionate Bodhisattvas (thugs-rje sems-
pa'i theg-pa). This vehicle corresponds to the Mahayana Sutra
system or Bodhisattvayana vehicle in the Buddhist sys-tem. In
particular, the reference is to the Bodhisattvas who practice the
Ten Paramitas of generosity, morality, patience, vigor,
meditation, strength, compassion, commitment, skillful means
and wisdom. The philosophical view is that of the Yogacharins or
Chittamatrins (sems-tsam-pa) who discern the absence of any
inherent existence in terms of the internal self, as well as external
phenomena.
4. The Vehicle of the Bodhisattvas that are without conceptual
elaborations (g.yung-drung sems-pa'i spros med-pa'i theg-pa}.
This vehicle also corresponds to the Bodhisattvayana in the
Buddhist system. The Bonpo term g.yung-drung sems-dpa',
literally Svastikasattva or "Swastika being," has the same sig-
nificance as the Buddhist term Bodhisattva (byang-chub sems-
dpa'). Here one finds the same practice of the Ten Paramitas.
However, the philosophical view of emptiness and the ab-
sence of any inherent existence in the internal self and exter-nal

phenomena is understood by way of Madhyamaka (dbu-ma-pa),
rather than Chittamatra (sems-tsam-pa). These four lower ways
represent the Causal Vehicles (rgyu'i theg-pa), while those which
follow are known as the Fruitional Vehi-cles.
5. The Vehicle of the Primordial Bon of pure conduct and ritual

activity (bya-ba gtsang-spyod ye bon gyi theg-pa). Focusing on
ritual activity (bya-ba, Skt. kriya) and purity of conduct, this
vehicle corresponds to the Kriyatantrayana in the Nying-mapa
system. In terms of method, the Wisdom Being (ye-shes-pa) is
invoked into one's range of vision and treated as a great lord
being petitioned by a humble servant. Thereby the practitioner
receives the knowledge (ye-shes) and the bless-ings (byin-rlabs)
of the deity.
6. The Vehicle of the Clairvoyant Knowledge that pqssesses all of
the aspects (rnam-par kun-ldan mngon-shes kyi theg-pa). The
focus is equally on external ritual action and internal yoga
practice. This vehicle corresponds to the Charyatantra-yana in the
Nyinghlapa system. Together with the practice of the Ten
Paramitas and the Four Recollections, the presence of the
Wisdom Being is invoked, but this time the deity is re-garded as
an intimate friend rather than as a superior lord. These two
vehicles represent the Outer or Lower Tantras (phyi rgyud), while
the vehicles that follow represent the In-ner or Higher T antras
(nang rgyud).
7. The Vehicle of Visibly Manifesting Compassion in terms of the
Actual Generation Process (dngos bskyed thugs-rje rol-pa'i theg-
pa). This vehicle corresponds to the Yoga Tantra and to a certain
extent to the Mahayoga Tantra and the Anuttara Tantra in the
Buddhist system of classification for both the Nyingmapas and
the Newer Schools. Establishing oneself in the higher view of the
Ultimate Truth and remain-ing in the original condition of the
Natural State, one engages
in the Generation Process (bskyed-rim) and transforms one-self

into the meditation deity, thereby realizing the qualities attributed
to that manifestation of enlightened awareness.
8. The Vehicle wherein Everything is Completely Perfect and
Exceedingly Meaningful (shin tu don-ldan kun rdzogs kyi theg-
pa). Becoming established in the Ultimate Truth and the original
condition of the Natural State, as was the case above, here one
places the emphasis on the Perfection Process (rdzogs-rim) rather
than on the Generation Process (bskyed-rim), so that Space and
Awareness are realized as inseparable (dbyings rig dbyer-med).
And particularly in terms of the meditation deity, the practitioner
comes to realize the gnosis or pristine awareness of the
inseparability of bliss and empti-ness (bde stong ye-shes). This
vehicle corresponds to the Ma-hayoga Tantra and especially the
Anuyoga Tantra classifica-tions of the Nyingmapas.
9. The Unsurpassed Vehicle of the highest peak of the primor-dial

Great Perfection (ye nas rdzogs-chen yang-rtse bla-med kyi theg-
pa). This vehicle comprises the Dzogchen teachings in terms of
the Mind Series (sems-sde), which emphasize the awareness side
of the Natural State and the Space Series (klong-sde), which
emphasize the emptiness side, as well as the Secret Instruction
Series (man-ngag sde), which empha-size their inseparability.
Shenchen Luga and the Revival of Bon

In the year 1017, Shenchen Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga') came
from eastern Tibet and discovered two large wooden boxes con-
taining many Bonpo texts in the Tibetan language, which had been
buried at Drigtsam Thakar ('brig-mtsham mtha' dkar) in Tsang
Province, near the ancestral seat of the Shen clan. [21] It was
principally this discovery that led to the revival of Bon in central Tibet
in the eleventh century, a revival similar in character
tothe revival of Buddhism among the Nyingmapas at the same time.

In part, this renaissance was a reaction to the development of the
Sarmapa of the New Tantra movement of that century, a movement
inspired by the translations of Indian Buddhist texts, many of them
previously unknown in Tibet.
Among his disciples, Shenchen Luga commissioned Druchen
Namkha Yungdrung (Bru-chen nam-mkha' g.yung-drung), to-gether
with his son, Khyunggi Gyaltsan (Khyung gi rgyal-mtshan), to copy
and record the philosophical texts (mtshan-nyid) which he had
recovered from this treasure hoard of the Shen clan. The cache was
reportedly concealed during the persecution of Bon in the eighth
century by Dranpa Namkha, Lishu Tagring and other Bonpo Lamas.
This persecution occurred in central Tibet in the time of King Trisong
Detsan. This large collection of Termas, or hidden treasure texts,
became widely known as the Southern Treasures (lho gter), and they
came to be classified into the Nine Successive Vehicles of Bon (bon
theg-pa rim-dgu). As outlined above, also contained in this collection
of rediscovered texts were the Gab-pa dgu skor and the Sems phran
sde bdun, representing an important cycle of Dzogchen texts closely
related to the
Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud.
According to the Bonpo histories, the Dru lineage became pre-
eminent in the transmission of the Bonpo philosophical tradi-tion.
Druchen Namkha Yungdrung himself wrote a commentary on the
Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug, the main Bonpo cosmological text, and his son
Khyunggi Gyaltsan wrote a commentary that estab-lished the
philosophical and exegetical tradition of this lineage (mtshan-nyid kyi
bshad srol). Both father and son had listened to the master Shenchen
expound the philosophy and cosmology of this text. Then in 1072,
Druje Yungdrung Lama (Bru-rje g.yung-drung bla-ma, b. 1040)
established the Bonpo monastery of Yeru Wensakha (g.yas ru dben-
sa-kha) in Tsang Province that became the fountainhead of this
tradition and the foremost Bonpo mon-astery of its time. When it was
destroyed in a disastrous flood, it
was re-established on higher ground by Nyammed Sherab Gyal-tsan

(mNyam-med shes-rab rgyal-mtshan) in 1405 as the monas-tery of
Tashi Menri (bkra-shis sman-ri), where later Lopon Ten-zin Namdak
served as principal teacher for a time.
The Traditions of Bonpo Dzogchen

In general, within the Bon tradition, a number of different lines of
transmission for the Dzogchen teachings exist, three of which are
collectively known as A rdzogs snyan gsum. The first two of them
represent Terma traditions based on rediscovered treasure texts,
whereas the third is an oral tradition (snyan brgyud) based on a
continuous transmission through an uninter-rupted line of realized
masters. These transmissions of Dzogchen are as follows:
1. A-khrid
The first cycle here of Dzogchen teachings is called A-khrid
(pronounced A-tri), that is, the teachings that guide one (khrid) to the
Primordial State (A). The white Tibetan letter A is the symbol of
Shunyata and of primordial wisdom. The founder of this tradi-tion was
Meuton Gongdzad Ritrod Chenpo, who was frequently known simply
as Dampa, "the holy man." [22] He extracted these Dzogchen precepts
from the Khro rgyud cycle of texts. Together with the Zhi-ba don gyi
skor, these texts formed part of the sPyi-spungs yan-lag gi skor cycle
of teachings that belong to the Father T antras (ph a rgyud), originally
attributed to T onpa Shenrab in his celestial pre-existence as Chimed
Tsugphud ('Chi-med gtsug-phud). To this collected material, Meuton
added his own mind treasure (dgongs gter) and organized the practice
of the cycle into eighty meditation sessions extending over several
weeks. This was known as the A-khrid thun mtsham brgyad-cu-pa.
The instruc-tions were divided into three sections dealing with the
view (lta-ba), the meditation (sgom-pa), and the conduct (spyod-pa).
Upon
a successful completion of the eighty-session course, one received the

title of Togdan (rtogs-ldan), that is, "one who possesses un-
derstanding." The A-khrid tradition, where the practice is very
systematically laid out in a specific number of sessions, in many ways
corresponds to the rDzogs-chen sems-sde of the Nyingmapa tradition.
[23]
2. rDzogs-chen
Here the term rDzogs-chen does not indicate Dzogchen in
general; the reference is to a specific transmission of Dzogchen whose
root text is the rDzogs-chen yang-rtse'i klong-chen, "the Great Vast
Expanse of the Highest Peak which is the Great Per-fection,"
rediscovered by the great Terton Zhodton Ngodrub Dragpa (bZhod-
ston dngos-grub grags-pa) in the year A.D.1080. This discovery was
part of a famous cycle of treasure texts hidden behind a statue of
Vairochana at the Khumthing temple at Lho-drak. This root text is
said to have been composed in the eighth century by the· Bonpo
master known as Lishu T agring. [24]
3. sNyan-rgyud
The third cycle of transmission of the Dzogchen teachings within
the Bon tradition is the uninterrupted lineage of the oral transmission
from the country of Zhang-zhung (Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud), which
was revealed to Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo (Gyer-spungs snang-bzher
lod-po) at the Darok lake in northern Tibet in the eighth century.
Gyerpungpa was thus a contemporary of the great Tibetan king
Trisong Detsan who invited Padma-sambhava and Shantirakshita to
Tibet, built the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet at Samye, and
established Indian Buddhism as the official religion of his kingdom.
Before that, in the seventh century, it is said that T apihritsa, a native
of the country of Zhang-zhung, had received the Dzogchen precepts
from his own master Tsepung Dawa Gyaltsan (Tshe-spungs zla-ba
rgyal-
24- Introduction to Bon
mtshan). After practicing Dzogchen in a cave for nine years, he

attained realization and liberation as the Rainbow Body of the Great
Transfer. [25] Later he reappeared to Gyerpungpa on sev-eral
occasions and transmitted to him the precepts for Dzogchen (bka'
brgyud). After that he allowed him to set down these pre-cepts in the
Zhang-zhung language for the first time. They were translated into
Tibetan in the next century. Because this tradition has a continuous
lineage extending back to at least the eighth cen-tury of our era, and so
does not represent Terma texts rediscov-ered at a later time, it is of
particular importance for research into the question of the historical
origins of Dzogchen. [26]
4. Ye-khri mtha'-sel
This fourth major cycle of Dzogchen, together with the above
three, is included within the four-year training program of study and
practice in the Meditation School (sgrub-grwa) at Triten Norbutse
Monastery in Kathmandu. It is said that in the eleventh century, the
Bonpo master Lungton Lhanyen (Lung-ston lha-gnyan) actually met
Tsewang Rigdzin (Tse-dbang rig-'dzin) in person in the guise of an
Indian sadhu. The latter revealed to him the Dzogchen teachings he
had received from his father Dranpa Namkha (Dran-pa nam-mkha',
eighth century). Having acquired the power of long life (tshe dbang)
by virtue of his yoga practice, Tsewang Rigdzin is said to have lived
for centuries. Some of these texts, such as the Nam-mkha' 'phrul-
mdzod present Dzogchen in a much more systematic and intellectual
manner comparable to the Dzogchen Semde (sems-sde) class of the
Nyingmapas.
Having previously taught the A-khrid and Zhang-zhung snyan-
rgyud extensively to Western students both in Nepal and in the West in
recent years, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Yongdzin Rin-poche has been
focusing on the teaching of the Ye-khri mtha'-sel, convinced that
Western students are especially suited to the prac-tice of Dzogchen.
CHAPTER I
Introduction to the Practice ofDzogchen
Talk by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Vienna, Austria, April 1991.
Compiled and edited by John Myrdhin Reynolds.
It is necessary for us to know what Dzogchen is, how to practice

it, and the result of this practice Even in Tibet it was not easy to get
these teachings. They have been kept very secret since the eighth
century. Even before that there were twenty-four mas-ters of
Dzogchen in the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud lineage, all of whom
realized .Jalu ('ja'-lus), or the Rainbow Body. However, each of them
only gave the transmission to a single disciple. [1] Furthermore, from
the eighth century until today this Dzogchen lineage has remained
unbroken. It was kept very secret, but now in the second half of the
twentieth century because circumstances have changed, both the
Dakinis and the Guardians have given permission to teach Dzogchen
much more openly. [2]
These days, we Tibetans have lost our native country. My own
master prayed to the Guardians and positive signs appeared, so now
we can teach Dzogchen much more openly to those disciples who are
ready. We give a two-year course in the Dzogchen teachings at
Dolanji where we have our monastery. This course is part of the nine-
year program for the Geshe degree (Ph.D.) and in it we give a very
logical and systematic presentation of Dzogchen. This tradition has
remained unbroken from earliest times until today.
26- Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
The Dzogchen teachings are the same in both Bonpo and

Nyingmapa, but the lineages are different. This is the principal
difference. Historically speaking, the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud
(Zhang-zhung snyan-brgyud) is the most important lineage for
Dzogchen. It came not from Tibet, but from the ancient kingdom of
Zhang-zhung to the west, centered in the Mt. Kailas region. Dzogchen
was the highest teaching in the religious culture of Zhang-zhung and
from there the Dzogchen tradition was transmitted to Tibet. [3]
Some years ago, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche came to our

monastery at Dolanji with fourteen of his Italian students in order to
receive the transmission for the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud and the
empowerment for its patron deity, or Yidam, Zhang-zhung Meri.
However, Namklrni Norbu is not a Bonpo Lama; he is a Drugpa
Kagyudpa Tulku, who received a Sakyapa education at Derge
Gomchen Monastery, and whose principal Dzogchen master was a
famous Nyingmapa Lama in Derge named Chang-chub Dorje.
Rinpoche was very interested in the Bonpo tradition because he was
researching the historical roots of Tibetan culture and Dzogchen.
These roots are Bonpo; in general, Bon was the name for the pre-
Buddhist religious culture of Tibet. In Zhang-zhung it was called
Gyer. [4] Both the Bonpos and the Nying-mapas have a system of
Thegpa Rimgu (theg-pa rim dgu), or nine successive vehicles to
enlightenment, and in both cases the ninth and highest vehicle is
Dzogchen.
According to the Paramita system, or Sutra system, it takes three
incalculable kalpas to attain the realization of Buddhahood. But
according to the T antra system, it only takes seven lifetimes. The goal
is the same in both the Sutra system and the Tantra system, namely,
Buddhahood, but the methods or paths are different. There are four
classes of Tantra in the Bonpo system:
1. Jyawe Gyud (bya-ba'i rgyud), or Kriya Tantra,

2. Chyodpe Gyud (spyod-pa'i rgyud), or Charya Tantra,
Introduction to the Practice of Dzogchen - 27
3. Yeshen Gyud (ye-gshen gyi rgyud), and

4. Yeshen Chenpo Gyud (ye-gshen chen-po'i rgyud).
Each of these classifications of Tantra has its own views which

are the foundations of practice. Therefore, we find that a difference
necessarily exists in terms of the time it takes to realize the fruit or
result of the practice. The methods are not all the same; some are far
more potent and bring quicker results.
In Dzogchen there are three divisions in the teachings:
1. Semde (sems-sde), or the Mind series,

2. Longde (klong-sde), or the Space series, and
3. Manngagide (man-ngag sde), or the Upadesha (secret instruc-
tion) series.
Dzogchen as a· teaching has three inherent qualities: awareness

(rig-pa), emptiness (stong-pa nyid), and their unifica-tion or
inseparability (dbyer-med). But in the Natural State (gnas-lugs),
which is the Nature of Mind (sems-nyid), these distinctions are not
found because therein everything is primordially unified and
inseparable from the very beginning, and never otherwise. But in
talking about and describing the teachings, we make these
distinctions. Semde, the Mind series, emphasizes much more the
Awareness side or aspect (rig-cha); Longde, the Space series,
emphasizes much more the Emptiness side or space aspect (stong-
cha). And Manngagide, the Upadesha series, emphasizes the
inseparability of awareness and emptiness (rig stong dbyer-med).
Each of the three series of Dzogchen teachings, however, recog-nizes
Yermed (dbyer-med), or inseparability, as fundamental; the
distinctions are only a matter of emphasis.[5] In terms of this
classification into three series, the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud is
Upadesha or Manngagide because it principally teaches the
inseparability of awareness and emptiness.
The state of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection (rdzogs-pa chen-po),

is described as being Kadak (ka-dag), that is, primordial purity or pure
from the very beginning. It has never had any obscurations in it, as is
the case with our ordinary functioning mind (yid) and consciousness
(rnam-shes). This Natural State of Dzogchen is naturally and
inherently pure, and never otherwise. Therefore, it represents
primordial Buddhahood (ye sangs-rgyas). This is the Base (gzhi) for
the Path (lam) and for the realization of the Fruit ('bras-bu), or result
of the Path. Thus we speak of three Buddhas:
1. Zhi Sangye (gzhi'i sangs-rgyas), Buddhahood of the Base,

2. Lam Sangye (lam gyi sangs-rgyas), Buddhahood of the Path and
3. Drebu Sangye ('bras-bu'i sangs-rgyas), Buddhahood of the Fruit.
The Buddhahood of the Base means this state of Kadak, or

primordial purity, and the term is synonymous with Shunyata or
emptiness (stong-pa nyid). It has no obscurations whatsoever, either
emotional or intellectual. It is like the nature of a mirror which has the
capacity to reflect whatever is set before it. But, although this inherent
Buddha nature exists in all sentient beings, it is necessary to practice
the Path in order to realize its nature which, at the moment, goes
unrecognized by the individual. It is like the face of the sun obscured
by clouds so it cannot be seen and goes unrecognized, even though it
is present in the sky all the time. As the source, this inherent Buddha-
nature is already pure and clean and unmixed with defilements,
whether emotional or intellectual. The process of coming to realize
this fact is called the Buddhahood of the Path. By way of practicing
the Path, we come to attain realization and this realization is called the
Buddhahood of the Fruit.
Introduction to the Practice of Dzogchen- 29
Now, both the Buddhahood of the Base and the Buddhahood of

the Path are called "Buddha", but they are not the real Buddha because
this Buddhahood is latent and potential at this time and not actually
manifest. We must still purify ourselves of adventitious obscurations,
accumulated in countless lifetimes from time without beginning, in
order to attain the realization of manifest Buddhahood. If we say that
all beings are already Buddhas, then why is there any necessity to do
practice? It is because this Buddhahood is not yet manifest and visible,
but it is present in potential at the core of every single sentient being.
In the practice of Dzogchen, we do not find it necessary to do

visualizations of deities or to do recitations like the Refuge and
Bodhichitta. Some would say that these are not necessary to do at all,
but this is speaking from the side of the Natural State only. They say
in the Natural State, everything is present there already in potential,
and so there is nothing lacking and nothing more to do to add or
acquire anything. This is fine. But on the side of the practitioner, there
is much to do and practices such as Refuge and Bodhichitta are very
necessary. [6]
In its own terms, Dzogchen has no rules; it is open to everything.
But does this mean we can do just what we feel like at the moment?
On the side of the Natural State, this is true and there are no
restrictions or limitations. All appearances are manifestations of mind
(sems kyi snang-ba), like reflections seen in a mirror, and there is no
inherent negativity or impurity in them. Everything is perfectly all
right just as it is, as the energy (rtsal) of the Nature of Mind in
manifestation. It is like white and black clouds passing overhead in the
sky; they equally obscure the face of the sun. When they depart, there
are no traces left behind.
However, that is speaking only on the side of the Natural State,
which is like the clear, open sky, unaffected by the presence or
absence of these clouds. For the sky, it is all the same. But on the side
of the practitioner, it is quite different because we mistakenly believe
these clouds are solid, opaque, and quite real
JO _ Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
and substantial. As practitioners we must first come to an under-

standing of the insubstantiality and unreality of all these clouds which
obscure the sky of our own Nature of Mind (sems-nyid). It is our
Tawa {lta-ba), or view, our way of looking at things, which is basic
and fundamental, and we must begin here. Then we must practice and
attain realization. So on the side of the practitioner, practice and
commitment are most certainly required. The Natural State in itself is
totally open and clear and spacious like the sky but we, as individuals,
are not totally open and unob-structed.
The principal point in Dzogchen is the view, that is, recognizing

the Natural State and continuing in the Natural State. This is the
highest of all ways or vehicles. But arrayed below it are eight other
yanas (vehicles), where the practitioner, no matter how subtly or
unconsciously, still clings to grasping at reality ('dzin-pa) and to
activity (bya-ba), where we try to accomplish something. Dzogchen,
on the contrary, is absolutely without any grasping or apprehending of
anything ('dzin med) and without any deliberate activity (bya bra!).
When we begin as practitioners on the path of Dzogchen, we first

need a direct introduction to the Natural State from someone who has
directly experienced the Natural State personally. [7] But just meeting
it for one time, like meeting a new acquaintance, is not enough. We
must discover the Natural State within ourselves over and over again,
so that we have no doubt about it. For this reason we do practice and
look back at our thoughts, observing them arise, stay and then pass
away again. We look to find from where they arise, where they stay,
and where they go. In this way we discover that thoughts are
insubstantial; they just arise and disappear again, leaving no trace
behind. If we do not interfere with them or try to modify them, they
will liberate and dissolve in themselves. And so we must learn how to
keep ourselves in this Nature and how to remain without
modifications. There is
nothing to change or modify or correct (rna bcos-pa). Thoughts just

arise and then they liberate. [8]
At first it is sufficient to remain like that. When we truly
experience the Natural State, we do not need to keep checking and
waiting for thoughts to disappear. Thoughts arise and dissolve of their
own accord. At the moment when a thought dissolves, just leave
everything as it is until the next thought arises. We find ourselves in a
condition which is very clear and alert. The Tibetan term Rang-rig
means self-seeing, being self-aware. If we allow ourselves to follow
after a thought, it will carry us away on a trip, and it will obscure and
cover over our sense of presence, and we will forget to be self-aware.
The Natural State is inexpressible in words. We may be all clarity, and
yet, in our practice, if we think or say "I am clear!" we lose it. There
should be no checking or evaluating at all by the mind or intellect
when we are in the Natural State. Such mental activity is not the
Natural State. When a thought dissolves, we leave it alone just as it is.
But we remain alert and clear.
The Natural State possesses the qualities of being empty (stong-

pa) and clear (gsal-ba). And so we can speak about these qualities, but
in the Natural State itself, we find no separate or distinct qualities;
everything is whole and unified (dbyer-med). The Natural State is just
itself and nothing else, yet it encom-passes everything. If it did not
encompass everything, then it would possess an unchanging individual
inherent existence (rang-bzhin). And, therefore, there would be no
possibility for any change to occur in ourselves or in the world.
Change would be impossible because everything would be locked into
.a rigid inherent nature or essence (rang-bzhin). But everywhere in our
experience we see change, and so everything is insubstantial and
lacking inherent existence (rang-bzhin med-pa). Whether there are
many clouds seen in the sky or not, the nature of the sky in itself
remains unchanged and undisturbed. It is the same with the
Nature of Mind. It is only our vtston that is disturbed and obscured.
So we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by the thoughts

that arise in meditation; we should try to remain in the Natural State.
Eventually our contemplation will become stable, but at first many
distractions will arise. We may begin by focusing our attention on a
single point so that we can come to recognize what disturbs our
contemplation. We must recognize this right away, so that we do not
fall into the wrong way of practicing contemplation.
There are various ways to be introduced to the Natural State. We

can use Shamatha meditation (zhi-gnas) for this purpose, for example,
by concentrating our attention one-pointedly on the white Tibetan
letter A. Initially this fixation allows no space for thoughts to arise and
distract us, but then when we relax our fixation a little, thoughts arise
again. But the thoughts that arise are only like the clouds that appear in
the sky, and when they dissolve, they leave no trace behind. So we do
not need to examine them and think about them, asking ourselves:
"Are they emptiness or are they clarity?" We eventually find ourselves
in a calm state, where few or no thoughts arise.
This, however, is the result of fixation and it is not Rigpa, or the

Natural State. It is only an experience (nyams). Rigpa, the Natural
State, is neither the calm state nor the movement of thoughts, but a
state of pure immediate awareness which tran-scends all thought and
workings of the mind. It is like a mirror reflecting whatever is set
before it, without judgment or thought. When we enter into the
Natural State, we are not practicing the cultivation of positive thoughts
nor are we trying to repress negative thoughts. That is the method of
the Sutras, namely, the application of antidotes to negative thoughts
and emotions. But that is not the method of Dzogchen. The practice of
Dzogchen means just continuing in the Natural State of Rigpa and
allowing
whatever thoughts anse, whether positive or negative, to self-liberate.
Dzogchen has been kept very secret in India and Tibet because it
can easily give rise to wrong views. Dzogchen speaks of a state
beyond cause and effect, so its practice is not a matter of cultivating
positive thoughts and repressing negative ones. Why has Dzogchen
been kept so secret? Not because it is a heresy or because it has
anything to hide. If some individual is not ready for this teaching and
hears it and misunderstands it, then this can be of harm to himself and
of harm to others when he speaks to them regarding his wrong
understanding. Therefore it has been better to keep the teachings secret
and private.
How do we practice Dzogzchen? First we must practice Guru
Yoga. [9] But Guru Yoga visualization is something created by our
minds. Mind creates this object. The same is the case with the white
Tibetan letter A. So, although we begin with such practices, they do
not represent the principal practice. That involves entering into a state
beyond the mind and we call that state Rigpa. Fixating on some object
like the white letter A is only an aid to discovering Rigpa.
After we have fixated the mind on the white A and find ourselves
in a calm state, then we look back into our minds to see who has
fixated on this object. We look for the source of mind.-We look for the
source of thoughts. From where do they arise? Where do they stay?
Where do they go? Do we find that they have any color or shape?
When thoughts go, do we find any trace left behind? That is all on the
object side. But now we look back to the subject side. Who is this
watcher? Who is it that has created this visualization. Do we find two
things here, the watcher and the watched? We search and search and
we find nothing. We look for a subject and we find no trace of it. We
look back and at that moment, the watcher and the watched dissolve.
Then we just remain in that presence without changing anything.

We just leave everything as it is. When there is no interference,
thoughts dissolve naturally. So we allow the thoughts to be just as
they are without judging them. It does not matter at all what comes
into the mind. The Dzogchen texts tell us that the emptiness side of
the Natural State is primordial purity (ka-dag) and that the clarity or
awareness side of the Natural State is spontaneous perfection (lhun-
grub). But when we find ourselves in the Natural State, we are not
thinking this, nor are we making any analyses or judgments. This
Natural State is beyond conception by the intellect and inexpressible
in words. Once we have been introduced to the Natural State, we will
know what it is and not forget it. Then our task is to enter into it again
and again and to continue in it. Contemplation or continuing in Rigpa,
the Natural State, is the principal practice of Dzog-chen. [10]
Here there are three principal obstacles which can disturb

contemplation: chyingwa ('bying-ba) or drowsiness, mugpa (rmug-pa)
or dullness, and godpa (rgod-pa) or agitation. We may try to keep in
the Natural State continuously but find that it has become mixed with
drowsiness, and so a renewal of energy is necessary here. We need to
observe our contemplation in order to discover if it has become mixed
with any of these three faults. Dullness means our clarity thickens and
loses its transparency; the object appears dull. We lack energy. The
opposite of dullness is alertness and the clear appearance or
visualization of the object. We must check and see what is needed as
an antidote. If we add too much energy, we will find ourselves in a
state of agitation. With not enough energy we can be dull and drowsy.
So here a relationship exists between contemplation and energy.

We must discover this for ourselves because it varies with the
capacity and constitution of each individual practitioner. Generally,
agitation is easy to recognize. But there are two kinds of agitation:
coarse and subtle, and subtle agitation is very
difficult to recognize. Thoughts arise and if we allow ourselves,

consciously or unconsciously, to identify ourselves with them,
immediately they lead us away from the Natural State. Remaining in
the Natural State is the great highway leading directly to our
destination, but distraction by thoughts leads us into bye-ways where
we become lost and only with difficulty do we find our way back.
So what can we do? With drowsiness there are two principal

things to do. First, get some fresh air and, second, shake and move the
body and do some deep breathing. If coarse agitation arises, then stop
the meditation practice for a while. Take a rest and do something else.
Subtle agitation is more difficult to handle because we do not even
realize that we have it. But when we do, we also need to stop and take
a break. Dullness is handled in much the same way as drowsiness.
When practicing Dzogchen we should always remember never to
force ourselves, and to give ourselves plenty of space. It is much
better to practice in many short sessions with refreshing breaks in
between, rather than trying to force ourselves prematurely into long
sessions of practice. This will only give rise to obstacles. In any event,
what is most important, both at the beginning and later on, is to relax.
The Natural State is already fully present from the very begin-ning,
and so there is no need to cajole or coerce it. Just relax and let it all be.
It is all there. That is the way of Dzogchen.
CHAPTER2
The Attaining ofBuddhahood

according to Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen
Taught by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Devon retreat, May 1991.
Edited by John Myrdhin Reynolds.
The Hinayana View

Mahayana recognizes the Trikaya, the Three Bodies of the
Buddha, but Hinayana does not do so. The followers of Hinayana
only recognize the existence of a historical Buddha who lived in the
past. That Buddha, Shakyamuni, was like an Arhat, one who had
purified all of his kleshas (passions or negative emotions) and vasanas
(karmic traces). After his enlightenment, the residual karma that
remained with him was represented by his physical body. This impure
body persisted for a time, but his mind was entirely purified of
obscurations. Then after passing into Pari-nirvana, absolutely nothing
remained behind, neither body nor mind.
So when we pray to the Buddha, this action is no more than a

commemoration because there is no one there to hear us. We receive
no blessings and no wisdom from him because the Buddha is no more.
There is only the memory of his teachings and example found
recorded in the scriptures. Nonetheless, he showed the path to
liberation from the sufferings experienced in Samsara and we can
follow and practice that same path. The goal, according to Hinayana,
is to liberate oneself alone from Samsara, that is, to become an Arhat.
However, by practicing the path of
Hinayana, we realize only the status of an Arhat, and not the full
enlightenment of a Buddha.
The Mahayana View

According to the traditional cosmology found both in Bon and in
Buddhism, there are three principal levels of existence in the universe:
(1) The Kamadhatu, or Desire World, where all sentient beings,

including the gods or Devas, are dominated by their sense desires
(kama),
(2) the Rupadhatu, or Form World, the abode of the gods who have
exceedingly subtle bodies (rupa) and sense organs of light, and
who are no longer dominated by gross sense desires (kama), and
(3) the Arupadhatu, or Formless World, where beings have no visible

form (arupa) and exist in a dimension of cosmic consciOusness.
The highest plane of existence found at the summit of the

Rupadhatu is known as Akanistha, or Ogmin ('og-min) in Tibet-an,
and at that level of existence, the Akanistha Devas ('og-min lha)
reside. As we ascend upward through the celestial planes of the
Rupadhatu, we find that the bodies of light of the Devas residing on
each plane become progressively more subtle, clear and pure. When
we are ready to attain Buddhahood, after an existence as a human
being here below on earth, we find our-selves reborn in the Akanistha
heaven. This is because there on that plane the manifest form, which
embodies the enlightenment experience of a Buddha, is the most
suitable. That is to say, we acquire a subtle and highly refined body of
light by virtue of our rebirth in the Akanistha realm. Here in this
Akanistha heaven we continue to practice in order to purify our stream
of con-
The Attaining of Buddhahood According to Sutra, ... - 39
sciousness of all obscurations, even the most subtle and uncon-scious

of obscurations. Once purified of all shadows, we attain Buddhahood
in Akanistha as the Sambhogakaya. That is to say, we realize the
Sambhogakaya form. This is how one attains Buddhahood according
to the Sutra system of Mahayana.
According to Bon, one must first be reborn in Akanistha as an
Akanistha Deva in order to possess a suitable body or form for
enlightenment. Here the individual attains the Sambhogakaya, and
then descends into the lower worlds in order to manifest as the
Nirmankaya on the physical earth plane. The Mind of the Buddha is
the Dharmakaya, which possesses the two-fold purity, that is, an
intrinsic purity, as well as a freedom from all adven-titious impurities.
This Dharmakaya is inconceivable and inex-pressible; it is without
limits. But the manifestation of the Buddha's Energy (thugs-rje) is the
Sambhogakaya, in a purified form of light and energy. It is something
visible. This is the Speech aspect of the Buddha. The great
Bodhisattvas, when they have attained the higher Bhumis or stages,
can perceive this glori-fied Body.
But there are also the countless suffering beings of the

Kamadhatu, who with their obscurations cannot perceive the
Sambhogakaya. For their sakes the Buddha manifests innumerable
projections or emanations (nirmitas) of his forms into all inhab-ited
world systems, and these are known as Nirmanakayas, or Emanation
Bodies (sprul-sku). These bodies can be perceived by beings whose
minds are obscured by the kleshas (passions) and by sense desires.
The Sambhogakaya is like the sun in the sky and its light shines
everywhere. There is only a single sun in the sky, but there are many
reflected images of this single sun in the many vessels of water set
upon the ground. These reflected images are the Nirmanakayas. But
only when the practitioner has attained the path of vision (the
Darshana-marga, the third among the five paths), have we sufficiently
purified our obscurations so that we can see the Sambhogakaya and
hear its teachings directly.
Ignorant sentient beings are only capable of perce1vmg the

Nirmanakaya that appears in time and history.
The Tantra View

In the Tantra system, we find a different method described where
it is not necessary to be reborn first in the Akanistha heaven in order
to obtain a subtle body of light. This method is known as Mayadeha,
the Illusion Body or, in Tibetan, Gyulu (sgyu-lus). In this case, during
our lifetime here on earth, we do the practice of Dzogrim (rdzogs-
rim), which is the second phase of Tantric transformation, and we
create in our heart center a very refined Illusion Body by way of a
union of subtle prana and mind. This Gyulu, or Illusion Body,
provides a suitable base for the manifestation of the Sambhogakaya,
and so it is not necessary to seek this base in any other dimension of
existence. We create this Gyulu during our lifetime on earth by way of
our practice, and then, at the time of our death, we transfer our
Namshe, or consciousness, into it and it then becomes the vehicle for
our Sambhogakaya manifestation.
There are, however, two kinds of Gyulu, one pure and the other
impure. If at the time of our death, we have not attained perfect
realization and purified all our subtle obscurations, both emotional and
intellectual, then this subtle body born of the unification of prana and
mind is known as an impure Illusion Body. In that case, we must do
further purification practice in that body in order to realize perfect
enlightenment. Only when we attain that state can we speak of a pure
Illusion Body. The manifesting of this Gyulu has wrongly been called
a Rainbow Body ('ja' -Ius) or a Body of Light (' od-lus). It is neither
because the manifestation of this Sambhogakaya form depends on our
prior practice and realization of both Kyerim (bskyed-rim), the
process of generation, and Dzogrim (rdzogs-rim), the process of
perfection. [1] Where the view and the practice are different,
then the fruit or result will be different. So these manifestations, the

Illusion Body and the Rainbow Body, are not at all the same.
The Dzogchen View

From the standpoint of Dzogchen, this creating of a Gyulu
through the unification of subtle prana and mind (the T antric method)
and the attaining of rebirth as a Deva in the Akanistha heaven (the
Sutra method) do not represent real Buddhahood. Nor does an Arhat,
the state realized through the Hinayana method, represent a real
Buddha. Once the Arhat has attained this state of having cut off all his
kleshas, or defilements, at their roots, he need no longer be reborn as a
human being. Neverthe-less, at a more exalted level of existence, he
must continue the process of purifying his stream of consciousness
because he is still afflicted with various intellectual obscurations. [2]
Finding himself now at a higher level existence after his last

human rebirth, the Arhat must enter into the practice of the Ma-hayana
path in order to realize Buddhahood. Similarly, the Tan-tric
practitioner who has realized the Gyulu does not need to take another
human rebirth. But since this Gyulu is something that arises from
causes, and the same is true of rebirth in Akanistha, it is therefore not
permanent. If knowledge of the Dharmakaya were brought about by
such antecedent causes, it also would be something that is
impermanent. We cannot proceed from our conditioned existence to
an unconditioned state. There is no way for this to occur.
There are two aspects or perspectives with regard to the

Dharmakaya, first when it is viewed from the standpoint of the Sutra
system and the Lower Tantras, and second when viewed from the
standpoint of Dzogchen and some of the Higher T antras such as the
Ma Gyud. According to the Mahayana Sutra system, the cause which
brings about the realization of the Dharmakaya is the accumulation of
wisdom, meaning the understanding of
42 - Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
Shunyata or emptiness. The cause which brings about the realiza-tion

of the Rupakaya, which includes both the Sambhogakaya and the
Nirmanakaya, is the accumulation of merit accomplished by way of
the practice of the Ten Perfections for three immeasurable kalpas of
time. According to the Tantra system, the cause for the realization of
the Dharmakaya is also the understanding of Shun-yata but, in
addition to the practice of the Ten Perfections, the cause for the
Rupakaya is the practice of Kyerim and Dzogrim (visualizing oneself
as the Yidam, or meditation deity, during the course of sadhana
practice), thereby producing the Gyulu, or Illu-sion Body.
However, Dzogchen asserts that if Buddhahood is brought about

by antecedent causes, it is not an unconditioned state. It would not be
permanent. It would come to an end eventually, just as any mystical
experiences brought about by meditation practice come to an end and
thereafter we resume an ordinary, deluded level of consciousness. The
fundamental principle here is that all conditioned things are
impermanent, and this truth has been taught by all the Buddhas.
However, according to the Sutra sys-tem, the accumulation of wisdom
is the cause of the Dharmakaya and the accumulation of merit is the
cause of the Rupakaya. Therefore, in this perspective of Sutra and
Tantra, the Dhar-makaya would be something impermanent and
conditioned, whereas according to Dzogchen, the Dharmakaya is
uncondi-tioned and non-temporal. So, there is a logical contradiction
to be found here.
How then does the practitioner realize the Dharmakaya, if the

Dharmakaya is present all of the time? Here there is an ex-ample. Just
as there exists the boundless infinity of space that pervades
everywhere and, at the same time, there is the space found inside an
earthen jar, which takes thereby a specific and particular shape, so it is
with the Dharmakaya and the individual sentient being. The one is
permanent and the other is imperma-nent and conditioned, temporarily
confined by the clay walls of
The Attaining of Buddha hood According to Sutra, ... - 43
the jar. When the jar is broken, they are only one space. How-ever,
would this mean that, if there is only a single Dharmakaya, like the
space that pervades everything, then all Buddhas are one and the
same? No. [3]
Again, according to the interpretation of the Sutra system, af-ter
attaining enlightenment, the Buddha reappears in the world to teach
the Dharma to sentient beings as the Nirmanakaya because of his
Bodhichitta and his individual Pranidhana vow made previ-ously.
Therefore, that vow is the cause for his manifesting as the Rupakaya,
as well as his individual accumulation of merit. But this Rupakaya
appears to us because of our needs as individual sentient beings, and
not because the Buddha has any desires or aspirations. He teaches
sentient beings through the vehicle of Speech, that is to say, the
Sambhogakaya, the manifestation of his energy, even though it is only
the Great Bodhisattvas who per-ceive that manifestation visibly and
directly.
Nevertheless, his Mind remains unmoved as the Dharmakaya.
According to the theory, this Dharmakaya is unconditioned; it is in no
way afflicted or limited by thoughts and desires which exist in time. It
is like the clear, open, unobstructed sky, whereas the Sambhogakaya is
like the sun in the sky. It sheds its light every-where, impartially and
indiscriminately and these rays of the sun are like the individual
Nirmanakayas perceived by sentient beings. But if we are sitting in a
cave on the north side of a mountain, we must then come out of that
cave in order to see the face of the sun, even though its light shines
everywhere outside. It is the same with the Sambhogakaya. In its
essence, the Dharmakaya is empty and formless like the sky; it is
unconditioned and perma-nent. But from the perspective of the Sutra
system, on the side of wisdom the Dharmakaya would be impermanent
because this wisdom arises from causes, the meditations that bring
about the accumulation of wisdom. So, how can the real Dharmakaya
arise from an accumulation of wisdom as the cause? There is a contra-
diction here.
However, matters stand quite differently according to Dzog-chen.

In the Dzogchen Upadesha teachings, we have the practices of
Thekchod and Thodgal. Thekchod means we enter into and continue
in the state of contemplation (rig-pa), which is the Natu-ral State
(gnas-lugs). Thodgal means that, while in the state of contemplation,
the potentiality of the Natural State (rig-pa'i rtsal) has the occasion to
manifest spontaneously as vision. The me-dium for the manifesting of
this potentiality is either sunlight, to-tal darkness, or the open space of
the sky. [4] The ultimate cul-minating result of this prolonged Thodgal
practice is the attaining of the Rainbow Body, or Jalu ('ja'-lus).
According to Dzogchen, we have attained the Sambhogakaya

already because it is contained in potential in the Natural State. It is
not something that is brought about historically by antecedent causes.
Rather, it has been primordially present because it repre-sents the
inherent potentiality or energy of the Natural State (rig-pa'i rtsal)
itself. This method of Thodgal is only found in Dzog-chen and not in
the other vehicles. Here the Sambhogakaya is not caused by
something else other than itself, such as a vow or even Dzogrim
practice. It is a spontaneously self-perfected manifesta-tion (!hun-
grub). But in terms of our experience, it is a visible thing and like all
visible things it is changeable and impermanent. Therefore, a
Rupakaya manifestation is always impermanent, as well as being
individual. For us, it does not just sit on a throne in the sky throughout
eternity, unchanging century after century.
Indeed, Thodgal does possess a method for dissolving the impure
physical body, at the time of death or even before, and then this allows
the Rainbow Body of Light to come into manifes-tation. But this is not
a process of transforming an impure physi-cal body into a pure
Sambhogakaya. The method proper to Dzog-chen is not the path of
transformation, as is the case with the Tantras, but the path of self-
liberation. Therefore, the procedure in Tantra and in Thodgal is quite
different. To effect a transfor-mation in vision and in energy, Tantra
employs visualization in
terms of Kyerim and Dzogrim practice. [5] We visualize ourselves in

a Sambhogakaya form, whether this Yidam be a peaceful or a
wrathful manifestation.
But in Dzogchen there is nothing to be visualized and nothing to
be transformed. The visions which arise during the course of Thodgal
are not visualizations. Visualization represents the work of the mind;
visualizations are created by the mind. But Dzogchen is a state beyond
the mind. So these visions which arise in Thod-gal are not created by
the mind or by unconscious karma. They are a manifestation of what
is already primordially present in the Natural State. The vision is not
something created by causes, but it is Lhundrub (lhun-grub), or
spontaneously perfected. Since the Sambhogakaya is already fully
inherent in the Natural State, it simply manifests. Dzogchen alone
discloses our real nature; Dzogchen has already discovered this
inherent Buddhahood, our real nature, and so it can manifest the
Sambhogakaya effortlessly.
At the culmination of the Thodgal process, at the stage of vi-sion
called the exhausting of everything into Reality (bon-nyid zad-pa), all
of the visions that the practitioner experiences, whether pure or
impure, come to dissolve into the Natural State. This includes our
physical body, which itself is the result of past karmic causes and
represents our impure karmic vision. For the practitioner, everything
dissolves. This sets the stage for the spon-taneous manifestation of the
Sambhogakaya which has been pre-sent in potential in the Natural
State from the very beginning. Since it is already there, no primary
cause for its manifestation is needed. The secondary causes for its
manifestation, however, are the purifications of obscurations along the
path. This is like wind removing clouds from the sky, so that the face
of the sun becomes visible, or like opening the doors to the temple, so
that the image of the Buddha can clearly be seen. [6]
If we examine the notion of Buddhahood from the logical sta:-

tdpoint, we find that the Nirmanakaya and the Sambhogakaya are
impermanent, whereas the Dharmakaya alone is permanent.
But when we further examine the Dharmakaya, we discover that there

are two sides to it. On the side of Shunyata or emptiness, it is
permanent, but on the side of wisdom, it is impermanent. The Kunzhi,
the basis of everything, is permanent because it is empti-ness itself,
but Rigpa is impermanent because it is not always manifest.
Nevertheless, these two, Kunzhi and Rigpa, are always inseparable
(dbyer-med) in the Natural State. On the side of emp-tiness (stong-
cha), there is permanence, but on the side of clarity (gsal-cha) or
awareness (rig-cha), there is impermanence. So, the manifestation side
is impermanent, even when it represents pure vision. It is changing all
of the time, whereas the emptiness side is constant and permanent. We
can logically distinguish these things when we speak about the Natural
State, but the Natural State is a totality and a perfect unity. Within it,
emptiness and clarity are inseparable and never otherwise. This
inseparability, or Yermed (dbyer-med), is the essence of Dzogchen.
To fall either on the side of emptiness or on the side of manifestation
is to deviate from the Dzogchen view and to fall into partiality and
extreme views.
To realize the Rainbow Body means that we have practiced

Thodgal and not some other method. The visions that arise are not
specifically created, but appear spontaneously (lhun-grub) in the
presence of secondary causes such as sunlight, total darkness, and the
clear, open sky. They arise spontaneously from the Natu-ral State; no
Kyerim or Dzogrim practices must be accomplished first as
preparation. All that is required is the capacity to remain with stability
in the Natural State. This is called stable Thekchod. Then the Thodgal
visions come automatically, whether in sun-light or total darkness or
in the empty sky. Gradually all the pure visions of the deities arise,
and these visions develop by way of four stages (snang-ba bzhi) until
completion. Then they all dis-solve into the Natural State. Our
personal reality of pure and im-pure vision (snang-ba) dissolves into
Reality (bon-nyid) which is the Natural State.
At the same time that our visions dissolve, our physical body also
dissolves because it is just one manifestation of our impure karmic
vision, the product of our past karmic heritage. Our nor-mal everyday
impure vision has the same source as the Thodgal pure vision, and
now both equally dissolve into their source, the Natural State. There is
a single primordial Base, the Natural State, but there are two Paths,
impure karmic vision and pure vision, and two Fruits or results,
Samsara and Nirvana. Having returned to the ultimate source, then the
potentiality of the Natural State manifests as a Rainbow Body, the real
Rupakaya.
Thereafter, this Jalu, or Rainbow Body, can appear in a mate-rial
sense to sentient beings in order to teach them. The Rainbow Body is
not something material as such, but appears to be so since it can act on
all of the senses of a sentient being simultaneously. The
Sambhogakaya can be perceived only by the Aryas, the Bo-dhisattvas
who have ascended the third, fourth, or fifth paths. [7] They can hear
the actual teachings of the Sambhogakaya, whereas ordinary beings
cannot see or hear this manifestation. Thus, it is the Nirmanakaya that
ordinary beings can hear and perceive. To human beings this
Nirmanakaya appears as human. In other worlds and with other
species of beings, the situation will be dif-ferent. But the Rainbow
Body, as the potentiality of the Natural State, is not limited to any
particular form. It can appear in a myriad different forms. Since the
Natural State has been with us from the very beginning, we have done
nothing more than redis-cover it, continue in it, and allow its
potentiality to manifest. That is Buddhahood.
CHAPTER3
Four Essential Points

for Understanding Dzogchen
Talk by Lop on T enzin Namdak,

New York City, October 1991.
Transcribed and edited by John Myrdhin Reynolds.
The short text we have before us here is from the Nam-mkha'

'phrul mdzod collection. [1] Here there are four essential points for
understanding the nature of Dzogchen. First, Dzogchen does not
contradict the Two Truths. Second, in Dzogchen there is no grasping at
the view that a self exists. Third, the Dzogchenpa's conduct is not just
going around doing whatever one wants at the moment. And fourth, there
is no special apprehension of any-thing. [2]
As for the first point, according to the Sutras, it is well known that
the Buddha taught the Two Truths: the Relative Truth and the
Absolute Truth. They are without question the Buddha's teachings,
and so when we understand Dzogchen, it is important not to speak
against these Two Truths. However, Dzogchen, which represents the
highest teaching of the Buddha, teaches that causality, that is to say,
karmic causes and their consequences, is not the highest truth. In the
Bonpo tradition, we find two methods for proceeding along the path.
First, according to the highest way (Dzogchen) among the Nine Ways,
the Nature of Mind is empty. Therefore, its essence has nothing to do
with causality; it is in no way changed or modified by karmic causes
and their consequences. It totally transcends them; it is beyond
cause and effect, and so we say that it is primordially pure (ka-dag). A

practitioner who has actually attained Buddhahood, re-maining
continuously in the Natural State, has nothing to realize as a cause for
anything else. He does not expect any virtuous qualities to arise as the
consequence of virtuous actions, nor does he fear any bad
consequences of wrong actions. This is because the Natural State is
beyond all karmic causality and its effects. That is why Dzogchen
does not speak about karmic causes when referring to the Natural
State. But otherwise, if the practitioner is not actually in the Natural
State and this is one's usual ordinary Samsaric existence, then
everything proceeds according to karmic causes. The actions we do
will have their inevitable consequences, like the shadow following a
body.
Second, there is the way of proceeding according to the eight
other ways among the Nine Ways of Bon (theg-pa rim dgu) that are
not Dzogchen in terms of their view and practice. Here matters are
mostly understood in terms of Relative Truth and, therefore, we speak
about karmic causes rather extensively. All results, whether good or
bad, arise from causes. In the same way, the visions that arise in such
practices as Thodgal and dark retreat belong to the sphere of Relative
Truth (snang-lugs kun-rdzob bden-pa). But the contradiction is only
apparent here. From the standpoint of the Natural State, we speak in
terms of the Absolute Truth. Everything is empty and lacks any
inherent existence. Dzogchen asserts that the Natural State is beyond
causality, that it does not rely on any karmic causes. But it does assert
that the system of appearances (snang-lugs) depends on causes. This is
especially the case with our impure karmic vision, and one instance of
such impure vision is our human karmic vision, our existence as a
human being as we know it. Karmic vision is brought about by causes
and all of us perce~ve this world as human karmic vision because we all
possess the cause for that karmic vision. It is impure because it is
caused by ignorance and the passions or emotional defilements.
Four Essential Points for Understanding Dzogchen - 51
Here we are speaking of two kinds of practitioner, ordinary

persons and realized beings or adepts. We should remember that the
content of the teachings, when expressed in words, depends on who is
the audience listening to the teachings. The fun-damental Dzogchen
precepts were mainly revealed directly by the Primordial Buddha, the
Dharmakaya Kuntu Zangpo (bon-sku kun tu bzang-po), and the
Dharmakaya always spoke the Truth and never otherwise. [3] The
Dharmakaya spoke from the standpoint of the Natural State. For this
reason, Dzogchen does not accept as its ultimate view the Two Truths.
It accepts only a single Truth or Source, called the Unique Essence
(thig-le nyag-gcig). [4] This is the Natural State in which appearances
and emptiness are inseparable. However, our ordinary vision or
impure karmic vision arises from causes and Dzogchen agrees with
that. None-theless, if we understand Dzogchen, then we do not find
any inherent contradiction here. These Truths, the Two Truths and the
Unique Essence, have different meanings. This 1s the first point.
As for the. second point, Dzogchen does not grasp at or

apprehend a view that a permanent self exists (bdag gi lta-ba). [5] In
normal life, we are always thinking of ourselves. All of our thinking is
tied up with this notion of a self as something real and abiding, and all
of our emotional reactions are predicated on this self. The name for
this process of constantly creating a self, whereas in reality there is
none there, is grasping at a self (bdag 'dzin), or self-centeredness. Up
until now this unconscious process has led us to accumulate negative
karmic causes through-out countless lifetimes. This Dagdzin, or
grasping at a self, represents ignorance, here meaning a lack of real
knowledge and awareness (rna rig-pa). This ignorance has no absolute
beginning in time; it has always been with us in each lifetime as an
integral part of the habit of our existence. When we see something,
iramediately we accept or reject it. We judge the perceived object to
be good or bad, and we have a corresponding emotional
reaction of attachment or aversion. But if we do not have any grasping

('dzin-pa) at the object (that is, the mental process of apprehending
and judging a perception), then we will not develop attachment to it.
For this reason, we must look back into ourselves and seek to find
this so-called self (bdag). How do we think? We think that our
perception exists externally to us and that it is objective and real. It is
really there and so we grasp at it. But if we search into this, what is it
that we grasp? Where is the grasper? It is like opening a series of
Chinese boxes. Eventually we find that there is nothing there to grasp.
Look at how we do this grasping or Dzinpa. For example, we have a
headache, and so we think, "Oh, I have a headache!" Certainly there is
the experience of a headache, yet this headache is not us. Nor is the
head us. And yet we grasp and think, "I am sick!" But look more
closely at this. There is no "I" existing here, only the experience of
pain. It is the same with the other parts of the body. We can examine
all of these parts, but where do we find any "I"? This identification
process whereby we predicate an "I" to all of our experiences is what
we meant by Dagdzin or grasping at a self. Yes, there are all of these
parts belonging to our body, but when we pull them all apart, even
down to the last cell, where do we find any "I"?
Then we conclude that, even though the self (bdag) is not the
physical body, it must be our mind or consciousness. But we can
proceed here with the mind in the same way as we did with the
physical body, searching for a self or "1." We will not find any self.
For example, there is eye consciousness. If that were not present, we
would not see anything at all, even though the eye organ is present
there and functional. A corpse may have its eye organs intact, but it
does not see anything because there is no consciousness present. But
is this eye consciousness the "I" or not? We can proceed to investigate
in the same way all of the other sense consciousnesses in the current
of our daily experience.
We have searched outside, through our perceptions and through

the parts of our body and have found no "self" there. Now we search
inside through our sense consciousnesses and find that there exists no
"self" here either. But what of our mind? Is this the self or "I"? If we
examine the mind, we discover that it is not a single unified entity or
substance, rather, it is a process occurring in time, a succession of
states of consciousness having varied mental contents. It is like a
stream or a river that changes from moment to moment. It is never the
same. Where in these states of consciousness and contents of
consciousness do we find a self or "I"? We have searched outside and
inside exhaustively and what do we find? Where is this "self" of
which we speak so freely? All the things we see and experience are
not this so-called "self." They are not us, and yet we grasp at them as
if they were ourselves. [6]
Without there being any certain solid objective reality out there in
space, still we grasp at perceptions of the world as if they are real.
Perceived objects do not exist inherently, but we do perceive them as
if they exist objectively. This is Relative Truth. External appearances
do exist in terms of Relative Truth, but this is not the real truth. It is
ignorance. This ignorance has existed from the very beginning until
now and it is the source of our circulating in Samsara. We may think:
"My conscious self grasps at an object, but there is no object there."
But this is an illusion also. We habitually believe that external objects
have an inherent existence, but this is not so. Nothing exists
inherently. Otherwise, there would be no possibility of change in the
world. Everything would be locked into its essence or inherent nature.
But change is our experience all of the time.
Nevertheless, even though there is no inherent existence to

phenomena our grasping at them persists. This consciousness which
grasps is not reliable and leads us into error. There are perceptions; we
see many beautiful and ugly things. We judge them as such and feel
attachment or aversion towards them. But
there is no real object out there that is beautiful or ugly because these
judgments are created by our minds. And yet we grasp at these
objects. In the dim light, we mistakenly perceive a pillar as our enemy
and we hit it with our fist. This enemy did not exist independently; it
was created by our minds. If we go into a totally dark room for a time,
our imagination may create many strange effects which we see. They
may look very real, but if we chase them, we hit our head against the
wall because they are illusions. So there is no point in having desires
for these phantoms and illusions which are as unreal as dreams. If we
understand this point, our desires and our aversions will decrease.
Even though we cannot find anywhere an inherent existence to

phenomena, still we cannot say that we do not exist because we are
doing this grasping. We exist because we are engaged in this activity,
the process of Dzinpa, or grasping at perceptions. But if we search on
the inside for some inherent existence, we do not find anything either.
However, this does not mean that we do not exist. For example, take
the individual sitting here named "George." We can say that he is my
son, or my friend, or my father, or my enemy, or whatever. Everyone
in the room here has a different idea of who George really is,
depending on our relationship to him. But who is the real George? If
George is my son, he cannot be my father. Even if he is my son, "son"
is not his real essence to the exclusion of anything else. To his own
son, he is "my father." So George is created by our perception and our
consciousness, and by our definition of him in relation to us. That
determines what he is; it defines him. So on the object side, George
has no inherent existence, but this does not mean that he is not sitting
here right in front of us all. On the subject side, everything exists
because we are conscious and are having perceptions. But on the
object side, nothing exists as a solid, unchanging reality. Therefore,
there is no point in feeling attach-ment or aversion cowards these
appearances. To understand this is the real Dharma.
It is not easy to stop the accumulating of negative actions without a

strong antidote. But through practice, the antidote can become quite
strong and in this way we can mitigate the influence of the passions.
These negative emotions will become weaker and grow less because of
our practice of meditation. Then we will do less harm to others and we
will accumulate virtues. Just reciting mantras or circumambulating a
stupa is not enough. It is bringing about a change in our consciousness
that is most important.
The third point here means that we, as Dzogchen practitioners, do
not go about acting on our momentary impulses, doing whatever we
might feel like at that moment. At this present time, we have this
human existence and this human body, and that is something not easy
to get because it requires the accumu-lation of a great deal of
meritorious karma over countless life-times. Even if we get a human
existence, we may still encounter many difficult conditions, such as
being born deaf and dumb, or being born in a country where there is
no Dharma. So we need, not only a human rebirth, but the opportunity
to come into contact with the teachings and the capacity to understand
the teachings and practice them. We have to examine how we live our
lives. Because life is impermanent, we should not postpone the
Dharma until next month or next year, and we should not waste our
capacities of body, speech and mind. We waste our opportunity in this
life by not doing any virtuous actions. Thinking bad of others and
speaking ill of them is wasting our minds and our speech. It is just
stupid to waste our opportunities when we can use our body, speech
and mind to practice, to grow and to develop. And so, in terms of
Dzogchen, we must use every opportunity to do meditation practice in
order to familiarize ourselves with the "Natural State. No excuses! No
saying that we have no time or that we are too busy. But what, and for
how long, we practice depends on our capacity and our circumstances.
Very well and good. We are practicing Dzogchen. But the third
point means that we cannot simply go about like a libertine,
doing whatever we like and saying that there is no sin or consequence

to our actions. Even though Dzogchen asserts that the Natural State is
beyond cause and effect, and that karmic causality does not modify it
in any way, this applies only to us, as practitioners of Dzogchen, when
we are actually in the Natural State. Otherwise, our consciousness and
our lives are totally under the rule of karma. Most of the time during
the day we are not in the Natural State, and so karma applies very
much to our normal daily thoughts and actions. We are living in the
relative condition, save only when we actually find ourselves in the
Natural State. So, to say we can do whatever we like is not the correct
view of Dzogchen. These momentary desires and impulses we
experience are conditioned things created by our unconscious karmic
traces. To follow after them is not freedom, no matter how much we
speak about Dzogchen. Only for the Natural State are there no rules or
limitations, and only in the Natural State is there found total freedom.
As for the fourth point, in Dzogchen there is nothing special to be

grasped or apprehended. In terms of our ordinary common vision and
our daily life, we can say that everything is an illusion and created by
our consciousness. If we really understand this, then there is no point
in grasping strongly at anything, for example, as enemy or friend. We
are not attached too much to anything; we do not grasp at wealth or
possessions. Nothing is special. We come to understand that in terms
of reality, every-thing is equal. All things are equally empty and all
things are equally an illusion. If we understand that all things are in
fact illusions, then there is no point in having negative emotions with
regard to them. All of life is like a dream. We see it, yes, but in the
end it dissolves and leaves no trace. But we, the Natural State, remam.
And so these are four essential points to remember according to

the master Dranpa Namkha.
CHAPTER4
The View ofShunyata found

in Madhyamaka, Chittamatra and Dzogchen
According to Lopon T enzin Namdak,

Bischofshofen, Vienna, Devon, Amsterdam,
March, April, May, June 1991.
The View of the Sutra System

Nowadays many Lamas say that the views and the results of the
practice of Madhyamaka, Mahamudra and Dzogchen are all the same.
[1] But this is not true. Why is that? Whenever we have a spiritual
path, we can speak about it in terms of the Base, the Path, and the
Fruit. When comparing rwo systems of practice, if their views of the
Base are different, then their practice of the Path will be different, and
therefore the results or the Fruit will be different. And so we must
begin by making an examination of the views of these different
systems.
Both the Buddhist and the Bonpo teachings are divided into Sutra,
T antra and Dzogchen. Each of these three systems has a different
Base, a different Path, and thus they lead to a different Fruit or result.
The method proper to the Sutra system is the path of renunciation
(spang lam), the method proper to the T antra system is the path of
transformation (sgyur lam), and the method proper to Dzogchen is the
path of self-liberation (grol lam). Madhyamaka belongs to the Surra
system, Mahamudra belongs to the Tantra system, and Dzogchen is
just Dzogchen; it is neither Sutra nor Tantra. And so these systems are
very different in their
views of the Base. Since their views are not all the same, their
practices do not all lead to the same result. That is only logical. [2]
Within the Sutra system, we have Hinayana and Mahayana.

Hinayana has two subdivisions: the way of the Sravakas or Disciples
(nyan-thos-pa) and the way of the Pratyekabuddhas (rang-rgyal-ba).
These two types of practitioner think only of release for themselves
from the suffering of Samsara. They are not concerned with the fate of
others. They recognize the absence of any unchanging permanent self
in individual persons (gang-zag gi bdag-med), but they think that
dharmas or phenomena, the momentary physical and mental events .
that comprise our experiences as a stream of consciousness, are real.
This is their view. But for Mahayana, on the contrary, compassion is
fun-damental. Here practitioners think not only of their own liberation
from the suffering experienced in Samsara, but equally of the
liberation of all sentient beings from Samsara. They recognize that
there is no permanent and abiding self in individuals, just as Hinayana
practitioners do but, equally, they recognize that these momentary
events or dharmas are imper-manent, unreal and insubstantial (chos
kyi bdag-med). This is the view of Mahayana, and it is what we call
Shunyata or emptiness.
The View of Madhyamaka

Within Mahayana, both in Buddhism and in Bon, we find two
different systems of philosophy. The first is Madhyamaka, called
Umapa (dbu-ma-pa) in Tibetan, meaning "the middle way" school.
The second is Yogachara or Chittamatra, Semtsampa (sems-tsam-pa)
in Tibetan, meaning "the mind-only" school. Although not as well
known, the Bonpo tradition also possesses its Prajnaparamita Sutras,
and the philosophical view and method expounded in these Sutras is
known as Madhyamaka.
The View of Shunyata found ... - 59
According to Tibetans generally, Madhyamaka represents the

highest philosophy and Shunyata is the highest view found in
Madhyamaka. Coming to an understanding of Shunyata, of the
emptiness of all phenomena, their lack of any inherent existence, is
the final goal. This is where the Sutra system takes us. This is also
true of the Bonpos. Although the Bonpo tradition does not possess
any independent Yogachara texts, such as those translated from
Sanskrit in the Buddhist tradition, the Yogachara view, called
Chittamatra, is well known and also its refutation by the Madhyamaka
view is equally well known.
However, the Bonpo tradition does not regard the Madhya-maka
view as the highest of all views. According to the view of
Madhyamaka, even in the state of enlightenment there is some-thing
present there that is apprehended or grasped (' dzin-pa) by the
intellect, and this situation, therefore, inherently involves duality. But
there is a view which lies beyond the intellect and beyond all
dualities. This is the view of Dzogchen, and so in the Bonpo system, it
is Dzogchen and not Madhyamaka that is re-garded as the highest
teaching.
This does not mean that both Madhyamaka and. T antra were not
taught by the Buddhas and are not perfect in themselves. They were
taught by the Buddhas to certain students for specific reasons, to each
according to his intellectual capacity and level of development. So
within their specific context, each of these systems is complete and
perfect in itself. It all depends upon the capacity of the student, and so
we should not go around finding fault with other systems simply
because we do not practice them. Moreover, it is necessary to have a
clear understanding of the fundamental views of each of these
systems. If we do not have a clear understanding of the view right
from the very beginning then, no matter how much meditation
practice. we may do, our practice will be wrong.
In the Mahayana system generally, in both the Madhyamika

school and Yogachara school, we speak of the Two Truths: the
Absolute Truth (dam-don bden-pa) and the Relative Truth (kun-rdzob

bden-pa). Indeed, in the Sutra system and in the Tantra system also,
we recognize these Two Truths as being the causes for realizing the
Dharmakaya and Rupakaya respectively. The Dharmakaya, as the
Ultimate Reality, has no form; it is empty. But in order to realize a
fruit or result, we must first have a cause. And so, in order to realize
the result which is the Dharmakaya, we must have the cause which is
the understanding of the Absolute Truth, and the Absolute Truth
means fully under-standing Shunyata or emptiness. The Relative Truth
is the cause for realizing the Rupakaya. Linking these respective
causes and effects are the two accumulations. The accumulation of
wisdom means the understanding of the emptiness and insubstantiality
of all phenomena, internal as well as external, and the accumulation of
merit means the practice of the Ten Perfections.
Sometimes six perfections are listed, but the Bonpo Sutra system
speaks of Ten Perfections, namely, generosity (sbyin-pa), morality
(tshul-khrims), patience (bzod-pa), vigor (btson-'grus), meditation
(bsam-gtan), strength (stobs), compassion (snying-rje), aspiration
(smon-lam), dedication (bsngo-ba) and wisdom (shes-rab).
Thus, according to the Sutra system, we have two bases or

causes, two paths or methods, and two results:
(1) the cause is the Absolute Truth, the method is the accumu-lation
of wisdom, and the fruit or result is the Dharmakaya and
(2) the cause is the Relative Truth, the method is the accumu-lation
of merit, and the fruit or result is the Rupakaya.
Therefore, these Two Truths are necessary, just as two wings are
necessary for a bird to fly. Where we practice according to Absolute
Truth, we find that all things are empty or lack any inherent existence,
and where we practice according to Relative
The View of Shunyata found... - 61
Truth we find that virtuous causes lead to good results. But we must
practice them equally, for otherwise, we will not realize Buddhahood.
This is because Buddhahood means both the Dharmakaya and the
Rupakaya. The Rupakaya, or Form Body (gzugs sku), has two distinct
manifestations: the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya. So we must
complete and perfect the two accumulations in order to realize them.
The preparation for realizing the Dharmakaya is the practice of

prajna, or discriminating wisdom (shes-rab). This discrimi-nating
wisdom entails a kind of philosophical analysis of all of our
experiences, where we discover that, at bottom, they are empty, that
they lack any substance or inherent existence. The essence of the
Dharmakaya is just this emptiness or Shunyata. We practice the other
perfections in order to realize the Sambhoga-kaya and the
Nirmanakaya. These three aspects of Buddhahood are known as the
Trikaya or the Three Bodies of the Buddha (sku gsum). Hinayana
practitioners do not recognize the existence of this Trikaya. They only
recognize the visible historical Buddha Shakyamuni, who disappeared
long ago and is no more. How-ever, they do recognize the existence of
the Arhats or perfect saints who have eliminated all their kleshas
(passions or negative emotions) and who, therefore, will be born no
more in the lower realms of Samsara.
The principal view of Madhyamaka is Shunyavada, the view of

emptiness. Madhyamaka asserts that all phenomena (all dharmas or
momentary physical and mental events) lack any inherent existence.
That is the meaning of Shunyata. If something existed independently,
it would have its own inherent existence and nothing else could affect
or change it. No karmic cause could give rise to it, because its
inherent existence would be immutable and unchanging. If everything
had an inherent existence, nothing could change into anything else,
and all causality would be impossible. All change would be
impossible because a thing would simply be its inherent nature, or
essence, and not something else.
It would be locked into this nature and could not change into something
else. But our experience tells us that things are changing all the time, and
so everything must lack any inherent existence. All phenomena are
empty. Thus we experience phe-nomena as impermanent and
insubstantial. It is only our thinking that phenomena are somehow solid
and permanent and real that is wrong-headed. We use the process of
philosophical analysis or Prajna (shes-rab) as the method to correct this
wrong way of looking at things.
For example, if we take a flower and pull off its petals, where do
we find the flower? Wherein lies the essence or the inherent nature of
this flower? Pulling off all of the petals, we find that there is nothing
of the flower left behind. We search for the flower and we find
nothing, only a pile of petals on the ground. But where is the flower?
Each petal that we have pulled off is not the flower. All of the petals
belong to the flower, but the "flower" in itself is nothing, only the sum
of its parts. It has no inde-pendent existence, therefore, it is empty. So
from the standpoint of the Absolute Truth, we say that it is empty.
And "flower" is only a name and a concept imputed to a phenomenon,
not something ultimately real. That which we name and concep-
tualize is called Relative Truth. We exhaustively analyze the
phenomenon and ultimately we discover that there is nothing real
there. There is no essence or inherent existence as "flower." There is
only a name and a concept in our mind. This is at the level of Absolute
Truth. But, of course, in the relative terms of everyday life, the flower
does exist because we buy it, we smell its scent, and so on. This is at
the level of Relative Truth. So we see and deal with everything from
these two different perspectives, the absolute and the relative.
Everything in our world is known by way of our thoughts and we

come to this knowledge through the applying of names. It is this
process that gives rise to karmic causes. According to Madhyamaka,
Shunyata means "no inherent existence." The
example is the flower and its petals given previously. The concept
"flower" is created by our minds. In this concept, the three times are
joined in our mind; we have memories of- flowers in the past and we
anticipate seeing flowers in the future. But these objects do not have
any inherent existence. We only find a collection or aggregate of
parts; a pile of petals, but no flower. It is the same when we examine
our body or our mind. We find an aggregate of parts, the skandhas,
but we do not find any owner. There is no self or substance. If there is
a person and he is our enemy, his nature as "enemy" would be
unchanging. We would see him as an enemy, we could not see him as
a friend. But this is not the case. Everything is created by thought and
nothing exists inherently. By our becoming aware of this, the power
held over us by karmic traces becomes less. Only the names exist, but
they do not exist as real independent objects. Yet we become more
and more involved with these fictitious objects and attached to them,
and so we continue to revolve in Samsara.
Madhyamaka teaches that there is no inherent existence (rang-

bzhin med), that things only exist interdependently (rten 'brei) and
that, in fact, is the meaning of Shunyata. But without the mind,
without thoughts, we cannot understand this Shunyata, this
insubstantiality and interdependence of all phenomena. In
understanding our experience, it is always necessary to grasp ('dzin-
pa) and examine and judge thoughts and things with the mind. It is
through the operation of the mind, in particular through the operation
of this higher intellectual function called Prajna (shes-rab), or
discriminating wisdom, that we come to understand the emptiness of
all phenomena, external and internal. All phenomena have these two
aspects of Absolute Truth and Relative Truth. They always occur
together. Visible things represent Relative Truth; they appear to be
real and solid, they appear to be really out there, but when we
examine and analyze them, pulling them apart to find their actual
essence, we find that they have no inherent nature. On the one hand,
everything is
without any inherent existence but, on the other hand, everything has
a cause. Without a cause, a phenomenon does not exist. This is
because it is dependent on other antecedent events, although in itself
it does not have any inherent existence or nature. The appearance of
phenomena depends on names and causes; this is the meaning of
Relative Truth.
According to Madhyamaka, and the Surra system generally, the
understanding of Shunyata is the highest understanding. But this
Shunyata is not a matter of being empty like a vase with nothing
inside it. Rather, it is the culmination of a process where-by we
examine a phenomenon in order to see whether it exists inherently or
not. If we find that this phenomenon is not empty, if we examine it
and discover that it has a precise inherent nature, then that cannot
change. That nature is just what it is and not something else. It
remains just what it is and cannot change into something else. This
inherent existence of the phenomenon is fixed and immutable.
Therefore, that phenomenon cannot change into anything else. So the
method in Madhyamaka is to make this rather exhaustive
philosophical analysis of objects to discover whether or not they have
an inherent existence. Only by doing this habitually and for sufficient
time, do we become convinced that all phenomena lack inherent
existence.
The inherent existence of a phenomenon, as its immutable
essence, is something that does not exist in fact. It cannot be found in
a phenomenon, even in a single case. Rather, in each case there are
these Two Truths. In the example of the flower, the flower is the
Relative Truth and its emptiness is the Absolute Truth. According to
Madhyamaka, this lack of any inherent nature (rang-bzhin med-pa)
signifies emptiness (stong-pa nyid). In this sense, all phenomena are
empty. Shunyata does not mean that there is nothing at all, rather, it
means that all phenomena are contingent and interdependent. That is
what makes all change and evolution and transformation from one
thing into another
possible. Otherwise the world would be static and dead, devoid of all
change and growth.
Take the example of a table. We see the table and we know what
it is. We say that it is really out there. But if we analyze it into its
parts, where is the table? Whatever we can point to with our finger,
that is not the table itself. In the same way, my head is not me. "My"
and "me" are different. If we subtract every "my" where is the "me"?
We may say and think: "I am here and it is there!" We are always
thinking that somewhere in the world there is something solid and
real. Everyone has this thinker or thought process but, according to
Madhyamaka, that thought process represents ignorance. It is thinking
in a substantialist way. We are habituated to this practice and trust it
implicitly. We depend on this way of thinking and we are actually
unaware that we are doing it. But there is no reality at all behind this
process. It is all a complete fabrication made by our mind. We just
assume that everything out there is solid and real. We implicitly trust
this way of thinking.
But why is it deluded? We may grasp at something out there. We

may think it is real and solid, but when we examine it, what do we
find? In the same way, when we examine ourselves, each piece we
find is "my," such as "my thought," "my idea," "my feeling," "my
perception" and so on, but where do we find "me"? Our conventional
way of thinking is lying to us; it falsifies reality. When we look into
something, whether an external object or ourselves, we find that there
is nothing solid and substantial left behind which we can grasp and
hold on to. This is Shunyata and Shunyata is the Absolute Truth for
us. We search for ourselves and we do not find anyone. But still we
cannot say that I do not exist and this table does not exist. They both
exist in a relative sense, but when we search for their essence, we do
not find anything. All that is left behind is a name. For example, if we
have a headache, the "head" is not us and the "ache" is not us, yet
we say that we have a headache. The pain is there as experience, but

where is the "I"?
Our thinking becomes the prisoner of our language. Relative
Truth is this process of labeling or giving names to things as if they
were concrete independent realities, separate things or entities
independent of ourselves and our knowing them. When we utter the
name "head", what exists here is only a name and a conception, and
that is Relative Truth. All of this develops on the side of names, like
karmic causes, but there is nothing real or substantial here. Karmic
causality exists only on the relative side; it is not the Absolute Truth.
According to the Madhyamaka view, nothing solid or substantial exists
anywhere, and so everything is empty. Everything is Shunyata and
that is the Absolute Truth.
Madhyamaka and Dzogchen on the Two Truths

Both Madhyamaka and Chittamatra recognize the Two Truths,
although their understanding of the meaning of the Two Truths is
different. Madhyamaka only recognizes the ultimate truth of
Shunyata. Moreover, according to Madhyamaka, every-thing is
related to the Two Truths because subject and object have no inherent
existence, they are only "names" created by thoughts. Nothing exists
here independently; everything in our experience is involved with the
Two Truths and there is nothing beyond them.
Nowadays, in general, all the Tibetan schools, including the

Gelugpas, assert that the Prasangika-Madhyamaka view of Shun-yata,
as expounded by Chandrakirti in his Madhyamakavatara (dBu-ma la
'jug-pa), is the highest of all possible views, and that there can be no
view beyond it. They say that this was asserted by Je Tsongkhapa
himself. Therefore, Shunyata is the final and ultimate view. There is
nothing beyond this. So how can Dzogchen do any better than this?
Many followers of Madhyamaka criticize Dzogchen, asserting that it
denies the Two
Truths. Again, certain followers of Madhyamaka belonging to various

Tibetan schools, who are scholars learned in the Sutras and the
Shastras, have asserted that Dzogchen is not even real Buddhism, that
it is some sort of Chinese Dharma like Ch'an, or that it comes from
Advaita Vedanta or Kashmiri Shaivism in Hinduism. So how is it
possible, they ask, to go beyond the view of Madhyamaka to
something called Dzogchen? Why is Dzogchen then said to be the
highest truth?
According to the two old schools of the Nyingmapas and the
Bonpos, Dzogchen does indeed go beyond the view of Madhya-maka.
"Highest" depends on our understanding. It is only the "highest truth"
if we thoroughly understand the real meaning of the view. Otherwise,
"highest" is just a word we say, but it has no meaning. A teaching
becomes the highest because of our understanding of it. According to
the Madhyamaka system, Shunyata means that all phenomena are
empty (stong-pa) and that everything lacks an inherent existence
(rang-bzhin med-pa), for otherwise no change would be possible. But
this is not the final view of Dzogchen because the former is
considered an incomplete view. It only gives half the picture.
Madhyamaka speaks of the emptiness side of things (stong-cha), and
does so correctly, but it does not speak of the clarity side (gsal-cha) or
the awareness side (rig-cha).
According to Madhyamaka, there are two sources: the Absolute

Truth and the Relative Truth. In terms of this first source, the Base is
the Absolute Truth, the Path is the accumu-lation of wisdom through
the understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, and the Fruit is
the realization of the Dharma-kaya. And in terms of this second
source, the Base is the Relative Truth, the Path is the accumulation of
merit through the practice of the Ten Perfections, and the Fruit is the
realization of the Rupakaya. Thus we have two Bases, two Paths, and
two Fruits. Both of these methods of practice are necessary, as we
have said,
for the attaining of enlightenment, just as a bird needs two wings in

order to fly. This is how Madhyamaka explains matters.
But Dzogchen does not recognize these Two Truths as being two
sources; it recognizes only one source and One Truth, namely, the
Thigley Nyagchik (thig-le nyag-gcig), the Unique Essence. There is
only one Base, and not two. In a higher sense, the Two Truths are not
necessary because the Base is unitary. Yet some great masters in their
commentaries to the Madhyama-kavatara of Chandrakirti criticize
Dzogchen for not having these Two Truths. Dzogchen maintains that the
final view is that there is only one nature. It does not claim that karmic
causes and consequences are the ultimate reality. Dzogchen replies that if
we recognize Two Truths, then we must have two minds in order to know
them. Therefore, some scholars of the New Tantra tra-dition speak of an
intelligence which knows Shunyata (stong-nyid rtogs-pa'i shes-rab) and a
separate intelligence which imputes names (ming btags-pa'i shes-rab).
Both of these are called intel-ligence (shes-rab), but they are two distinct
types of intelligence and know different things. But in Dzogchen there is
only this single Unique Essence (thig-le nyag-gcig), and not two minds.
And according to Dzogchen, we only come to realize the Trikaya where
we practice and realize inseparability (dbyer-med).
According to the Madhyamaka view, we can remain in total

awareness of Shunyata by means of the state of contemplation or
equipoise (mnyan-bzhag), but when we are in that state we cannot
engage in any thoughts or actions of generosity and the other
perfections and virtues. And so we must practice the two, the
accumulation of wisdom and the accumulation of merit, alternately
and separately. However, the Natural State in the view of Dzogchen is
not only emptiness, it is equally spontaneous manifestation (!hun-
grub}. If we practice only on the side of emptiness (stong-cha), we
will not realize the totality of Buddha-hood.
Madhyamaka, Chittamatra and T antra all recognize these Two

Truths. Madhyamika asks how can we realize Buddhahood unless we
have these Two Truths as the base, enabling us to practice the two
accumulations? And we need these as the causes for realizing the
Dharmakaya and the Rupakaya. Without such causes, we cannot
realize Buddhahood. Dzogchen agrees that without causes as
contributing factors we cannot attain Buddha-hood. But if we are
given a large piece of gold, we do not need to search for its qualities;
they already inhere in it. If we just practice the Natural State, we will
spontaneously realize the Dharmakaya and the Rupakaya because all
the virtues of the Buddha already exist in the Natural State and, when
the secondary causes are present, these virtues will spontaneously
manifest. So here is the real contradiction between Madhyamaka and
Dzogchen. [3]
According to Madhyamaka, the Buddha-nature at the core of
every sentient being, also known as the T athagatagarbha, is the
conventional meaning (drang-don). It is provisional, whereas Shunyata
is the real and ultimate meaning (nges-don). But according to the
Nyingmapa master Longchenpa in his Tshig-don mdzod, it is said that
the Buddha Shakyamuni himself taught Dzogchen in the
Prajnaparamita Sutras. [4] This inherent Buddha-nature or T
athagatagarbha, when it is properly understood, is actually the Natural
State referred to by Dzogchen. So here Longchenpa interprets
Dzogchen as Prajnaparamita. Once we have discovered the real
nature, the Natural State, we do not need to search for anything else.
If it is said that Dzogchen does not recognize the Two Truths, can
we also say that it does not recognize the Ten Paramitas? And if this is
so, how can there be any practice in terms of Dzogchen? If we do not
practice, how can there be any accumulations of wisdom and merit
and how can we then attain Buddhahood? But
b Dzogchen it is never said that we should not practice the Ten
Paramitas. It is simply said that the Natural State spontaneously
contains these Ten Paramitas, so we do not need to practice them
individually or separately. All the virtues of the Buddha sponta-

neously exist already within the Natural State. So, it is only necessary
for Dzogchen to explain this single Natural State and that is enough.
The ordinary Sutra practitioner, on the other hand, when he no

longer finds himself in the state of contemplation (mnyam-bzhag),
thinks that his vision of the world is solid and real and substantial.
Finding himself in that condition, he practices com-passion and
cultivates that motivation as a discursive thought. According to the
Sutra system, compassion is a thought that must be cultivated and
developed by way of other thoughts. But that sort of practice of
compassion as thought is only a preparation, as far as Dzogchen is
concerned. It is merely the thought of compa-ssion, not the real
compassion of a Buddha. Once we attain the Natural State and
understand the view of Dzogchen, then we do not need to do any
special compassion practice in which we try to generate and cultivate
thoughts of compassion towards other living beings by means of the
activities of the mind. Why is this? Because, when we enter into the
Natural State, compassion for all sentient beings arises spontaneously
and effortlessly; it does not need to be produced artificially by the
discursive mind. It has been there from the very beginning, whole and
complete, in the Natural State.
Sometimes it may say in a Dzogchen text that we do not even

need to practice meditation. Why is that? There are Ten Perfec-tions,
or Paramitas, and generosity (sbyin-pa, Skt. dana) is the first among
them. Since all of them are already fully contained within the Natural
State from the very beginning, and their perfection or completion is
also found in the Natural State, it is not necessary to generate
generosity, or the other perfections, artificially by cultivating
thoughts. If we practice the Natural State, generosity is already found
there and it arises sponta-neously. We then practice generosity
naturally and spontaneously and we do not first have to meditate and
to think that we should
be generous to others. If we practice the Natural State, morality is

already there and it arises spontaneously and effortlessly; it comes
naturally and we do not need to think about it first. It is the same with
all of the other perfections, including meditation. All of the virtues
and powers attained through meditation are already fully contained in
the Natural State. Therefore, it is not necessary to practice the
perfections in any special way individually and separately from the
Natural State since they are already fully present in the Natural State.
According to Madhyamaka, Shunyata can only be known by a

thought. If something lacks inherent existence, that condition is
Shunyata and this can only be known by a thought. If there is not a
thought present, nothing at all can be known. All knowledge is by way
of thoughts. So there is no other method for attaining the realization of
Shunyata. This is a principal difference between Madhyamaka and
Dzogchen. The former asserts that there must be a thought present
which knows Shunyata. However, according to Dzogchen, from the
very beginning, the Natural State has been beyond thought and cannot
be grasped by the mind. In Dzog-chen, if we try to grasp or apprehend
something ('dzin-pa), this is mental activity, and so we find ourselves
in the mind, and not in the Natural State. By this means we will never
attain the Natural State. Thoughts always cut up and split apart
objects. Otherwise, we would not be able to grasp them. We can only
assimilate reality in pieces. With the activities of the intellect, we can
practice a reductive analysis of some external object, like a blue
flower, for example, in order to realize its emptiness. But this
"emptiness" is only understood intellectually, it has been reached only
by thoughts. However, we cannot proceed in Dzogchen by way of
thoughts. Thoughts are always partial and one-sided; they never
encompass the whole.
The great scholar Sakya Pandita complained about Dzogchen in

his famous book, the sDom gsum rab dbye. He called it a Chinese
Dharma or teaching (rgya nag gi chos), claiming that
Dzogchen simply teaches a state of "no thought" (mi rtog-pa), as does

the Ch'an Buddhism of China. He also complained very much about
the Kagyudpas, the followers of Lama Gampopa, claiming that all
they do is practice rather than study and as a result they do not know
anything. He claimed that if they just practice blindly like that,
without thought and philosophical study, they will be reborn as
animals. Sakya Pandita was espe-cially critical of Gampopa's
exposition of Mahamudra, claiming that it was in part based on
Dzogchen. But in the Dzogchen system, "no thought" (mi rtog-pa) is
not the goal. The condition of no thought is merely an experience
(nyams); it is not Rigpa, or the Natural State. Dzogchen speaks of a
state beyond cause and effect. The Natural State is this state beyond
the mind. It does not matter to the Natural State whether thoughts arise
or not because its nature is unaffected by them. The Natural State is
like a mirror and thoughts are like the reflections in the mirror. The
nature of the mirror is in no way changed or modified by the
reflections. For this reason we say that the Natural State is
primordially pure (ka-dag), pure from the very beginning.
Madhyamaka and Dzogchen contradict each other here. In the

Madhyamaka system, we are always searching for an antidote to the
kleshas or the passions. Dzogchen asks, how can we be doing this?
The Klesha, the passion or negative emotion, is just a thought and the
antidote to it is just another thought. This is like trying to wash away
the blood on our hands with more blood. Thoughts will not eradicate
thoughts. There is no end to thoughts. Thoughts have no limits; we
can follow thoughts and we will never find the end to them. When we
search for reality with thoughts, we will never find a final or ultimate
truth, because thoughts inevitably lead to more thoughts. That is their
nature. Only if we look for the source of all thoughts will we find the
final truth.
So we cannot purify thoughts and eliminate them by applying yet

more thoughts as antidotes. The whole process is circular.
This is not the method of Dzogchen. Rather, the right method,

according to Dzogchen, is to remain in the Natural State as long as
possible. Thoughts cannot be eliminated by thoughts. They will not
disappear; they will only proliferate. But if left alone, they will
dissolve into the Natural State. Self-liberation is the ultimate
purification because no traces are left behind and thoughts do not give
birth to new thoughts. But if our remaining in the Natural State is not
stable, then we can easily be distracted by the arising of new thoughts.
In contrast to Madhyamaka, Dzogchen does not recognize the

subject-object dichotomy as ultimate, nor does it recognize these Two
Truths as sources of knowledge. The real view of Dzogchen is
inseparability without partiality on the one side or the other.
Emptiness and awareness are inseparable (rig stong dbyer-med).
Therefore, there is only One Truth. And so, its view is beyond the
view of the Two Truths. Dzogchen may be beyond this view, but this
does not mean that the Buddha did not teach the Two Truths. What is
meant here is that Dzogchen is beyond the Sutra definition of the Two
Truths. [5]
According to the Madhyamaka system, it is said that there must be
these two Truths, and that without them, including an intellectual
comprehension of Shunyata, we cannot realize Buddhahood. To this
assertion Dzogchen replies: If we practice only this single and unique
Natural State, the Thigley Nyagchik (thig-le nyag-gcig), everything
else, all of the virtuous qualities and powers of Buddhahood, are
contained within it from the very beginning. That is sufficient.
Therefore, Dzogchen can maintain that its view is the highest one.
The View of Chittamatra

The basis of the Chittamatra system of the Yogachara school is
compassion and Bodhichitta. Chittamatra also recognizes a basic
Kunzhi (kun-gzhi) or Alaya, as well as a self-awareness, or
Svasamvedana (rang-rig), that ts inherent in each moment of

consciousness. Chittamatra uses these concepts such as Rang-rig and
Kunzhi but, according to Madhyamaka, Shunyata is the highest view.
However, the Chittamatra position does not recognize the Shunyata
known to and defined by the Madhya-maka school; the Chittamatra
view of Shunyata is quite different from that of Madhyamaka.
Madhyamaka asserts that if something had an inherent existence, then
it could not change and dis-appear. Its essence would be immutable.
But it is our experience that things change and disappear all of the
time. So all of these consciousnesses (rnam-shes) are lacking in any
inherent existence. In the Madhyamaka view, if we cannot find any
inherent exist-ence in phenomena, this is Shunyata. But Chittamatra
asks, if this is so, how can there be any karmic traces?
The view of Madhyamaka is that everything is insubstantial

(bdag-med) and lacks any inherent existence (rang-bzhin med-pa).
Any self or substance (bdag) lacks inherent existence and does not
exist independently. Everything is conditioned by causes and is
constantly changing. Therefore, everything is empty. If there did exist
an inherent nature, then the cause could not become a result which is
different from it. It can only remain what it was originally and there
would be absolutely no change. But Chittamatra asserts that mind
(sems), the subject side, has an inherent existence (rang-bzhin gyi yod-
pa), however external appearances, phenomena, do not exist
independently. Everything is the result of karmic causes. An
independent self (bdag) does not exist, but a self does exist in relative
terms in a condition of dependence. The Kunzhi Namshe (kun-gzhi
rnam-shes) is this self. What exists inherently here is the Kunzhi
Namshe, the base consciousness, and this is the real "I", the principle
that trans-migrates from life to life. Each sentient being has this base
consciousness. And this base consciousness is individual; we are not
all "one mind." This is the Chittamatra view.
But Madhyamaka asserts that the self (bdag) is only a name.

Absolutely nothing exists, whether dependent or independent; it is
merely a name. Karmic causes and their consequences are only
names. And the Madhyamaka system does not recognize a Kunzhi
Namshe. There are only six consciousnesses and no storeroom for the
karmic traces. There is no place to collect and store them. The
Madhyamikas maintain that it is not necessary to store them
anywhere. The owner just has them as baggage and does not need a
particular place to put them. But in any event, this owner is only a
name.
The Madhyamaka school teaches that everything is without an
inherent existence but, according to Chittamatra, this view is
insufficient. Chittamatra asserts that an inherent nature must exist
(rang-bzhin gyi yod-pa) because, otherwise, there would be no basis
for the existence of karmic causes. If we say that karmic causes are
only names and concepts, they would produce no effects. We can say
that we have a horn on our head, but this does not mean one exists
there. We can say almost anything, but that does not mean that what
we say exists. Therefore, there must exist something on its own as
inherent nature. The Madhyamaka view is inadequate because it
recognizes only the one side of Shunyata, the non-duality of subject
and object.
Madhyamaka counters this argument. If we examine the eye, for
example, we might say that it has an inherent existence. Its function is
to see. Yet sometimes an eye may be defective or even blind and
cannot see at all, even though we still give it the name "eye."
Therefore, it lacks an inherent existence. All things lack an inherent
existence because they are changing all the time. This represents their
emptiness. For this reason, the Prajnaparamita Sutras say there is no
eye, there is no ear, and so on. Their inherent nature (rang-bzhin) does
not exist. So we must come to understand what Shunyata means in this
context.
Chittamatra also recognizes Shunyata, but what is meant here by
Shunyata is different from the Shunyata in Madhyamaka.
According to Chittamatra, it is a single karmic cause that gives rise to

the two sides of subject and object. But these two sides are inseparable
and this inseparability represents their emptiness. However, this is not
the same as saying that there is nothing there at all. For example, when
we see the blue color of the sky, we are aware of this blue color by
means of our eye consciousness. So we have two things here: the blue
color and our individual eye consciousness. But these two are
inseparable because they arise from a single karmic cause. There is a
single cause, but two effects, the object and the consciousness or
subject. To try to separate them (subject and object) is like trying to
cut an egg in half; we try to cut it in two, but there is only one egg.
Subject and object are inseparable.
The Shunyata of the Chittamatra school means the non-duality of

subject and object, that is, their interdependence. The blue color (the
object) and the eye consciousness (the subject) are non-dual and
interdependent because they arise from the same cause. They always
occur together. If our consciousness is not present, there will be no
blue color found out there. The blue color only exists in our act of
perceiving it. It has no independent existence. Both arise from a single
karmic cause. Consciousness and the object of perception are
inseparable. The blue color does not exist until our consciousness is
present to perceive it. For us, it exists only then. When we close our
eyes, this blue color does not exist for us any more. This blue color
and our consciousness are inseparable, and this is the meaning of
Shunyata. They are empty or shunya (stong-pa) because they are not
separate independent entities; they are interdependent and arise from a
cause. This not existing independently is what Shunyata means. The
blue color and our eye consciousness are merely two sides of the same
coin.
So the meaning of Shunyata in the Yogachara system and the

meaning in the Madhyamaka system are quite different. The
Yogachara school is also called Chittamatra or Semtsampa (sems-
tsam-pa) because the Yogacharins assert that everything is con-nected

with mind (sems). If there is no consciousness present, then the object
does not exist. For it to exist, the object and the consciousness must
come together, embrace each other, and depart together. Their
interdependence and their inseparability represent their emptiness. But
this is not the same meaning as the Madhyamaka meaning of
Shunyata.
Furthermore, according to Madhyamaka, the six conscious-nesses
lack any inherent nature. Chittamatra speaks of sixteen kinds of
Shunyata, whereas Madhyamaka speaks of eighteen kinds of
Shunyata. But whereas Chittamatra recognizes Shunyata, it is not the
Shunyata of Madhyamaka which is the absence of any inherent
existence. The cause is different in Madhyamaka and Chittamatra, that
is to say, their understanding of Shunyata is different. Therefore, the
path of practice is different and, there-fore, the fruit will be different.
Chittamatra recognizes Shunyata to mean the non-duality of subject
and object and the followers of the Chittamatra view practice that
Shunyata and not the Shunyata of Madhyamaka, that is, of no inherent
existence. The practice follows from that view, and so the
Madhyamaka Buddha will not logically be the same as the
Chittamatra Buddha.
The T antras may be interpreted according to either the
Madhyamaka view or the Chittamatra view and in fact the texts of the
Tantras allow for either interpretation. Although nowadays all the
Tibetan schools are officially Prasangika Madhyamaka, and the
Tantras are explained from that standpoint, in early days both in India
and Tibet, many commentaries explained the Tantras from the
Chittamatra standpoint and practitioners obtained results from
practicing in that way.
There are many doctrines held in common by Madhyamaka and
Chittamatra, such as the Ten Paramitas, compassion, and so on. They
also have the five paths and the ten stages. Among the five paths, the
path of accumulation (tshogs lam) is so-called because the practitioner
practices accumulating (tshogs) merit and
wisdom. The next path, the path of unification (sbyor lam) is so-called
because the subject is unified (sbyor) with the object. The next, the
path of vision (mthong lam) is when one sees (mthong) the first
glimpse of reality. Here is found the first stage or bhumi. The
remaining nine stages are found in the next path, the path of
meditation (sgom-lam). Finally, there is the fifth path, the path beyond
all training (mi slob lam).
But in Madhyamaka and Chittamatra, the practice of the Praj-
naparamita, or the Perfection of Wisdom, is different, although the
practice of the other Paramitas is the same, since both schools belong
to Mahayana. Chittamatra says that all the world is an illusion, but it
does not say that nothing exists. Madhyamaka asserts that everything
is created by our thoughts. Chittamatra replies that if this were so, why
is there any suffering experienced in the world? Everyone wants to be
happy and enjoy pleasurable sensations. Since we do experience
suffering, there must be some real existence apart from our thoughts
and desires. We cannot just create everything in our minds. We do not
want to suffer, and yet suffering exists. So it is not created by our
minds. Chittamatra says there must be something real because
otherwise there would be no practice and no attaining of Buddhahood.
If it were all a matter of just creating it with our thoughts, we would
not need to practice, but could just think that we are the Buddha and it
would be so.
But Madhyamaka never claims that whatever we think is true. We

can say: "My finger is like a car", but this is not a suitable statement.
There is no reason there. In order to be able to give a name, there must
be sufficient reason. Yes, everything is created by thoughts, but
statements should be suitable. Our saying: "This ball is my head" is
not a valid statement because there is no connection between this ball
and my head. So there must be a basis for valid imputation. But
Madhyamaka says even valid statements have no inherent existence.
They are not sufficient. Dzogchen also says that everything is an
illusion, but
we must understand what that means. It is not enough to say it.

We must realize it concretely in our experience.
According to Chittamatra, subject and object are inseparable, yet
they are distinct. And this is true of consciousness, for there exists a
self-awareness or an awareness of being aware. In this case,
consciousness (rnam-shes) is the object side and self-awareness (rang-
rig) is the subject side. This self-awareness or Rang-rig is a self-
knowing or a self-seeing. In this Tibetan word, rang means "self" or
"itself," and rig means "to know" or "to be aware." So it is an awareness
which is aware of itself. For example, the flame of a butter lamp
illuminates a dark room, but it also illuminates itself, that is, it is clear and
luminous. Thus the lamp has two functions: externally to remove the
darkness in the room and internally to illuminate itself. These two
functions are inseparable in every moment of consciousness. We are
aware of the object (gzhan rig) and we are aware that we are aware (rang
rig). We know that we know. This is self-awareness. So what we actually
see and know is not an autonomous external world at all. What we see is
only our own consciousness. What we see is only ourselves. Every
occasion of sense consciousness and of mind consciousness is a moment
of self-awareness (rang-rig). And just at that moment, the subject knows
itself without any thought; this is Rang-rig. This doctrine of
Svasamvedana, that consciousness illuminates itself as well as its objects,
is characteristic of the Chittamatra view and is rejected by the
Madhyamaka view.
The Madhyamaka system only recognizes six operations of

consciousness (tshogs drug), namely, the five sense conscious-nesses
and the mental consciousness, whereas the Yogachara system
recognizes eight kinds of consciousness (tshogs brgyad). All of them
are self-illuminated or Rang-rig. The previous example of the lamp
light illuminating itself, as well as illuminating the objects in a dark
room, illustrates this. Thus, consciousness and Rang-rig are always
inseparable. Besides the five sense consciousnesses of sight, hearing,
smell, taste, and
touch, and the sixth, mind consciousness or Manovijnana (yid kyi

rnam-shes), there are two further types of consciousness: the defiled
mind consciousness or Klishta-manovijnana (nyon-shes), and the base
consciousness known as Alayavijnana or Kunzhi Namshe (kun-gzhi
rnam-shes). Defiled mind consciousness means the operation of the
mind (Skt. manas) has become defiled (Skt. klishta} and distorted by
the presence of the passions or negative emotions (Skt. klesha).
Therefore, our mind does not work properly, but it sees everything in
a distorted fashion, colored by the presence of passion.
In the Chittamatra system, this Kunzhi is the basis of everything,

that is, it is the container of all karmic traces. The relationships among
these eight operations of consciousness are explained by way of an
example. The Kunzhi Namshe, or Alaya-vijnana, is like a treasure
house and the Manovijnana, or mind consciousness, is like a husband.
The five sense consciousnesses are like his servants. They constantly
go about in the world, searching for wealth to bring back to their
master. And the Klishtamanas is like his wife; it is she who keeps and
enjoys all the wealth her husband and servants collect in the world.
Moreover, she is very vain and has little sense of economy. This
Kunzhi is the ba~is for collecting and preserving karmic traces, but
when the individual attains Nirvana, this Kunzhi Namshe is dissolved
because there are no more karmic traces remaining and no new ones
are accumulated. Its operation ceases. Until then, each sentient being
possesses an individual, own Kunzhi. It is the basis of our
individuality. And each of these eight consciousnesses are Rang-rig,
that is, self-knowing and self-clarity. Consciousness and the Rang-rig
are always inseparable.
The Kunzhi Namshe serves as the medium for the trans-mission

of karmic traces, or vasanas (bag-chags), from one lifetime to another.
Every action of free will leaves behind a karmic trace in our stream of
consciousness at its deepest level. These traces or residues are like
seeds which are stored here and
when in the future the proper configuration of secondary causes

exists, these seeds germinate and we experience the fruit of our past
karma. Because these karmic traces are stored in the Kunzhi Namshe,
it is also known as the storehouse consciousness. In Tibetan, it is
called Kunzhi Namshe (kun-gzhi roam-shes), where kun means all,
that is, all karmic traces both good and bad, gzhi
means base, the receptacle where the traces are kept, and shes
means consciousness.
However, although Chittamatra does not say that the Kunzhi and
the karmic traces are the same, it does say that both have an inherent
existence. The example is that the Kunzhi is like a grain storehouse
and the karmic traces are like the seed grains contained in it. On the
other hand, Madhyamaka counters this argument and asserts that they
must be the same. In that case, if we purify the Kunzhi, it will only be
the same as before. If we merely wash our house on the outside, it will
make no difference on the inside. But according to the Madhyamaka,
if we dissolve our karmic traces, the Kunzhi will also dissolve.
Through the practice of Shunyata and the practice of Bodhichitta,
these karmic traces are purified.
Generally, there are two Tibetan words for karmic traces: sa-bon
(Skt. bija, seed) and bag-chags (Skt. vasana, residue, trace). In the
Chittamatra system, these two terms have the same meaning. But
according to Madhyamaka, sa-bon is much coarser and easier to purify
and remove, whereas the bag-chags are much more subtle and difficult to
purify. The Tenth Bhumi, or stage of Bodhisattva practice, is the antidote
for all of them.
In conclusion, we can say that there is a fundamental difference
between the view of Madhyamaka and the view of Chittamatra. The
Chittamatra system may use concepts like Rang-rig and Kunzhi, but
in the Madhyamaka system, which rejects these characteristic ideas of
Chittamatra, Shunyata is the highest view. Chittamatra also conceives
of Shunyata but in a quite different way from Madhyamaka. We have
seen that Madhya-
maka denies the self-aware nature of consciousness (rang-rig). And it

does not recognize the existence of the Kunzhi Nanshe, or base
consciousness, as a storehouse for karmic traces.
These are some of the principal differences between the two
philosophical systems, and it is important to understand them.
Furthermore, Dzogchen also speaks of Kunzhi and Rang-rig but
understands the meaning of these terms quite differently.
Chittamatra and Dzogchen

The followers of Chittamatra assert that everything depends on
mind (sems) and that there is nothing beyond mind. According to the
Chittamatra view, everything that exists is connected with mind. It is
mind-created; that is their real view. According to them, if we see a
blue color, the eye consciousness (the subject side) and the blue color
(the object side) are inseparable, that is, they both arise from the same
single karmic cause. Therefore, anything that is perceived is
connected with mind, although it is not made out of a mind-stuff or
substance. If consciousness were not there, the object would not be
there. Nothing exists without this connection with consciousness; it
cannot exist independently. Thus, the Chittamatrins ask, how can
Dzogchen do better than this? How can Dzogchen have a higher
view? That is to say, how can it go beyond thoughts and
consciousness to a state that transcends mind? It is not possible that
there is anything beyond mind.
There are some similarities in the languages of Dzogchen and

Chittamatra, and so some people have confused the two views,
whereas actually they are quite distinct. Dzogchen is always speaking
about "mind" (sems) and, therefore, people commonly think that
"mind" here has the same meaning as in Chittamatra (sems-tsam,
"mind only"). But in the context of Dzogchen, "mind" is not part of
the system of the eight consciousnesses (rnam-shes brgyad); the word
refers to the Nature of Mind (sems-
nyid), that is, what we usually call the Natural State. The essence of
this Natural State is emptiness (stong-pa nyid) and immediate
awareness (rig-pa), and they are always found together. They are
inseparable (dbyer-med). So there does not have to be any separate
thought or consciousness present to know emptiness because a pure
immediate awareness (rig-pa) is equally present in this state of
emptiness. But according to Chittamatra, whatever we see or
experience is interdependent, and its "emptiness" lies in that fact. A
perception depends on the presence of consciousness and this
consciousness exists inherently, although the objects perceived do
not. But Dzogchen does not say that the Natural State has an inherent
existence; it lacks any inherent existence because it is emptiness
itself, a pure potentiality.
What is the difference between Rigpa, or the Natural State, and
consciousness? The Natural State is totally pure, pure from the very
beginning (ka-dag), whereas the eight consciousnesses are not pure
and represent the vehicle for the karmic traces. When we attain
enlightenment, they are absorbed into the Natural State, and then they
manifest as wisdom, or primal cognition (ye-shes), rather than as
consciousness (rnam-shes). But although the Kunzhi Namshe, in
particular, is the medium for the transmission of the karmic traces,
they in no way disturb or defile the Natural State. A distinction is
made between Kunzhi in the Dzogchen usage of the term and Kunzhi
Namshe in the Chittamatra usage; they are quite different.
Like Chittamatra, Dzogchen also speaks of Rang-rig and Kunzhi,

but it understands these terms in quite a different way. According to
Chittamatra, consciousness (rnam-shes) and its self-illuminated
quality (rang-rig) are always found together. Further-more, subject
and object are inseparable, yet they are distinct. At the primary level,
sense consciousness represents the subject side and the external object
the object side. But at the secondary level, ~onsciousness (rnam-shes)
itself represents the object side and Rang-rig the subject side. In the
Chittamatra view, this Rang-rig is
a self-knowing of itself by consciousness, that is to say, conscious-

ness is self-illuminated. Each of the eight consciousnesses (rnam-
shes) has two functions: it illuminates an object (gzhan-rig) and it
illuminates itself (rang-rig). An example of this, cited previously, is a
lamp flame in a dark room; it illuminates the objects in the room and
it illuminates itself. It is this second function that makes memory
possible.
So, according to Chittamatra, Rang-rig is a secondary subtle
consciousness which knows the primary sense consciousness it
accompanies. Chittamatra asserts that if there was not this self-aware
quality, this Rang-rig, we would not be able to remember anything.
And since we do have memories, this Rang-rig must exist.
Madhyamaka replies to this argument that we can remember without
this hypothetical Rang-rig. When we see an object, it simply reminds
us. We only remember it by name; it has no inherent existence. So,
this is the meaning of Rang-rig here in the Chittamatra system, but in
Dzogchen the term Rang-rig has a different meaning.
According to Dzogchen, Rang-rig is the awareness which knows

the Natural State. It is not something separate from the Natural State.
The Natural State is aware of itself; it is self-aware and self-
illuminated. In the Chittamatra system, however, this term only
applies to the eight relative consciousnesses. Chitta-matra has no
knowledge of the Natural State; in its view, there is nothing beyond
consciousness. So, here we find the same word, but a different
meaning. Such a consciousness is always dualistic in its operation,
there being a bifurcation into subject and object, and it is always
something conditioned by antecedent causes. In contrast, the Natural
State is non-dual, there is no duality of subject and object, and it is
unconditioned and outside time. It is not something brought about by
causes. It is totally beyond cause and effect. Although we may speak
of Rang-rig as the subject side of the Natural State, it is not something
which originates among the eight consciousnesses, as in the case of
the Chittamatra view.
Chittamatra does not know of this primordially pure Natural State

which transcends totally the Kunzhi Namshe. This Kunzhi Namshe of
the Chittamatrins is still something which is defiled by the passions
and conditioned by past karma.
In Dzogchen, the same word is used but it has a different
meaning. What is seen on the object side is the empty nature, but the
awareness (rig-pa) in Dzogchen is different from the con-sciousness
(rnam-shes) in Chittamatra on the subject side. In analyzing the
Tibetan term, rang normally means "self'', but here, in the Dzogchen
context, it refers to emptiness or Kunzhi, where-as rig refers to
awareness or Rigpa. What we see is the empty nature, on the
emptiness side (stong-cha), and rig is the seeing, on the clarity side
(gsal-cha). The reference is to immediate awareness (rig-pa) and not to
consciousness (rnam-shes). And according to Dzogchen, these two are
inseparable (rig stong dbyer-med); the subject side and the object side
are not distinct and separate. We can speak of Rang-rig representing
the subject side of the Natural State and Kunzhi representing the
object side. But this Rang-rig did not originate among the eight
conscious-nesses, nor is it what originates from consciousness (sems
byung). According to Dzogchen, Kunzhi and Rang-rig are inseparable.
They always go together like fire and warmth, or like water and
wetness. We can speak of these different qualities but, in actuality,
they are always inseparable. Rigpa is a synonym for clarity (gsal-ba).
What is clear is the Kunzhi. The way in which it is clear lies in their
inseparability. They are inseparable in the same way as the sky (i.e.
Kunzhi) and the sunlight (i.e. Rigpa) which illuminates the sky are
inseparable.
The other key term is Kunzhi. But Kunzhi has a different

meaning in Chittamatra from that in Dzogchen. In the Chitta-matra
system, Kunzhi Namshe is one of the eight relative and conditioned
consciousnesses (rnam-shes), and it functions as the container of the
karmic traces (bag-chags). It is called Kunzhi because all (kun) karmic
traces, both good and bad, are contained
within this base (gzhi) as a receptacle. It is the base consciousness or

Kunzhi Namshe and this consciousness knows these karmic traces.
According to the Chittamatra view, when Nirvana is attained, the

Kunzhi Namshe dissolves. The Dzogchen view is different. All of
existence is contained in the Kunzhi because it is the Base of both
Samsara and Nirvana. Therefore, it does not dissolve. The Kunzhi is
emptiness itself, it represents the matrix out of which can manifest all
possible forms. Therefore, it is compared to the sky, or to infinite
space. It is not just a container or storage place for the baggage of
karmic traces. It does not serve as the basis for these karmic traces
because it is primordially pure (ka-dag). But according to Chittamatra,
the Kunzhi Namshe is impure because it is mixed up with karmic
traces. When these karmic traces are finally purified, the Kunzhi
disappears. The ordinary mind or consciousness (rnam-shes), which is
soiled with karmic traces, is now transformed into Buddha-mind, or
primordial awareness (ye-shes), which is clean in itself and without
karmic traces. It is like washing the hands. When all the dirt has been
washed off, the hands are still there. What remains is only this pristine
awareness or knowledge (ye-shes). So we say that when the Kunzhi
Namshe has been purified of all karmic traces, it becomes the
knowledge of the Dharmadhatu (bon-dbyings ye-shes).
In Dzogchen, the Kunzhi is the basis (gzhi) of everything (kun)

in both Samsara and Nirvana. In the Dzogchen context, Kunzhi means
the empty, unchanging Natural State. In it all things exist
spontaneously and potentially. But in terms of the Natural State, there
is nothing to be purified or changed or transformed. Thus we speak of
it as being primordially pure (ka-dag); it has never been sullied or
adulterated by the karmic traces of Samsara. Nevertheless, it remains
the basis of everything. Whatever arises, arises in the Natural State
and whatever liberates, is liberated in the Natural State.
On the other hand, the Kunzhi Namshe of Chittamatra contains

only the karmic traces of Samsara. It is only the base for these karmic
traces and not the base for Nirvana. According to Dzogchen, there are
no karmic traces to be found in the Natural State. It is like trying to
write something in space, or like clouds passing across the sky; there
are no traces left behind. No traces remain because the Natural State is
primordially pure (ka-dag). The reflections in a mirror leave no trace
behind. The Natural State is always pure, uncontaminated by the
passions or their traces. It is the basis of everything; whatever arises,
arises in the Natural State. They abide in the Natural State and they
liberate into the Natural State. Thus, the Natural State is called the
Dharmakaya.
In Dzogchen, we speak of the Kunzhi as being the Dharma-kaya

of the Base (gzhi'i bon-sku), but this is not the real Dharmakaya, that
is to say, the Dharmakaya in manifestation, for that is the Fruit. And
here we are only speaking of the Base. The Trikaya are fully present
in the Base as its Essence, Nature and Energy (ngo-bo rang-bzhin
thugs-rje gsum), but for the Trikaya to become fully visible and
manifest as the Fruit, certain secondary causes are required, namely,
purification of the two-fold ob-scurations, which are emotional and
intellectual. To behold the face of the sun, the clouds in the sky must
first dissipate, even though the sun has been there in the sky all of the
time.
CHAPTERS
The Views of Tantra,

Mahamudra and Dzogchen
Talk by Lapan T enzin Namdak,

Bischofshofen, March 1991.
The View of T antra

Nowadays there are two principal philosophical traditions in
Tibet. The first is found among the Sarmapas or Newer Schools,
which employ the Prasangika-Madhyamaka view not only in
explaining the real meaning of the Sutras but also in their
interpretations of the T antras as well. The second is found among the
two Old Schools, Nyingmapa and Bonpo, which emphasize the
Dzogchen view in explaining the Higher Tantras. [1] How-ever, in
both cases the fundamental principle upon which Tantra rests is
Shunyata, or the state of emptiness. And here, especially in early times
before the eleventh century, it did not matter whether we practiced
Shunyata according to the Madhyamaka school or according to the
Yogachara school.
Visualization practice according to the T antras, unlike ordinary
visualizations, always begins with the three contem-plations. The first
of these, the contemplation of reality, repre-sents the state of
Shunyata. This is followed by the second contemplation, compassion
which is everywhere manifest. The third contemplation is of their
unification, emptiness and com-passion, and represents the
contemplation of the cause in the form of visualizing the seed syllable
from which the visualization
of the deity arises. So, in T antric visualization practice, the deity and
its mandala always arise out of the potentiality of the state of
Shunyata. In the same way, at the conclusion of meditation practice,
the visualization of the Yidam or deity is always dis-solved again into
the state of even contemplation (mnyam-bzhag), which is Shunyata.
So, Shunyata is basic here in the practice of Tantra.
In general, the Sutra system of the Gelugpa school, as well as the

other Tibetan schools, is based on the Madhyamika tradition as
expounded, for example, in the Bhavanakrama of Kamalashila and in
the Bodhipathapradipa of Atisha. This Surra system became fully
elaborated in Je Tsongkhapa's great work, the Lam-rim chen-mo. After
the eleventh century, all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism came to
adhere to the Prasangika Madhyamaka system of Chandrakirti as their
official philosophy, in the same way as the Gelugpas did later. Even
the Nyingmapas and the Bonpos adopted Prasangika Madhyamaka for
their understanding of Shunyata in relation to the Sutra system.
However, their descriptions of the path according to the Sutra system
may differ in some details. The great Tsongkhapa discussed his under-
standing of Shunyata in his commentaries on the Sutra system as well
as in his Legs-bshad snying-po, and elsewhere.
Although nowadays all the Tibetan schools use only the

Prasangika Madhyamaka interpretation of Shunyata, in the early days
it was quite a different situation for one could alternatively use the
Chittamatra interpretation of Shunyata. Whichever view was adopted
was up to the individual practitioner. Shantirakshita, the first abbot of
Samye Monastery in the eighth century, accepted the doctrines of
Kunzhi and Rang-rig from Chittamatra, although he rejected the
Yogachara teachings in general. His sub-school of Madhyamaka was
known as Svatantrika-Yogachara-Madhyamika (rang-rgyud rnal-'byor
spyod-pa'i dbu-ma-pa) and this was the original Madhyamika tradition
in Tibet. Only after the eleventh century were the writings of
Chandrakirti translated
The Views ofTantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen- 91
into Tibetan by Patsab Lotsawa and then his interpretation, known as

Prasangika-Madhyamaka (thal-'gyur dbu-ma-pa), grad-ually became
the fashion among all the schools of Tibet, as far as explication of the
Sutras is concerned. [2] As said, this was true even for the
Nyingmapas and the Bonpos. However, the inter-pretation of the
Tantras in the two Old Schools is a different matter.
In terms of the Tantra system, the Gelugpas follow the system of

the Guhyasamaja Tantra, the chief of the Father Tan-tras and, in
particular, the commentary of Je Tsongkhapa on that T antra, as well
as his famous sNgags-rim chen-mo which is a treatise on the New
Tantra system generally. [3] However, in terms of the interpretation of
the T antra system, the Sakyapa school emphasizes the Hevajra
Tantra and the Kagyudpa school emphasizes the Chakrashamvara
Tantra. According to all these schools, both the Sutras and the T
antras are recognized as the authoritative word of the Buddha.
However, the Gelugpas interpret the T antras in terms of the Sutras
and when these scholars explain the view of T antra, the foundation
for their interpretation is the Guhyasamaja Tantra. This is the
principal Tantra practiced by the followers of that school and they rely
upon the view of the great master Tsongkhapa. In his com-mentaries
he makes much use of, and has many quotations from, Marpa the
translator, especially from the latter's commentary on the Naro chos
drug, or the Six Doctrines of Naropa. He did this because Marpa
wrote from the Guhyasamaja Tantra point of view. But this view is
not the same as that of Dzogchen.
Nowadays, there are some Lamas who assert that the

Madhyamaka view, the Mahamudra view, and the Dzogchen view are
all the same. But this is not true, because Madhyamaka belongs to the
Sutra system and Mahamudra belongs to the Tantra system. Both
Sutra and Tantra rely on the mind and its operations, such as the
thought process. Hence, Sutra and Tantra apprehend and grasp at
thoughts. But Dzogchen says that we
must go beyond all grasping (' dzin-pa), which is the apprehending of

an object by the subject, even when this is just a thought. This Dzinpa
or grasping represents a working of the discursive mind, an agitation
of thoughts, even though this movement of thoughts may be very
subtle, perhaps only an unobserved undercurrent. Yet it is agitation
nonetheless, and so it represents delusion ('khrul-pa). Therefore,
according to Dzogchen, the practitioner must go beyond this Dzinpa,
no matter how subtle it may be.
Moreover, if this Dzinpa, or grasping at an object by a subject, is
present, then that practice is not Dzogchen. The capacity of the
Natural State to be aware intrinsically is called Rigpa and that Rigpa is
not thought (rnam-rtog). Some Lamas assert that there must always be
some subtle Dzinpa, or thought process present, for otherwise there
could be no knowing or apprehending of anything whatsoever. If there
is no Dzinpa, they maintain, there is nothing because everything is
known by thoughts. Therefore, the Dzogchenpas are "know-nothings";
they aim at a state of "no mind," like the followers of the Hwashang
who attempted to teach Ch'an Buddhism in Tibet. [4]
Furthermore, when the Anuttara Tantras are explained in terms of

Madhyamaka, some grasping is still found (' dzin-pa) to be present.
According to some interpretations, there is a subtle mind present
which needs the support of prana to exist. In Tantra, we speak of
Detong Yeshe (bde stong ye-shes), where stong (stong-pa nyid) or
emptiness has the same meaning as it does in Madhyamaka. But the
Natural State in Dzogchen is inexpressible and inconceivable, so that
we cannot get at it through mental constructions and doctrinal
formulations. Never-theless, according to some Lamas, we can only
understand some-thing by way of thoughts.
The great scholar Sakya Pandita also maintained that, even in the
state of Mahamudra, there must be some Dzinpa or thought present,
otherwise the state is devoid of all apprehending ('dzin-pa med-pa)
and it knows nothing whatsoever. Gampopa in his
The Views o(Tantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen- 93
writings did not directly state that Dzinpa must be present in the state
of Mahamudra, but the philosophical background of his Mahamudra
indicates this. Marpa followed the view of the Guhyasamaja Tantra,
and the view of this Tantra is the same as that of Madhyamaka, so
Dzinpa must be present there in the state of contemplation (mnyam-
bzhag).
According to the Guhyasamaja Tantra as explained by Je
Tsongkhapa in his commentary and elsewhere, there are two things
that must be united in our meditation practice, namely, bliss and
emptiness. This is called Detong Zungjug (bde stong zung-'jug), that
is, the unification of bliss and emptiness. Here, emptiness
(stong=stong-pa nyid) refers to the object side of our experience and
bliss or pleasurable sensation (bde=bde-ba) refers to the subject side.
When these two aspects or sides are united, this is known as the
pristine knowledge of the unification of bliss and emptiness, or
Detong Yeshe (bde stong ye-shes). This knowledge, or primal
awareness (ye-shes), is the very foundation of the view of Tantra and
Mahamudra. Here Tongpanyid (stong-pa nyid) or emptiness is the
same as the Shunyata or emptiness referred to in the Madhyamaka
philosophy. Therefore, in his explication of the Guhyasamaja Tantra,
Tsongkhapa also gives many quotations from such authorities as
Nagarjuna, Chandra-kirti, Aryadeva, and so on.
The notion that the subject, that is, bde-ba, knows the object, that
is, stong-pa nyid, is taken mainly from Marpa's commentary on the
Naro chos-drug, the six doctrines of Naropa. According to this
commentarial tradition, Shunyata or emptiness is the same as the
Shunyata in the view of Nagarjuna. Following this line of thought,
some Lamas maintain that Detong Yeshe is the same as the Dzogchen
view. However, according to Tsongkhapa, the Dewa (bde-ba) or
subject very strongly grasps or apprehends ('dzin-pa) the object which
is emptiness (stong-pa nyid). This occurs not only on the path of
practice, but at the very moment of realization as well. In this context
Dewa represents a kind of
subtle consciousness. And so here in this experience of an immediate

primal knowledge (ye-shes) we have the unification of subject and
object. This is Detong Yeshe and it is the basis of Mahamudra in the T
antra system.
Now, there are many different methods, including physical
procedures such as consort practice and methods of visualization,
which aim to produce this experience of bliss or pleasurable sensation
(bde-ba). But in every case, there is a subject that grasps or
apprehends and an object that is grasped or apprehended (bzung-ba).
And so this view found here cannot go beyond grasp-ing. But
Dzogchen, on the contrary, goes beyond all grasping at anything
whatsoever. The state of Dzogchen does not unite two different things,
whether bliss and emptiness or subject and object but, rather, it
transcends them from the very beginning. This state, known as Rigpa,
or intrinsic awareness, is prior to any distinctions or unifications, both
of which would be functions or operations of the mind. Dzogchen is
beyond the mind. So, we must realize the distinctions being made
here.
When we do T antric practice, we visualize ourselves as the deity
and find ourselves as that deity, in total identification with all of that
deity's feelings, emotions and thoughts. We are that deity. In the Sutra
system, there is the taking of Refuge by means of visualizing the
Buddha in front of us. But we are separate from the Buddha and we
are in our ordinary karmic body. So simply visualizing a deity is not
the definitive characteristic here. Dewa is the feeling or sensation of
being that deity. Here the object side, that is, emptiness, is the same as
in Sutra, but the subject side, which is bliss, is different.
But according to T antra, Dewa as our practice must not be mixed

up with ordinary desire or attachment ('dod-chags). It must be without
any discursive thoughts (mi rtog-pa). If Dewa were just an ordinary
feeling, and that feeling was mixed with desire, then that would be a
klesha or emotional defilement. But if the feeling is suffused with
Shunyata, then we can make use of
it in T antra as a means. Our actual physical union with a consort can

produce this Dewa, as can also visualization in meditation.
According to this interpretation, Shunyata here is the same as the
Shunyata of the Madhyamaka view of Nagarjuna. Therefore, some
Tibetan scholars say that Detong Yeshe is the same as the Dzogchen
view. But this is not so. According to Marpa the translator and Je
Tsongkhapa, Dewa, the subject, very strongly grasps Shunyata, the
object. Dewa represents a kind of con-sciousness, so here in this
Yeshe, or knowledge, we have subject and object united. They are
now non-dual, although they were not so in the beginning. This
unification is Detong Yeshe and its realization is the goal of Tantra
and Mahamudra. In fact, its realization is what is meant by
Mahamudra in the context of the T antra system.
In Dzogchen, we may also speak of Detong (bde-stong), but the

meaning here is not the same as in T antra. In Dzogchen, it is not
necessary to develop any Dewa or T ongpa as it is in T antra. The
Dewa is not something coerced or brought into existence by way of
some special practice, sexual or otherwise. Rather it simply arises
naturally and spontaneously. Here, the Dewa, or bliss, is Lhundrub
(lhun-grub), spontaneously self-perfected, and the Tongpanyid, or
emptiness, is Kadak (ka-dag), primordial purity. The experience arises
spontaneously and without delib-erate effort as both Kadak and
Lhundrub, because it is beyond the mind or thought process. Here also
in Dzogchen, there is no unifying of Wisdom and Means (thabs-shes)
as is done in the Sutra system. Everything is already contained and
fully present within the Natural State. When the practitioner realizes
the Natural State, then there is no longer any question of the ne-cessity
to practice Kyerim (bskyed-rim), the generation process, and Dzogrim
(rdzogs-rim), the perfection process. Although the practice of these
two processes is necessary for the realization of Mahamudra according
to the Tantra system, in Dzogchen there is
no need to practice them as antidotes. Rather, the practitioner proceeds

directly to the Natural State.
The proper method of Tantra is the Path of Transformation (sgyur
lam). Thus, in the Tantra system, the energies of the emotional
defilements or kleshas are used in our practice and they are
transformed. Klesha, or passion, is transformed into Jnana, or wisdom
(ye-shes). Transformation is the method belonging to the Higher
Tantras. However, pleasurable sexual sensation (bde-ba), used as the
object in our practice, must be unmixed with desire or attachment. It
must exist in a state of non-discursiveness or no thought. Dewa in
itself is just a feeling, a feeling of pleasurable sensation; but if that
feeling becomes mixed with desire and attachment, it is a klesha, a
defilement or passion. On the other hand, if this original feeling, this
pure sensation, is mixed with Shunyata, then it can be used in Tantra
as part of the meditation practice. The physical union with a consort
produces this pleasurable sensation. Or the visualization of a consort
may be used. Now, it is possible to attain the enlightenment of
Buddhahood through either the methods of Sutra or of Tantra but,
according to the T antra system, the realization of a Buddha by way of
the Sutra system is not complete, not fully realized, and so further
steps must be taken.
Of course, when we are speaking about Dzogchen as a teaching,

rather than as the primordial Natural State, then we do make
distinctions. We speak of the side of emptiness (stong-cha), on the one
hand, and of the side of clarity (gsal-cha) or awareness (rig-cha), on
the other hand. But these distinctions are only linguistic and logical;
they are not found in the Natural State itself. However, even when we
speak of this distinction of clarity and emptiness in the context of
Dzogchen, it is not the same as the unification of bliss and emptiness
(bde stong zung-'jug) in the method of Tantra.
A thought or concept arising in the mind has a kind of picture

accompanying it. For example, when we think of
Frankfurt, a picture of that place comes into our mind. Thoughts are
always grasping at something and are mixed up with such pictures.
This is the way thoughts interact with the Manas, or the discursive
mind (yid), the bio-computer in the human brain. The technical term
"clear" (gsal-ba) means that these computer-generated pictures never
cover over our consciousness; on the contrary, our awareness (rig-pa)
remains in its own original condition, like a mirror reflecting an object
set before it. The mirror is not changed or modified by whatever
object, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, is set before it. It clearly reflects
all of them, whatever their nature may be. Rigpa is this capacity of the
Nature of Mind, that is to say, it clearly reflects everything. But the
Nature of Mind (sems-nyid) is in no way changed or modified by
whatever is reflected. This is clarity. So, in terms of Dzogchen, when
we speak of the inseparability of clarity and emptiness (gsa! stong
dbyer-med), comparing the Nature of Mind to a clear empty mirror,
we do not mean that some sort of mixture occurs, or that there is a
uniting of subject and object. The word Yermed (dbyer-med),
inseparable, means that they have never been separate, so there is
nothing to unite.
Dzogchen is also different on the object side. Dzogchen

recognizes Shunyata as being the same as in Madhyamaka, but this is
not the Absolute Truth or the goal of Dzogchen. It is only a part of the
view; it is not the complete view in itself. The Natural State is the
inseparability of clarity and emptiness; they have always been
together from the very beginning. There is only the Natural State as it
is; there is nothing to add to it, nothing more to be unified with it. We
just have to become familiar with it and continue in that state. So there
are no paths or stages (sa lam) to be gone through here; there is only
the single stage (sa gcig) of the Natural State.
In Dzogchen, we speak of the inseparability of clarity or

awareness, on the one hand, and emptiness, on the other. But here we
are not unifying or bringing anything together (zung-
'jug). Clarity and emptiness have never been separated, so they do not
need to be brought together. Therefore, their inseparability is not the
same as the unification of bliss and emptiness spoken of in T antra.
The practice of Dzogrim requires that we apprehend or grasp
something, namely, Detong Yeshe, the knowledge of bliss and
emptiness united. Some people say that Dzogchen, Tantra and
Mahamudra are the same, but this is not so, according to this
understanding of T antra, because Dzogchen has no grasping, no
apprehending of anything, not even emptiness.
In Tantra, there is the practice of Dzogrim, and here the subtle
mind (sems) and the prana, or vital energy (rlung), are united and this
unification persists in the Bardo, after the death of the physical body,
as a subtle body. And because he has practiced during his lifetime,
when the Tantric practitioner dies, he finds that his consciousness now
inhabits this subtle body or Gyulu (sgyu-lus), illusion body, produced
from the unification of mind and prana. His mind has been
transformed into his Yidam's mind. The mind which inhabits this
subtle body is realized by way of Yidam practice according to T antra,
and this experience is known as Detong Yeshe. Until the Yogi leaves
behind his physical body, there are actually two beings dwelling inside
him like a mother and a child. Then at the time of death, the link
between the physical body and the mind is severed, and the former
dissolves into its constituent elements, whereas his consciousness
(roam-shes) enters the Bardo. Now he is only left with this Gyulu or
Illusion Body, which is the product of the unification of mind and
prana energy by way of Dzogrim practice. This Gyulu already
possesses Detong Yeshe. Here there are two possibilities - pure Gyulu
and impure Gyulu. But still this attainment is not Buddhahood.
Moreover, this is still grasping or Dzinpa; it is not the Natural State or
the realization of Buddhahood. In Dzogchen, however, there is no
grasping and no transforming. When we practice Dzogchen, we do not
have to check what is the emptiness side and what is the clarity side.
Now inhabiting this subtle body or Gyulu, which has the form of
the Yidam, one must continue to practice, but in an exalted status
('phags-pa'i sa) and one need not return to human rebirth. One is no
longer controlled by karmic causes and can project Trulpas (sprul-pa),
or emanations of oneself in whatever form, when and where one
chooses. One can choose where one will be reborn and under what
circumstances. The procedure of how to produce a Gyulu is explained
in the Dzogrim section of the Anuttara Tantras. And in the Bonpo
tradition, in particular, this means the Ma rgyud or Mother Tantra. [5]
In the Bonpo T antras, the subject side is more like that in

Dzogchen, namely, an inherent unchanging nature just as it is (mi
'gyur rang lugs ji-lta-ba). This is the Bonpo interpretation of Tantra. In
the Bonpo Tantra, the object (Shunyata), is taken from the downside,
namely, Sutra, and the subject (self-awareness) is taken from the
upside, namely, Dzogchen. Nevertheless, these two have been
inseparable from the very beginning. They are the two sides of the
Natural State. Only self-awareness, or Rang-rig can see it. This self-
awareness illuminates itself like the flame of a lamp. The lamp flame
not only illuminates the dark room; it illuminates itself. Each
individual sentient being has this individual Natural State, so there is
individual continuity from life to life. However, the Natural State in
itself is unchanging, even though individual awareness (rang-rig) is
changeable. Yet these two are always inseparable. So, the practice of
Dzogchen and Tantra do not necessarily exclude each other. But if we
are practitioners of Dzogchen, as well as of T antra, we should be
aware of the differences in the views of Dzogchen and T antra.
Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Mahamudra and Dzogchen, in terms of their respective
definitions of the Base, the Path and the Fruit, are not the same.
Mahamudra belongs to the Tantra system; indeed, it represents
the culmination of the T antric process of transformation where the

practitioner becomes totally identified with the meditation deity or
Yidam. That is the meaning of Mahamudra in the Tantra system, total
(maha, chen-po) identification (mudra, phyag-rgya). Moreover, Tantra
speaks of Detong Yeshe, the unification of two things, bliss and
emptiness, whereas Dzogchen has been non-dual from the very
beginning. In Sutra we have the intelligence which understands
emptiness (stong-nyid rtogs-pa'i shes-rab). In Tantra we have the
knowledge of the unification of bliss and emptiness (bde stong ye-
shes). And in Dzogchen we have the Unique Essence (thig-le nyag-
gcig), which is non-dual from the very beginning. So the goal of each
of these paths is defined differ-ently.
Nowadays, there are some Lamas who say: "Phyag-chen rdzog-

chen dbu-ma chen-po gcig-pa red", that is, Mahamudra, Dzogchen
and the Great Madhyamaka are all the same. [6] This statement may
be useful to promote non-sectarianism, but it is not true
philosophically. Mahamudra, although possessed by all T antric
schools, is especially associated with the Kagyudpas, whereas
Dzogchen is especially associated with the Nyingmapas and the
Bonpos. The great Madhyamaka is what the Gelugpas call their view.
We have already pointed out how the view of Madhyamaka clearly
differs from Dzogchen, and here we are considering how the view of
Mahamudra differs from Dzogchen.
[7] They differ in terms of their Base (view), their Path (meditation)
and their Fruit (result). The results are not the same because the view
and the meditation are different.
According to Madhyamaka, on the Path of Vision at the First
Bhumi, [8] we come to realize the unification (zung-'jug) of emptiness
and clarity. But according to Dzogchen, emptiness and clarity have
been inseparable from the very beginning (ye nas dbyer-med).
Attaining Buddhahood, therefore, depends on recognizing the Nature
of Mind and not on uniting two different things. According to
Madhyamaka, which belongs to the Sutra
system, it takes three immeasurable kalpas to attain Buddhahood,

whereas if we practice according to the T antras, we will attain
enlightenment in at least seven lifetimes. The difference is that T antra
and Mahamudra unite bliss with Shunyata or emptiness, while
Madhyamaka knows only Shunyata. T antra has access to the
additional methods of Kyerim and Dzogrim which are unknown in the
Surra system. Dzogchen, however, does not need any sort of
visualization process as preparation, but seeks immediately to
discover the Natural State as it is in itself. We do not need to do
anything special. So, with the practice of Dzog-chen, if we have the
capacity, we can realize Buddhahood within a single lifetime. When
there are different views and different paths, they lead to different
results. This is only logical. If we plant a seed of barley in the earth, it
will not produce wheat. So the Buddhahood, which is the Fruit
according to Madhyamaka and also according to Mahamudra, will not
be the same as the Fruit according to Dzogchen. [9]
So, if we recognize the Nature of Mind, there is no reason to

make a postponement. In the Surra system, we purify our mind
through applying antidotes. In the T antra system, we use visualization
to transform our vision and make a unification of Shunyata and
Bodhichitta. This is the method of transformation, not that of applying
antidotes. But in Dzogchen we have the method of self-liberation.
Because their methods are different, Surra is known as the Path of
Renunciation (spang lam), Tantra is known as the Path of
Transformation (sgyur lam), and Dzogchen is known as the Path of
Self-Liberation (grollam). [10] If they are different paths, how can we
get the same result? Thus each system here has its own distinct Base,
Path and Fruit. [11]
In Mahamudra, which also represents the culmination of the T
antra system, there is the unification of bliss and emptiness (bde-stong
zung-'jug) and this is the experience of Detong Yeshe, the knowledge
of bliss and emptiness, as we have pointed out before. And here
"emptiness" is conceived as being the same as that in
J02 _ Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
Madhyamaka because it was explained in this way by Marpa the

translator. There is the unification (zung-'jug) of feeling (bde-ba) and
emptiness (stong-pa nyid) and these two become knowledge (ye-shes).
This Detong Yeshe (bde-stong ye-shes) is what distinguishes Tantra
from Sutra. Shunyata is always the object side, and so in this system,
Dewa and Yeshe are on the subject side. Thus the Sutras speak of the
intelligence which understands emptiness (stong-nyid rtogs-pa'i shes-
rab) and the Tantras speak of the knowledge which is bliss and
emptiness (bde-stong ye-shes). But in Dzogchen, when we refer to the
Natural State, we do not speak of thoughts (rnam-rtog) or
consciousness (roam-shes), but of clarity (gsal-ba) and awareness (rig-
pa). So, we do not find here in Dzogchen the same way of speaking
that we find in Madhyamaka, for example. The Natural State has its
emptiness side (stong-cha), but it equally has its clarity side (gsal-
cha). These two are inseparable, like fire and heat, or water and
wetness. However, in Madhyamaka and in Mahamudra, there is
always some subtle grasping by a thought ('dzin-pa), that is, a catching
or seizing or apprehending of something, even if this something is just
emptiness. There must be a thought present there that knows the
emptiness. But this is not true of the Natural State. There is no thought
present that knows the Natural State, because the Natural State is self-
aware and knows itself from the very beginning. Just as a lamp flame
illuminates a dark room, so simultaneously it also illuminates itself.
There is no need for a second thought or consciousness to know it. It
simply knows itself. In Dzogchen everything is open and there is no
grasping (' dzin-med).
The various Tibetan schools agree that we can attain Buddhahood

either through the path of Sutra or the path of T antra. But according
to T antra, the Buddhahood attained through the Sutra method is not
complete and not fully realized. There are some further stages or
bhumis that must be gone through and these are described in the T
antras.
The Views o{Tantra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen- 103
In the Sutra system, the Paramitas are according to Relative Truth

and Shunyata is according to Absolute Truth. Like Madhyamaka and
the Sutra system, Thodgal practice in Dzogchen teaches us the illusory
nature of all things. We come to realize that all appearances are
illusions created by mind. But when we are in the Natural State, we do
not make judgments, such as thinking: "It is only an illusion!." In
Dzogchen, the Trikaya has to be attained simultaneously, not
successively. But according to Madhyamaka, without the Two Truths,
there can be no attaining of Buddhahood. In the Sutra system, we find
these two ideas. First, that the knowledge which knows emptiness is
the cause of the Dharmakaya and, second, the practice of the
accumulation of the Paramitas is the cause of the Rupakaya. But this
Sutra practice takes a very long time to realize the result. They
practice Shunyata only, not the visualization of the visible forms of
the deities. But in T antra, we begin by assuming the state of
emptiness, and then practice the visualization of the deities from the
very beginning. Thus, this method is much quicker. Sutra possesses
only the cause for the Dharmakaya, the practice of Shunyata. It knows
only this; it does not know the real cause of the Rupakaya. So the
Sutra system is like planting charcoal in the ground and watering it
regularly; no tree will grow from this. T antra practices Shunyata, but
also the visualization of the deities, so this provides a cause for the
manifestation of the Rupakaya and the method works much quicker.
[12]
But when Sutra and Tantra look at Dzogchen, they see no causes
for producing the Rupakaya. There is no visualization practice. There
is nothing done that might be the cause of the Rupakaya. They ask:
Dzogchen does not recognize the Two Truths, so how can Dzogchen
lead to the attaining of Buddha-hood? In answer, Dzogchen has the
Natural State which is not at all the same as the Shunyata of
Madhyamaka. Emptiness means a lack of inherent existence. It is a
condition which is merely empty, passive and negative. But according
to Dzogchen, all
visible things spontaneously exist (lhun-grub) as manifestations of the

inherent energy (rang rtsal) of the Natural State. For example, when
we look at a mustard seed, we see no oil. But when we press the seeds,
oil comes out. So this oil spontaneously exists in the seed, but the
secondary cause of pressing the seed is required for the oil to manifest.
If Buddhahood did not already spon-taneously exist in the Natural
State, no matter what practices we did, and no matter for how long,
nothing would come out of it. The Natural State has the potentiality of
the Ten Paramitas already fully present within it. Dzogchen possesses
all the causes of Buddhahood because everything already
spontaneously exists within the Natural State. Therefore, we need
practice only this single truth, and not two.
According to Dzogchen, T antra cannot attain complete

Buddhahood because it turns to one road and then to another. We
cannot go simultaneously on two roads. All of the forms of the Tantric
deities, the Zhitro, or Peaceful and Wrathful Deities, are inherent in
the Natural State. According to the Jonangpas, the Natural State has
these forms of the deities in potential, so each sentient being is a
potential Buddha, but as yet this Buddhahood is not visible. [13] So
everything can come out of the Natural State. But for this potentiality
to manifest, there must be secondary causes; it is not like a Buddha
image enshrined in a temple with the door open. Thodgal practice
links us with the secondary causes for the manifestation. But these are
only secondary; the real cause and source of the visions is the Natural
State.
In Dzogchen, we only practice the one path of remaining in the

Natural State, and everything else manifests out of that spontaneously,
which is Lhundrub, whereas in the Sutra system, we are expected to
practice the two accumulations equally. But how can we take two
roads at one time? We must neglect the one while we pursue the other.
However, all the Buddhas, all their virtuous qualities and all their
activities, already exist in the
Natural State. This single Natural State is the basis of everything in

Samsara and Nirvana. Therefore, we call it the Kunzhi, the basis of
everything. At this present moment, our Natural State is only the basis
of Samsara, and it is not now acting as the basis of Nirvana. At present
for us it is only the basis of delusion ('khrul-gzhi) and not the basis of
liberation (grol-gzhi). But the Natural State is also the basis of
Nirvana, and when we find ourselves in the state of enlightenment
then it is no longer the basis of the delusion of Samsara, but the basis
of Liberation (grol-gzhi). This is the case for a particular individual;
when speaking in general, it is the basis of both. This teaching is
profound (zab) because it teaches in individual and particular terms,
and it is also vast (rgyas) because it teaches in general and universal
terms. All of the Ten Paramitas and all the other virtues of a Buddha
already spontaneously exist in the Natural State. It is as if everything
has already been placed there in the temple, but the doors are closed.
We must open these doors by way of secondary causes and practice
and then the contents will be visible. It has all been there right from
the very beginning, but access to it depends on our knowing the
qualities of the Natural State. But we do not make any examination or
research into this while we are in the Natural State; we just let it be.
This one truth is enough; we do not need the Two Truths.
The Rimed Movement of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and

Jamgon Kongtrul in eastern Tibet, in the present and in the last
century, was very much influenced by the Dzogchen view and,
basically, it adopted the Dzogchen view. Thus, many Lamas who
come from eastern Tibet, especially Kagyudpas, now explain
Mahamudra as if it were Dzogchen. They say again and again: rDzogs-
chen phyag-chen gcig-pa red! "Dzogchen and Mahamudra are the
same." Generally they are speaking about the Mahamudra of
Gampopa, which had been so severely criticized by Sakya l~andita and
other scholars.
However, the traditional explanation of Mahamudra is made

according to the T antra system and it is quite different from
Dzogchen. For example, we can find this explanation of tradi-tional
Indian Mahamudra in the Lamdre (lam 'bras) system of the Sakyapas
and in the Dohas of Virupa. And there it is explained according to
Dzinpa or the apprehending of something. Tsong-khapa asserts that
without Dzinpa there is no recognition of what is subject and what is
object. In the Natural State there is no knowing or recognizing of an
object by a subject, but here in Mahamudra there is still this separation
of subject and object. In T antra also, there must still be something
present on the subject side and on the object side. When some Lamas
say that Dzogchen and Mahamudra are the same, this cannot be so,
because in Dzogchen there is no Dzinpa, whereas in Dzogrim there is
Dzinpa, that is to say, the knowing of Detong Yeshe. And if the view
is different, then the path will be different, and correspond-ingly the
fruit will be different.
According to some Lamas, in Sutra and in T antra the object,

namely, Shunyata is the same, while the subject is different. In Sutra
the subject is the ordinary discursive mind, whereas in Tantra it is the
purified mind in the thigleys or energy drops (hindus). [14] However,
in both cases, whether a gross discursive mind or a purified subtle
mind, there is Dzinpa, the apprehending of something, whereas in the
Natural State of Dzogchen, there is no duality of subject and object
and there is no Dzinpa present from the very beginning. So, here we
find some fundamental differences in the views held by Sutra, T antra
and Dzogchen. As practitioners, we should be aware of them.
CHAPTER6
The View ofDzogchen
Taught by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Devon and Amsterdam, Spring 1991.
Dzogchen as the Highest Teaching

Within the Bonpo tradition, there are nine successive ways (theg-
pa rim dgu) to enlightenment and Dzogchen is the highest of these.
But it is not enough to say Dzogchen is the highest. We must know
and understand the reasons why it is the highest. If we understand the
reasons precisely, then no one will be able to destroy our devotion to
the Dzogchen teachings. The source of the Dzogchen teachings is the
Dharmakaya Samantabhadra, or Kuntu Zangpo (kun tu bzang-po) as
he is known in Tibetan, and Dzogchen has had an uninterrupted and
continuous lineage from the Dharmakaya down until the present time.
For example, we can find this lineage in the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud.
[1]
When we come to Dzogchen, there are two methods of practicing
the teachings: (1) We do the preliminary practices, and then go to a
master who introduces us to the Natural State (rig-pa ngo-sprod), after
which we go on to practice retreat in isolation in the wilderness for
years until we attain some realization. (2) At Menri Monastery in
Tibet, we had an educational system where-by students thoroughly
studied Sutra, T antra and Dzogchen. However, this also meant that
there was little time for practice. It was mostly a matter of intellectual
study, and at the end of their
108 _ Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
course of studies, having passed the oral examinations, students

received a Geshe degree. [2]
For what reasons is Dzogchen the highest view? In all of the nine
successive ways or vehicles we search for the Natural State (gnas-
lugs). But this depends on the capacity of the individual. Each of these
nine successive ways has a different view. In gen-eral, the method of
Sutra is the path of renunciation (spong lam), the method of T antra is
the path of transformation (sgyur lam), and the method of Dzogchen is
the path of self-liberation (grol lam). So we say that Dzogchen is the
final or ultimate way. Self-liberation (rang grol) is the definitive view
and method of Thekchod (khregs-chod).
The text we have here is entitled the Theg-pa'i rim-pa mngon du

bshad-pa'i mdo rgyud, "The Sutra and Tantra of the Clear Explanation
of the Nine Successive Ways." This text is from the collection of
Central Treasures, or U-Ter (dbu-gter), so-called because they were
found at Samye Monastery and at other places in central Tibet. [3] It
deals with the view of Dzogchen, contrasting it with the views found
in Madhyamaka, Yogachara and Tantra.
If we depend on intellectual speculation alone, however, we shall

be very far away from the Dzogchen view. It is not a matter of
thinking "Maybe Dzogchen is like this or like that." That is something
artificial; it is not direct experience. What is required at first is a direct
introduction to the Natural State (rig-pa ngo-sprod). This Natural State
is the view of Thekchod. The intro-duction is very simple: we just
look inward, we look back at ourselves. It is like looking at our own
face in a mirror, not looking out at the external world through eye-
glasses. Every one of us has the possibility of realizing it for ourselves.
It is not very far, but it must be pointed out to us. So it is not a matter
of collecting different teachings. As such, it only becomes more
remote. No, it is a matter of direct personal experience. The watcher
and what is watched both dissolve at the same time and
The View of Dzogchen - 109
we just leave them as they are. We just continue in the Natural State;
that is the view of Thekchod.
But a direct introduction is necessary because, even though it is
near at hand, due to our obscurations, we do not recognize it. We get
this direct introduction from a master who has had his own personal
experience of the Natural State. He knows what it is and can point it
out to us. This makes for clarity and understanding and dispels
disturbances. The Dzogchen teachings were transmitted from the
Dharmakaya Kuntu Zangpo down to the master Tapihritsa who, in the
eighth century, transmitted them to his disciple Gyerpung Nangzher
Lodpo (Gyer-spungs sNang-bzher lod-po) in the country of Zhang-
zhung, and the latter wrote them down. These teachings have been
transmitted from then until the present day in a continuous lineage. For
this reason, in the tradition of the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, "the oral
transmission (snyan-rgyud) from the country of Zhang-zhung",
Tapihritsa is the principal figure in the Guru Yoga practice. From him
as the Nirmanakaya Guru, all blessings, all the powers of knowledge
and inspiration (byin-rlabs), come to us. He attained the enlightenment
of a Buddha through the practice of Dzogchen and realized the
Rainbow Body of Light ('ja' -lus-pa). Then at a later time he appeared
in the guise of a small child and bestowed the Dzogchen precepts upon
the master Gyerpungpa. [4]
The Base
In the Dzogchen teachings, the Base (gzhi) is the state of total
primordial purity (ka-dag chen-po}. This state of primordial purity
may, in some respects, resemble unconsciousness, but it is not at all
unconsciousness as such because it is characterized by the presence of
Awareness (rig-pa). It is often compared to the sky, but this is only an
example, because the sky is not aware. But just as the sky is not
changed by the presence of the clouds in it, so in the Base there is no
change or addition in response to
whatever we think or do. There is nothing new to be added to it, nor is

it in need of any correction or modification (rna bcos-pa). It is
naturally pure and never otherwise; that is its quality. The Natural
State has never been defiled or modified by the events of Samsara. It is
like a mirror which is in no way changed or modified by whatever it
reflects.
Nonetheless, in this Base, which is the Natural State of the Nature
of Mind (sems-nyid gnas-lugs), manifestations sponta-neously appear,
just as clouds appear in the sky or reflections appear in a mirror. This
is its quality of spontaneous manifes-tation (lhun-grub), and these
manifestations represent the creative potentiality or energy (rtsal) of
the Natural State. All things, all that we think and perceive as
individual sentient beings, are manifestations of the inherent energy
(rang rtsal) of the Natural State. In the end they return again to the
Natural State. There is nothing in Samsara or Nirvana that goes
beyond the Natural State. It is the primordial Base (ye gzhi) of both
Samsara and Nirvana. Everything that appears, exists as spontaneous
self-perfection (lhun-grub) and yet it is empty. The emptiness side
(stong-cha) of everything is called primordial purity (ka-dag) and the
clarity side (gsal-cha) is called spontaneous perfection (lhun-grub).
And although we differentiate between these two aspects when
speaking, in reality they are inseparable (dbyer-med). So there is
nothing special here. Everything is present in the Base. The quality of
the Natural State is the inseparability of clarity and emptiness (gsa!
stong dbyer-med). If this is not our view, than that view is not
Dzogchen.
But when we are actually practicing the Natural State, we do not

analyze and examine matters in this way intellectually. We leave
everything in the state of being just as it is (ji-bzhin-pa). If we think or
examine or judge, we disturb and lose our contem-plation; we fall out
of the Natural State and enter into the workings of the mind. In the
Natural State, everything is fine just as it is; we do not have to think
about it or evaluate it.
In Dzogchen, we speak of three series of teachings: the Semde or

Mind Series (sems-sde), the Longde or Space Series (klon-sde), and
the Manngagide or Secret Instruction Series (man-ngag gi sde). [5]
The Longde emphasizes the emptiness side, whereas the Semde
emphasizes the clarity or awareness side. The Manngagide, or
Dzogchen Upadesha, emphasizes the insep-arability (dbyer-med) of
these two sides. If we go along only with Shunyata on the emptiness
side, that is not Dzogchen. Semde and Longde are mainly just names
referring to a matter of emphasis. The ultimate point in both is
Yermed (dbyer-med), or insep-arability; otherwise they would not be
Dzogchen. Their differ-ence is only a matter of how they bring the
practitioner to the understanding of Yermed. The Dzogchen Upadesha
begins immediately with Yermed. It assumes that we already
understand Yermed, at least to some degree. It is Yermed that is most
important, and without it there is no basis for Dzogchen.
Commitment to the Dzogchen View

If this is all clear to the practitioner, then there is a commit-ment
(dam-tshig). Although there are no vows and rules to be found in
Dzogchen, as there are in Surra and Tantra, nevertheless, there is a
commitment to the view of Dzogchen, if we would be practitioners of
Dzogchen. This Damtsik or commitment is four-fold:
1. singularity (gcig-po),
2. spontaneous perfection (lhun-grub),
3. negation (med-pa), and
4. abiding naturally in purity (rang-bzhin gnas dag).
The Tibetan word gcig-po means "single, singular, unique,

singularity, uniqueness." The Dzogchen view is singular and unique
because we do not fall onto the one side or onto the
other, but remain always with Yermed. In the view of Dzogchen, all
appearances are spontaneously perfected (!hun-grub). The word med-
pa means negation: "it is not." But in the context here, we are not
thinking that something does not exist. The Dzogchen Semde text
entitled the Nam-mkha' 'phrul mdzod clearly explains this negative
way of speaking: no refuge, no compassion, and so on. This negation
has reference only to the Natural State. It means that in the Natural
State, there is nothing but the Natural State. On the side of
manifestation, however, everything exists, including all practices and
virtues, but on the side of the Natural State, nothing exists
independently because all things, including refuge, compassion, the
Ten Paramitas, and so on, are already there, present in their full
potentiality, and so there is nothing to realize. Everything is already
there. If we grasp at anything, then that is not Dzogchen; we have gone
beyond the Dzogchen view and fallen into a lesser view. And so we
speak in a negative way (med-pa}. Abiding naturally in purity means
we continue in Yermed, we continue in the Natural State which is
primordially pure.
The Dzogchen View

If we grasp at something or try to do something, we lose the
Natural State and deviate from the view of Dzogchen. To leave
everything just as it is without trying to correct or modify anything is
the view of Dzogchen. The Natural State has no partiality or divisions.
In it, there is nothing to affirm or negate. This is what it means to be
without accepting or rejecting anything (spang blang med-pa). But if
we think: "I must be in a state of Yermed", then this is grasping at a
concept and it represents a wrong view. Thoughts and concepts are not
the Natural State. This awareness (rig-pa} is self-aware (rang-rig); it is
not divided into subject and object. So if we try to do anything in
terms of thinking and judging, we bifurcate it into two parts and we

are no longer in the Natural State.
The Lower Ways speak of the Two Truths, but in Dzogchen, we
do not do that. We speak only of a single source or Base (gzhi). Thus
Dzogchen is also known as Thigley Nyagchik (thig-le nyag-gcig), the
Unique Essence. In the Tibetan language, the word dzogpa (rdzogs-
pa) means two things: (1) something is com-pleted, finished,
exhausted, and (2) everything is full, perfect and complete. The
Sambhogakaya is called Dzogku (rdzogs-sku) in Tibetan because it is
effulgent, complete, and perfect. It is the actual form or visible
manifestation (sku) of perfection (rdzogs-pa). But this does not mean
that it is finished or ended. In the Dzogchen view, everything is
perfect because it is Lhundrub.
Everything exists in potential in the Natural State. But things
manifest according to secondary causes. In the Dzogchen view, this
also applies to the Ten Paramitas and other virtues. The entire
accumulations of merit and wisdom are already present in the Natural
State. There is nothing more to be added or devel-oped. So if we
practice in just this single way by remaining in Rigpa, all virtues will
manifest in their entirety because they are already fully contained in
the Natural State. Everything is encompassed by the Natural State;
there is no "external" or "internal" in relation to it. Yet the Natural
State in each sentient being is individual, while it has the same quality
and level. The Natural States in an enlightened Buddha and in an
ignorant insect are the same. One is not bigger and the other smaller.
The differences between an enlightened being and an ignorant being
are in terms of the Path and the Fruit, but in both cases the Base is the
same. And the Base is the Natural State. But the Natural State is
individual with each sentient being. We are not all "One Mind."
Otherwise, if there was only one single Natural State, or One Mind,
then when the Buddha attained enlightenment, all
.:>entient beings would have become enlightened. But that is not our
experience.
However, the eight Lower Ways or vehicles (yanas) contra-dict

this Dzogchen view. The text we have here, the Theg-rim, deals with
four contradictions or objections brought against Dzogchen and
refutes each of them in turn.
First Contradiction - Chittamatra

According to the Chittamatra (sems-tsam-pa} view, every-thing
that exists is connected with mind. It is created by the mind. That is
the real view of Chittamatra, the philosophy of the Yoga-chara school.
When we see the blue color of the sky, this means that the eye
consciousness, which is the subject doing the appre-hending, and the
blue color, which is the object apprehended, are inseparable. This is
because they arise from the same karmic cause. This is true of all
perceptions of appearances, and so we can say that everything is
connected with mind, even though they are not made out of some sort
of mind-stuff. Nothing exists independently without this connection
with consciousness.
The Chittamatra view of the Yogachara school asserts that
everything depends on mind (sems) and that there is nothing beyond
mind. Thus, the Chittamatrin asks: So how can you Dzogchenpas do
any better than this? That is to say, how can you go beyond thoughts
to a state beyond mind? It is not possible that there is anything beyond
mind.
Dzogchen is always talking about "mind" (sems), so some people
think that Dzogchen has the same view as Chittamatra. But "mind"
(sems) has a different meaning in the context of Dzogchen where it
means, not "mind"(sems) in the sense of the thought process or in the
sense of consciousness (rnam-shes), but "mind" in the sense of the
Nature of Mind (sems-nyid). In Dzogchen, Sem (sems) means
Semnyid (sems-nyid), and it is not part of the system of eight
consciousnesses (tshogs brgyad). This Nature of Mind is characterized
by awareness (rig-pa); it is insep-arable from the Base. But this Base
is unknown to Chittamatra,
which knows nothing beyond the Kunzhi Namshe (kun-gzhi rnam-

shes), the storehouse consciousness, that is, the receptacle for karmic
traces (bag-chags). When Dzogchen speaks about the Kunzhi, the
basis of everything in both Samsara and Nirvana, this has a very
different meaning from the Kunzhi Namshe in Chittamatra where it is
only the basis for karmic traces.
Dzogchen falls outside their view. To the objection raised by the
Chittamatrin, the Dzogchenpa replies: You say that conscious-ness is
real and exists independently. But we do not recognize this. We do not
recognize all these phenomena as real or the thoughts that know them
as real. According to Chittamatra, the consciousness of whatever we
see or experience is inherently existing, but Dzogchen does not claim
that the Natural State exists inherently. So our view goes beyond
yours.
Second Contradiction - Madhyamaka

The second contradiction represents the Madhyamaka criticism of
Dzogchen. Both Chittamatra and Madhyamaka recog-nize the Two
Truths, the Relative Truth, which is appearances, and the Absolute
Truth, which is Shunyata. Madhyamaka asserts that everything is
related to these Two Truths and that there is nothing beyond them.
Subject and object have no independent existence; they exist only as
names created by thoughts. Nothing has any independent existence.
Shunyata is the final or ultimate reality and there is nothing beyond
this. So the followers of Madhyamaka ask: How can you Dzogchenpas
do better than this? Your Dzogchen is not even Buddhism!
To this, the Dzogchenpa replies: We do not recognize the

subject/object dichotomy and the Two Truths. Our view is
inseparability (dbyer-med) without any partiality. There is only one
Truth, which we call Thigley Nyagchik (thig-le nyag-gcig), the
Unique Essence. So our view is beyond your view of the Two Truths.
Dzogchen is beyond your Madhyamaka view, but this
does not mean that Dzogchen is not the Buddha's teaching. It simply
means that it is beyond your definition of the Two Truths. [6]
Some authors in their commentaries on the Madhya-makavatara

of Chandrakirti criticize Dzogchen for not asserting the Two Truths.
Dzogchen asserts that the final view pertains to only a single nature, a
state beyond cause and effect. It does not say that karmic causes and
consequences are ultimate. If there are two truths, then we must have two
minds in order to know them. These critics speak of two kinds of
cognition: (1) a discriminating intelligence (the subject side) that
understands Shunyata (the object side) and (2) a discursive intellect that
knows names and concepts, imputing them to phenomena. Both of these
represent "wisdom" or "intelligence" (shes-rab), but here we have two
minds, not one. According to Dzogchen there is only one cognition, the
Thigley Nyagchik, and not two minds.
Again, the Madhyamaka practitioner objects: If Dzogchen does

not have the Two Truths, then it does not recognize the Ten
Paramitas. How then can you Dzogchenpas do any practice? And if
you do not do any practice, how can you accumulate any virtues? And
if you do not have the two accumulations of merit and wisdom, how
can you attain Buddhahood? The sources of the two accumulations are
the Two Truths and the result of the two accumulations is realization
of the Two Bodies, the Dharma-kaya and the Rupakaya. So you
cannot realize Buddhahood unless you have these Two Truths. They
are required as causes for the Dharmakaya and the Rupakaya. Without
such a cause, you can-not realize Buddhahood.
The Dzogchenpa replies: Dzogchen agrees that without a cause

we cannot realize Buddhahood. But if we are given a piece of gold,
we do not have to search for its qualities, they are inherent in it from
the very beginning. Dzogchen never says that we should not practice
the Ten Paramitas; it only asserts that the Natural State already
contains the Ten Paramitas and, when we
realize the Natural State, they will manifest spontaneously. So we do

not need to practice them separately, one after the other. The Ten
Paramitas are spontaneously present within the Natural State. Thus
Dzogchen only explains the Thigley Nyagchik, or Natural State, and
that is sufficient. If we practice the Natural State, we will realize the
Dharmakaya and the Rupakaya because all things are present already
in the Natural State, and when the secondary causes arise, they will
manifest spontaneously. If we practice the one Natural State,
everything is present there already, and so that is enough.
According to the Sutra system in general, if we do not recognize

the Two Truths, then there is no cause for the realization of the Two
Bodies. The Lamas, in this tradition in particular, rely upon the
exposition of Chandrakirti in his Madhyamakavatara. They take his
Prasangika view as being the highest view and assert that there can be
nothing beyond that. They follow Chandrakirti in this. According to
Madhyamaka, the Buddha-nature is the conventional meaning, whereas
Shunyata is the ultimate meaning. However, according to Dzogchen, once
we discover our real nature, the Natural State, we do not need to search
for anything else. Everything is present there already, all of the Paramitas,
and will manifest spontaneously. But in Dzogchen, we do need secondary
causes for the manifestation of the Trikaya. So, Dzogchen can justly claim
that its view is the higher.
Third Contradiction- the Lower Tantra

Along with Chittamatra and Madhyamaka, the Tantras recognize
the Two Truths. But here the emphasis and the method are different.
According to Kriya T antra, the practice involves two kind of beings,
the Wisdom Being (ye-shes sems-dpa') and the Symbolic Being (dam-
tshig sems-dpa'). The Symbolic Being is the visualization of the deity
in the sky in front of us; it is created by our mind, and then the
Knowledge Being is the blessing and
energy invoked into it from a higher source. Then the two of them are
united into one and that unification is called the Action Being (las kyi
sems-dpa'). In Kriya Tantra, this Knowledge Being is like a king and
the Symbolic Being is like a servant. The king gives siddhis and
blessings to the servant. Thereby the latter becomes much more
powerful and wise, and then this power can overflow into the
practitioner.
The Kriya Tantra practitioner asserts: We visualize that the entire
universe has become a celestial palace and that all beings become the
deities in this palace. How can you do better than this point of view?
We invoke the wisdoms of the deity, and uniting the Symbolic Being
and the Knowledge Being, we receive siddhis from this Action Being.
How can you Dzogchenpas explain anything better than this? There is
no better view or practice!
To this the Dzogchenpa replies: You do not actually understand
the real nature of things. You are unable to go beyond visualization
(dmigs-med). You create one being with your mind and invoke the
wisdoms as another being, and then try to mix them together. But you
cannot make them into one. You do not know Nyamnyid (mnyam-
nyid), the state of sameness or self-identity, and so you make one the
lord and the other the servant. You are like a child with its parent. You
do not know real unification, and so our view is beyond yours. Our
view is spacious and unlimited; our conduct has no negative rules, and
so our view is the higher. The "highest" view means getting near to
the real nature. And we do not use thoughts to do that. You cannot
practice the Two Truths simultaneously, but only consecutively. You
must alternate one with the other. But in Dzogchen, we have gone
beyond that.
Fourth Contradiction- the Higher Tantra

In the Bonpo system, there are four kinds of T antra. The two
Lower Tantras are the Kriya Tantra (bya-ba'i rgyud) and Charya
Tantra (spyod-pa'i rgyud). The two Higher Tantras are called Yeshen
gyi Gyud (ye-gshen gyi rgyud) and Yeshen Chenpo Gyud (ye-gshen
chen-po'i rgyud). The distinction here is somewhat similar to the
distinction between Mahayoga T antra and Anuyoga Tantra in the
Nyingmapa system, and the distinction between Father Tantra and
Mother Tantra in the Sarmapa system.
The practitioner of the Higher Tantras asserts that we know both
awareness (rig-pa) and contemplation or equipoise (mnyam-bzhag,
samadhi). All the deities spontaneously exist; this is the view of
Yeshen gyi Gyud. Therefore, the Knowledge Being and the Symbolic
Being are like brothers, and what we unify here is bliss (bde-ba) and
emptiness (bde stong zung-'jug). All the deities and the universe itself
are visualized as arising from the dimen-sion of space (dbyings), that
is to say, Shunyata. Everything is connected with Shunyata and is a
manifestation arising out of Shunyata. We meditate on these
visualizations and discover that everything arises from this cycle of
Dimension and Primordial Awareness (dbyings dang ye-shes). So
there can be no better view than this!
To this the Dzogchenpa replies: You Tantrikas are still grasping

('dzin-pa) at knowing Shunyata as an object. But our Dzogchen view
is beyond all grasping at anything. We do not create anything
whatsoever with the mind, such as visualizations of deities and
mandalas. We do not come to any conclusions or create anything, but
we go directly to the Natural State. Therefore, our Dzogchen view is
the higher. You T antrikas are always playing happily like children,
that is, playing with discursive thoughts. You are always trying to
create or to dissolve something. And this mind-created cycle is never
finished. But Dzogchen is not bounded by thoughts. All of the lower
vehicles
are bounded by this sickness or obsession with discursive thoughts,

but the Natural State is primordially beyond all thoughts and actions.
In the Higher T antras, you assert that all the deities are reflections or
manifestations (rtsal) of the state of emptiness and that they are not
created by thoughts. You say that Dzogrim represents reality! They
are not just mind-made visualizations, as is the case with Kyerim
practice. Everything exists spontaneously. Yet you have to visualize
deities and mandalas. You are perpetually creating things with the
mind, and so you are always limited by thoughts. You are tied up with
thoughts. This is not at all compatible with Dzogchen. Dzogchen is
primordially liberated from all thoughts and deliberate actions. In it,
there is nothing artificial or contrived. Therefore, it repre-sents the
highest view.
These replies found in the text clearly indicate why Dzogchen is

the deepest and highest view (lta-ba zab rgyas). We should know
these reasons why Dzogchen represents the highest view, otherwise
the assertion means nothing. For the practice of Dzogchen, it is
necessary to understand the Natural State, but it is not necessary to
create anything intellectually or experientially in order to find
ourselves in the Natural State.
Inseparability
Inseparability (dbyer-med) ts what ts emphasized m Dzogchen.
This term Yermed does not mean bringing two different things
together and making them one. That is unifica-tion or coalescence
(zung-'jug). Inseparability means that they have never been separate.
We may speak about them being separate qualities or aspects, but in
reality they have never been otherwise than perfectly unified, like
water and wetness, or fire and heat. Dzogchen asserts that primordial
purity (ka-dag), that is to say, Shunyata and spontaneous
manifestation have been
The View of Dzogchen- 121
inseparable from the very beginning (ye-nas ka-dag !hun-grub dbyer-

med), and never otherwise.
So as practitioners of the view of Dzogchen, we do not fall on the
one side or on the other. The emphasis may be different in the three
series of Dzogchen teachings. The Longde emphasizes the emptiness
side (stong-cha) and the Semde emphasizes the clarity or awareness
side (gsal-cha), but even here, what is basic and fundamental is to
realize their unity or inseparability. Dzogchen Upadesha or
Manngagide at the very outset stresses Yermed; it begins with
inseparability and it does not first need to go through emptiness or
clarity to get at it. The real nature of Dzogchen is beyond expression in
words; we can only discover it within ourselves. For this, the
experiences of the calm state (gnas-pa), the movement of thoughts
('gyu-ba), and immediate aware-ness (rig-pa) can be used as a direct
introduction to the Natural State. However, if we just play around with
discursive thoughts, like children playing with their toys, we will fall
away from the Natural State. So, philosophies and intellectual
speculations are not enough on their own to discover Reality.
CHAPTER7
The Practice ofDzogchen
Teachings by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Amherst College, October 1991.
Transcribed and edited by John Myrdhin Reynolds.
View
Dzogchen is an especially valuable teaching for this time in the
West. It goes directly to the essence of the matter. All of us as sentient
beings (sems-can) possess mind (sems). So this teaching about mind
and its nature is very useful to us in practical terms and not just
theoretically. The benefit is that Dzogchen can bring us peace of mind
and happiness in our lives. In the practice of Dzogchen, there are no
complicated visualizations, no difficult yoga positions, no monotonous
chanting of mantras; there is only an examination of our condition and
a discovery of the Nature of Mind. We need to discover what really
exists. Our mind is nearer to us than anything else, yet it is invisible
and we do not see it. We do not immediately recognize its nature. For
this reason, we need to hear the teachings and then put them into
practice. This will not only bring us a calm and contented life in the
present but, in the future, it will bring the circumstances of a better
rebirth. However, in order to understand this, we first look at our own
condition before we can discover and recognize this Nature of Mind.
The Dzogchen teachings look very simple, but in the Tibetan

texts they are made much more complicated. Usually in a Dzogchen
text, it will say that it is not necessary to practice
Kyerim and Dzogrim as in Tantra, or to practice virtues like

Bodhichitta, generosity and so on, as in Sutra. Dzogchen asserts that
we do not need to do anything except enter into, and continue in, the
Natural State (rig-pa). Other than this, we do not need to do anything
in particular. There is no question of karmic traces or of practicing
virtues. It will even say in a Dzogchen text that there is no need for
view or meditation. What does this mean and why does it say this in
some texts? Some explanations given in Dzogchen are direct, while
others are indirect. Some critics in Tibet even asserted that Dzogchen
is some sort of nihilism and not even Buddhism. But this is not so, and
many wrong ideas have been given out over the centuries by the
critics of Dzogchen. Traditionally, Dzogchen is taught within a
specific cultural and intellectual context, and we need to know what
this context is, otherwise we can develop many wrong ideas about
Dzogchen.
This intellectual context is principally represented by the
teachings of Sutra and Tantra in both Buddhism and Bon. The Bardo
teachings of the famous Tibetan Book of the Dead are also included
here. In both Tibetan Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon, Dzogchen is
regarded as the highest and most esoteric teaching of the Buddhas.
The Nyingmapa school of Tibet also asserts this. The Dzogchen
teachings and terminology in the Nyingmapa texts and in the Bonpo
texts are essentially the same; the principal difference between
Nyingmapa Dzogchen and Bonpo Dzogchen is that of lineage. The
Nyingmapas claim that their lineage of transmission comes from India
and Uddiyana and the Bonpos claim that theirs comes from Zhang-
zhung and Tazik. [1] Other-wise, the meaning of Dzogchen in both
traditions is the same.
In presenting the view and practice of Dzogchen here, we are
following a collection of Bonpo Dzogchen texts known as the Nam-
mkha' 'phrul mdzod, "the magical treasury of the sky." They are
connected with the master Lung-ton Lha-nyen (Lung-ston Lha-gnyan,
b.1088) and the teachings of this cycle were transmitted to him orally
by Tsewang Rigdzin (Tshe-dbang rig-
The Practice of Dzogchen - 125
'dzin), an ancient sage who was disguised as an Indian sadhu. [2] The
texts are from the Dzogchen teachings of the latter's father, Dranpa
Namkha (Dran-pa nam-mkha'), and they present a more philosophical
view of Dzogchen.
Basically, in the Bonpo tradition of Tibet, we have two different
approaches to the practice of Dzogchen. In the first, we find for
ourselves a suitable Lama who is a master of Dzogchen, and we
request teachings from him. Then, in a retreat, we carry out the
preliminary practices according to his instructions. These are known
as the Ngondro (sngon-'gro) and consist of nine practices which are
done a hundred thousand times each. [3] Thus they are called the
Bum-gu ('bum dgu) or nine Bum, "Bum" meaning a hundred
thousand. When these preliminaries are completed, we then return to
our Lama and request the Dzog-chen teachings. Thereupon he gives us
a direct introduction to Rigpa or the Natural State (rig-pa ngo-sprod).
There are many different ways of doing this. We then go into a long
retreat in some isolated place and practice, continuing in the Natural
State as much as possible. Since we have been introduced to it by the
master, we now know what Rigpa is. But this knowledge is not
enough. We must practice remaining in that state.' We must develop
our capacity to do so. Otherwise, because of a lack of familiarity with
it, we may begin to develop doubts. At this point, it is only necessary
to go occasionally to our Lama to have him check our understanding
of the Natural State. We continue in this way until we attain
enlightenment. [4]
The second approach is much more intellectual. In Tibet, formal

education was only to be had in monasteries. In the larger Bonpo
monasteries there was a traditional curriculum of scholarly studies,
beginning with Sutra, then proceeding on to Tantra, and finally
culminating in Dzogchen. [5] The Bonpos cherished this tradition of
profound scholarship and there was a dialectical system connected
with the study of Dzogchen. Nowadays, at the Bonpo monastery at
Dolanji in India, this involves a nine-year
program of studies for the Geshe degree. But when one is a student in
the philosophy college at the monastery, one does not have much time
for practice, or for making retreats. It is up to the individual student to
practice after he has finished his course of studies and obtained his
degree. Shardza Rinpoche instituted a reform at his monastery in
eastern Tibet and inaugurated a three-year retreat system like the
Nyingmapas. First one completed all the philosophical studies and
then the student went into a three-year retreat to practice Tantra and
Dzogchen. This Shardza tradition was much influenced by the
Nyingmapas and the Kagyudpas of eastern Tibet or Kham, and so we
find the same sort of preliminary practices here. Of course, we are
talking about practicing until one attains realization or enlightenment,
so practice is not just limited to a three-year retreat.
What is Dzogchen and what is the purpose of practicing

Dzogchen? We must know this and have a clear understanding of
what Dzogchen is all about, not only for our view and practice, but
also because people will ask us about Dzogchen. We do not want to
give them any mistaken ideas because this will be bad for them and
bad for the reputation of the Dzogchen teachings. So we must
understand what Dzogchen is, how one practices it, and what the
results of this are. To understand what Dzogchen is, we need a direct
introduction to it from someone who knows what it is, not only
intellectually, but from his or her personal experience. It is like being
introduced to an old friend from years ago. Although at the present
time we do not recognize him, once introduced we then have this flash
of recognition. What is introduced here is Rigpa or the Natural State.
There are many ways to do this, to make a direct introduction to Rigpa;
one method is fixation on the white Tibetan letter A.
Fixating the mind on an object of meditation involves

concentration. It does not matter what object we use as long as we do
not keep changing it because this leads to distraction. A stick or a
small pebble in front of us can be used but, tradi-
The Practice of Dzogchen- 127
tionally, as an introduction to Dzogchen, the white Tibetan letter A is

used. If one does not know what that looks like, the English letter A
can be used, or even a small white dot. This white letter is drawn on
black or dark blue paper and that piece of paper is affixed to a wall, or
to a stick which is stuck into the earth so that it stands upright before
us when we are sitting in meditation position. Located in front of us,
the letter A is not too high or too low. Our eyes remain fixed on this
letter A, and so our mind is also fixated on it. The eye is the servant of
the mind, and the mind as the king depends on this servant to bring
him provisions. So this is one method to control the mind which,
otherwise, is very difficult to control.
When we fixate our gaze on the white letter A, the mind then
concentrates on it. If the eyes do not move, the mind does not move.
We meditate with our eyes open in Dzogchen (or half closed) but the
gaze is unmoving and, if possible, there is no blinking. The principle
involved here is one-pointed concentra-tion of mind, and when this is
the case, there is no space for discursive thoughts to arise and distract
us. We can do this by making our fixation of attention very acute and
sharp, and then relaxing this fixation a little. But, on the other hand,
maintaining acute fixation for too long can give rise to problems. So,
in the beginning, it is best to meditate only for short periods of time.
Then take a short break and begin again. We must use our judgment
here. This process is not the same as repressing thoughts; there is just
no space for them to manifest. This gives us control of the mind by a
more indirect means. It is like aiming an arrow at the center of a
target. The white A is this target for our full and total attention, and so
this is a method for controlling the mind.
When the mind is agitated, thoughts are incessantly arising, and

so we become easily distracted and our attention wanders. Then,
suddenly, we recall that we have lost our focus. So again we fixate on
the white A. If the mind is too agitated, it is best to
take a break and try again later. Forcing ourselves can also cause
problems. If the white A appears dull and not clear, then we must
fixate our attention more sharply. In general, we can have problems
with agitation (rgod-pa) or dullness (rmug-pa), but we can also have a
problem with lack of energy or drowsiness (bying-ba). There are
various methods we can employ as antidotes to these problems, and
these we have discussed elsewhere when giving meditation
instruction.
If we continue to practice in this way, we will come to experience a
feeling of happiness in the mind and a pleasurable sensation in the body.
This is known as dewa (bde-ba). And continuing to practice, we develop
Shamatha or zhine (zhi-gnas), a calm state of mind. [6] Our mind is
concentrated; it becomes calm like the surface of a lake when there is no
wind, and we are no longer disturbed by negative thoughts. But do not
think this is the Natural State; it is only an experience (nyams), that is, an
experience of a calm state and an experience of a state without thoughts
(mi rtog-pa). That is not yet Rigpa. This concentration is something
created by the mind; it is not the Nature of Mind or the Natural State. But
it is a useful method because it makes it easier to recognize the Natural
State. Even an advanced practi-tioner may find that his practice has
become stale, and so we can use these Semdzin practices (sems-'dzin),
which means fixating the mind, such as fixating on the white Tibetan
letter A, in order to freshen up our practice of continuing in the Natural
State. [7]
Now, when we are fixating on the white A and find ourselves in

this state of calm, undistracted by whatever thoughts arise, then at that
time we look back into ourselves and observe what the mind is doing.
This is how we begin researching our real nature. When a thought
(rnam-rtog) arises, simply observe this thought, without judging it and
without trying to change or modify it in any way. Does it have any
color or shape? Does it have any location in space, either inside or
outside the body? Does it come from anywhere? Does it stay
anywhere? Does it go
anywhere? What is the difference between the calm state and the
movements of thought? Do this for a little while.
Observing the calm state created by fixation as well as the
movements of thoughts, what can we say about the mind? Look again
inward. Who is it who looks at this thought that arises? Where is the
watcher and where is the watched? We must observe and examine our
mind. We have spoken of the mind and the Nature of Mind. Who is
this watcher of thoughts arising? Where is the watcher? Research this.
What can we say? Look and see what it is like. We may say "look",
but we do not really mean here that there is a subject and an object.
We look and search and we cannot find anything. We cannot separate
the watcher and the watched. They have the same nature. We look
back and find nothing. We realize this and leave things just as they
are.
It is at this moment that we begin to find out what is the Nature of
Mind. We remain in that moment. This is the beginning of the recognition
of the Natural State. If we cut down one bamboo stick and realize that it is
hollow, we do not need to cut down the rest of the bamboo forest to see if
they are all hollow. Whether there is a calm state or the movement of
thoughts, there is a sense of presence or immediate awareness there and
this is Rigpa. That is the quality of the Natural State Even if there are no
thoughts arising, we are very present and aware; we are not unconscious.
This presence is very bright and clear. It is just there; there is no duality
of subject and object. If this intrinsic awareness were not present, we
would be asleep. But we are not. We just leave it as it is; there is nothing
to change, or correct or modify. It is just what it is and nothing else, but it
is something inexpressible. We cannot explain it, even though we call it
clarity (gsal-ba) and awareness (rig-pa). This clarity or awareness is the
characteristic quality of the Nature of Mind, the Natural State, and yet, at
the same time, it is empty because we ltave found nothing there. So this
clarity and this emptiness are inseparable. But none of this was created by
the activity of the
mind. This state was not created by the mind, as calmness and
concentration were created; it is not something created at all. Rather,
it is unconditioned and primordial. It is the basis and context for mind
and the activities of mind, but it is not mind (sems); it is the Nature of
Mind (sems-nyid).
We have searched for the mind by way of fixating on the white A.
But this white A is something created by the mind. So also are the
calm state and the movement of thoughts. When we look and search
for this mind that creates the white A, where is the watcher and the
thing watched? They disappear when we look, but they do not go
anywhere. They dissolve and liberate, leaving no trace behind. Where
do these thoughts come from? Where do they stay? And where do
they go? We search and find nothing and this "unfindability" (mi
rnyed) is what is there; it is the final source. We call this Shunyata or
emptiness. Modern science has always been searching for the ultimate
particles, but has never found them. Why? Because there is no limit.
When we follow after thoughts, they lead us on endlessly. We never
come to an ultimate source, or ultimate particle, or absolute beginning.
We are looking in the wrong place. This is just circulating in Samsara.
All states of consciousness are conditioned; they are created by our
thoughts. But these same thoughts liberate of themselves and leave no
trace. What is their source? Where do they go? They arise in the
Natural State and they dissolve again into the Natural State. This
Natural State is empty but, on the other hand, it has the potentiality for
all manifestations to arise. It is the Nature of Mind, and as such it is
like a mirror which has the capacity to reflect whatever is set before it,
but is itself in no way changed by what it reflects, whether beautiful or
ugly. That is the state of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection.
There are many methods that can be used to bring us to

recognition of the Natural State. It does not matter which one we use.
The waters of all rivers flow into the great ocean. So we can use
fixation, visualization, breathing, sound, whatever in order to
bring about this recognition. Here we use concentration. At university,

we must constantly create many thoughts and the mind never stays
quiet. It is quite the opposite here. We just focus our attention one-
pointedly and do not allow any space for extraneous thoughts. We do
not go about in our usual manner because there is no limit to the
creating of discursive thoughts. We fixate on the white A in order to
stop this creating of thoughts. Sometimes we can sound "A" long and
low, and fixate on that sound without distraction. We can also use the
humming sound of "HUM" with an open mouth. There is the same
point to all of these Semdzin methods.
Can children practice Dzogchen? Young children have fewer

discursive thoughts; their habits are not so set. But when people grow
up, they think about different things all of the time. Their thoughts are
always circulating and there is no time to rest the mind. It does not
matter whether these are good thoughts or bad thoughts. Whether the
clouds are white or black, they equally cover the sky and obscure the
face of the sun. A person must work and think all day; there is no time
just to practice concen-tration and discover our real nature. The
working person and the university student do not even try to discover
their real natures because they are continuously caught up in the
creating of thoughts. But children have not yet gone so far from their
original nature. Nevertheless, they also need to be introduced to the
Natural State in order to recognize it. The child may be more familiar
with it, depending on the capacity of the individual, but still not know
what it is.
Whether we study the texts or not, we must understand what the

Natural State is. We can apprqach this intellectually or experientially
or both, depending on the individual. Results come whichever
approach we adopt. For example Shardza Rinpoche was a great
scholar and an intellectual. He attained the Rainbow Body in 1933 and
left some physical remains behind. He had a disciple who mainly
practiced the preliminaries and did not study
very much in an intellectual sense. But when that disciple attained the
Rainbow Body, he dissolved completely his physical body and there
were no remains left behind.
Can we use Vipashyana (Pali: vipassana) in order to realize
Rigpa? Shamatha (zhi-gnas) and Vipashyana (lhag-mthong) are rather
general terms and much used in the Sutra system. In Dzogchen, we
can use any methods which are appropriate for the circumstances.
There are no limitations. In Dzogchen, there is no special way to train
with only Shamatha and Vipashyana. But what is important in
Dzogchen is Yermed, or inseparability, and this can develop naturally.
The practice of Vipashyana brings us bliss in terms of body, speech
and mind, and unites this feeling with emptiness. The Tibetan term
Lhagtong (lhag-mthong) for the Sanskrit Vipashyana means "bright"
or "clear." When we build a house, we begin with the foundation, and
if this is made of bricks, the bricks must all be of the same quality. So
if we begin with the Natural State, as is the case in Dzogchen, then our
practice of Shamatha and Vipashyana must be in accord with the view
of Dzogchen. If we begin practicing Vipashyana according to the Sutra
system, we must then proceed with an understanding of Shunyata or
emptiness as presented in Madhyamaka. We cannot mix all of these
distinct views together to make some sort of stew.
In our practice, we must proceed consistently. Shunyata is

understood quite differently in Dzogchen and in Madhyamaka. In
terms of Madhyamaka, the state in which we find ourselves is empty
only but, according to Dzogchen, this state is not only empty, it is
equally clear and present (gsal-le-ba hrig-ge-ba). So, in Dzogchen
practice, we must have this bright clear awareness, together with the
Shunyata or emptiness. The Sutra system does not speak this way. If
things are only on the side of emptiness (stong-cha), this is not
Dzogchen. Only when we have an understanding of the inseparability
of awareness and emptiness
(rig stong dbyer-med) from the very outset, can we speak of

Dzogchen.
This is really a very important question: How do we link
awareness and emptiness? In the Sutra system we find two different
philosophies, Madhyamaka and Chittamatra, and each understands
Shunyata differently. Chittamatra speaks of con-sciousness (roam-
shes) as being self-aware (rang-rig, Skt. svasam-vedana), but there is a
different meaning when Dzogchen speaks of the Natural State being
self-aware. So do not confuse the two usages. The Vedanta philosophy
also has its own formulation of these matters. There are many
resemblances between Dzogchen and the philosophies of
Madhyamaka, Chittamatra and Vedanta, but there are also precise
differences. Not all the views are the same. The views found in the
other eight ways (yanas) are not the same as the Dzogchen view. So
we must understand properly the similarities and the differences
before we can make comparisons. Characteristic of Dzogchen is that it
is always talking about Yermed.
We say that Dzogchen is the highest and the most esoteric view,
but why? While the view of Dzogchen asserts Yermed, this is not the
view of Madhyamaka and Chittamatra. In particular, many people
confuse the view of Dzogchen with that of Chittamatra. Although a
number of the same technical terms are used in both systems, they
hold different meanings. Generally, Dzogchen exists in the context of
Buddhism, and so we need to know something about other Buddhist
views. It is like being a blind man in a mountain cave. We tell the
blind man not to move about because he will fall off the mountainside.
He has to be very careful because he cannot see, and so he has to
listen to what others tell him. If we do not know why Dzogchen is the
highest teaching, we can say "highest" as much as we want, but we are
just like that blind man. It's easy to fall down when we do not know
the reasons for what we say and believe.
Each text describes different ways and methods. Chittamatra

teaches Rang-rig, "self-awareness", but here the term holds a meaning
different from that in Dzogchen. According to the former, all living
beings have Namshe or consciousness (rnam-shes) and each
consciousness possesses Rang-rig or self-awareness. If we did not have
that, we would not be able to remember anything. For example, we saw a
blue flower yesterday, and when we see it again today, we remember. The
experience of seeing it today and the experience of seeing it yesterday are
linked; mind links together memory and eye consciousness. When we see
the blue flower with our eye consciousness, our Rang-rig is the witness
that has tasted the sensation. This experience leaves an imprint or trace in
the Kunzhi or base. Therefore, we have a second very subtle
consciousness accompanying the eye con-sciousness. This second
consciousness has access to these traces or memories. Normally, at the
moment of perception, we do not distinguish eye consciousness and
Rang-rig; they appear to occur simultaneously. And even where a
perception does not occur, the Rang-rig can remember and link the
impression from yesterday with that of today. But whereas eye
consciousness has a visible phenomenon as its object, Rang-rig takes
consciousness itself as its object. And this Rang-rig and sense
consciousness are insep-arable.
The Chittamatra view unites self-awareness (rang-rig) and

consciousness (rnam-shes). The first is very subtle, the second is
coarse and gross. Now, Dzogchen also speaks of inseparability, but
according to a different meaning. Dzogchen does not speak about
consciousness (rnam-shes) which is something conditioned and
inherently dualistic. It speaks about Rigpa, the intrinsic awareness that
is the inherent quality of the Natural State. Here it is awareness and
emptiness that are inseparable (rig stong dbyer-med). The Natural
State and its intrinsic quality, Rigpa, are unconditioned and outside of
time. They are not brought into being by causes, as is the case with
consciousness. This immediate
intrinsic awareness called Rigpa is primordial and beyond dualistic

consciousness and the workings of the mind. If Dzogchen consisted of
only the Chittamatra view, it would not be something special and
would easily be refuted by Madhyamaka.
Meditation
Once we have realized the Dzogchen view, then the next question
is how to practice. We need to practice because this is how we can
develop the view, make it more concrete, and remove all doubts. In
any session of practice, we begin with Guru Yoga; we have explained
how to do Guru Yoga in some detail elsewhere. Then we dissolve the
visualization and all thoughts created by the Guru Yoga practice. [8]
Even this discursive thought, the Guru Yoga visualization, cannot
stand on its own and it dissolves. We just let everything be and keep in
this Natural State for as long as possible. Very soon other discursive
thoughts arise and disturb us, but if we just relax and let them go, they
will self-liberate. At the same time, we look and see who it is that sees
this thought. We just allow the thought to dissolve and we come back
to the source.
But when we are in the Natural State, even if thoughts arise, we

are not thinking about anything. We have no expectations or doubts.
Nor do we search for secondary causes or check whether or not we are
experiencing Rigpa. We just leave everything as it is without
interference or correction or examination, like a mirror reflecting
whatever is set before it. When we are in the Natural State, we do not
need to know anything beyond this Natural State. We just let all
thoughts that arise liberate by themselves. So there is no recognition,
or attention, or analysis, or name-giving here; there is no work at all
that is done by the mind. At that time, we do not check or examine
anything. If we try to do anything with thoughts or change things, or if
we start thinking,
examining, or recognizing something, then we lose it; we fall out of

the Natural State.
But outside the Natural State, when the session of meditation
practice is completed, it is a different matter. At this later time, it is
necessary to know with the mind what the qualities of the Natural
State are. We must know that it is Yermed. Otherwise, we will
become confused and develop wrong views. In the Nat-ural State there
is a clear awareness; we are not asleep. While we remain in the
Natural State, it is bright and clear, like a mirror. That clarity is
awareness (rig-pa} and what is clear is the dimension of Shunyata.
These two, clarity and emptiness, are never separated; they are always
together. If we really understand this, then we have the Dzogchen
view. This inseparability is not something merely invented at the
moment. We just realize the view and remain in it. In fact, it was there
from the very begin-ning as the very basis of our existence. So now
we have merely rediscovered it.
This Natural State, which was there from the very beginning, is
our real nature; it is unproduced and uncreated and does not undergo
change or evolution. It always was and always will be. It is
unchanging, whereas mind and consciousness are changing and
evolving all the time. They exist in time and are conditioned, but the
Natural State is like space; it does not change. Discursive thoughts
pass through it like birds passing across the sky leaving no trace
behind. Whether these thoughts are good or bad, beautiful or ugly,
they do not change the Nature of the Mind and, when they dissolve,
they leave no trace behind.
But if this is so, why do we practice? Why are we not enlightened
already? All sentient beings possess this Natural State, so why are
they not Buddhas at this very moment? Consciousness is always with
us, so why are we not enlightened? The Natural State is primordially
liberated (ye grol), so why are we not liberated? If the Natural State
never changes, if it never falls or gets any better, why are we not
already enlightened? What is the
The Practice of Dzogchen - 13 7
difference between Samsara and Nirvana? Both of them come from

the same source, and yet they are different.
To understand these questions, we must go back to the Base.

Whether we have knowledge of something or do not have it, the
Natural State remains unchanged. The Natural State is not changed by
any events that occur in time, just as a mirror is not changed by
whatever objects it may reflect. The Natural State is the same in all
beings from the Primordial Buddha down to the lowest insect; it does
not get any bigger or get any smaller. It is the same in all beings, but it
is individual for each being. It is not all just "One Mind." Otherwise, if
one individual attained enlight-enment, all the other beings would
simultaneously attain enlight-enment. Or if one individual thought of
Bodhichitta, all the other beings would think of Bodhichitta. This is
not our experience. Each individual has a different mind or stream of
consciousness. Yet the Natural State is the same in everyone; it has the
same quality. The Yermed in all beings is the same. But this is not just
One Mind occurring everywhere. The qualities of the human mind and
the insect mind are different, but their respective individual Natural
States have the same quality of Yermed. This is not like the assertion
in Vedanta that only one Brahman exists. The attaining of Nirvana is
not like a drop of rain falling into the sea. Whether we find ourselves
in Samsara or Nirvana, there exists individuality.
If so, how is it that Samsara and Nirvana began? They have the
same source and the same base. The Natural State is the basis of both
Samsara and Nirvana. Although there is no absolute beginning for
them in time, we can still explain things in logical terms. When we
die, our Namshe, or consciousness, becomes unconscious. Our mind
stops functioning when our internal breathing ceases to operate. The
time when this actually occurs varies with the individual. When our
external breathing stops, we look unconscious to others and our
physical body becomes rigid and begins to deteriorate. Internally, we
experience the various
signs of the elements (our energies) dissolving. The elements begin to

dissolve and cease to be the support of consciousness. When our
internal breathing ceases, we black out. It is the same with all beings.
At that time our Natural State as the Clear Light dawns, whether the
individual is aware of it or not. The presence of the Natural State is
Clear Light. All beings experience this; the difference lies in whether
we recognize it or not. If we are practitioners of Dzogchen, it is much
more likely that we will recognize the Clear Light as the manifestation
of our own Nature of Mind at this time. Later, visions will arise. These
manifesta-tions are principally of three kinds: sounds, lights and rays.
Various visions arise depending on the practice carried out in our
previous life, especially if we have done Thodgal and dark retreats. In
that case, we will recognize the visions as Thodgal visions, such as we
experienced when we were alive. They come from inside us; they are
not of external origin. And we recognize them because we have done
practice.
When these manifestations arise, there are two possibilities. An

accomplished practitioner will recognize that these sounds, lights, and
rays represent Tsel (rtsal), the creative energy or inherent potentiality
of the Nature of Mind and, having been recognized intuitively, they
will liberate into the Natural State. The individual can become
enlightened at that point, at that very moment. Then Nirvana will
begin. But if one does not recognize them, then more visions will
come. If these are related to the pure vision of Nirvana, then one will
see the visions of the Zhitro (zhi-khro), the Peaceful and Wrathful
Deities, their mandalas and retinues, and so on. At that point also, one
may recognize that they are merely manifestations of the Nature of
Mind and one will attain enlightenment soon afterwards in the Bardo.
This is how Nirvana begins.
But if we have done no Dzogchen practice previously, then more

and more visions will arise, and they will no longer be the pure
visions of the Zhitro, but the impure karmic visions asso-
ciated with the various destinies of rebirth. What they are specifically
depends on our individual karmic traces inherited from the past. They
are like our dreams. Not recognizing them as manifestations of mind,
we think that the sounds, lights and rays have an inherent existence
and, having an objective reality, exist independently of us. "Sounds"
(sgra) mean vibrations (invisible), "lights" (' od) mean luminosity
(visible colors), and "rays" (zer) mean shapes and forms. If we do not
recognize that they are merely visions, then we think that they are real
and have an inherent existence, just as we do in dreams before waking
up. Ignorance starts at precisely that point, and this is the beginning of
Samsara in the relative sense. Progressively the visions become
coarser and more developed. They seem more and more real, solid and
opaque. Then the passions arise and this is how Samsara evolves.
Speaking in general, we can say that the Base for Samsara and the
Base for Nirvana are the same. But when speaking of a specific
individual in his present condition right now, it is the Base for his
Samsara alone and not the Base for Nirvana. In the Dzogchen texts,
we find explanations in general of the Base, but for us as individuals
at present, the Base is specific, that is, it is the Base for Samsara only.
Every sentient being equally possesses the Natural State. The

difference comes in the Bardo when the visions arise. We either
recognize their nature or we do not. However, we do not have to wait
until we die and find ourselves in the Bardo. Right now we can do
dark retreat or Thodgal practice as preparation for the after-death
experience.
The Natural State is like a great ocean; all beings are equally
encompassed by it. There is no difference in this Base; it is the same
everywhere because it transcends time and conditioning. So it is
present with us now and we can have access to it. We can practice
fixation on the white Tibetan letter A and look back at the watcher and
the watched and they dissolve. Then at that moment we have the
opportunity to recognize the Natural State.
This is the moment of recognition. We look back at thoughts and they

dissolve. But where do they dissolve? They arise in the Natural State
and they dissolve into the Natural State. We simply realize and
understand this without creating thoughts about it. At the moment of
understanding, there is awareness and this awareness is very clear and
fresh. It is like being in a channel that is leading our boat to the sea.
The channel represents our practice, whereas the great ocean is the
Natural State itself. We have a proverb in Tibetan: If I am too close, I
cannot see me; if it is too bright, I cannot see it. The Natural State is
something that is always connected with us, but we do not see it. So
this awareness (rig-pa} is only found just after a thought has liberated.
When the clouds are cleared away, then we can see the luminous sky.
Our practice removes the clouds. The examples are that of a channel
of water leading to the sea or that of an only child returning to its
mother. So that is why we need to practice.
This awareness developed in practice represents Tsel, the energy

of the Base (rig-pa'i rtsal). How does this develop? It arises from the
Base which is the Natural State. In the Dzogchen texts, for example,
the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud (Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud), there is a
complicated explanation given of this process of evolution, and
contradictions of other views are found here. [9] The Base is the
source that creates everything, whether good or bad. Is this the same
view as Vedanta? Sometimes the same words may be used, but the
meanings are different. Tsel (rtsal) means potentiality, the potentiality
of the energy of the Nature of Mind, which is not yet visible to the
senses, whereas Rolpa (rol-pa} means a visible manifestation of
energy. It is kinetic. Rolpa is like looking into water and seeing a
reflection. If we look at a rock, we do not see any reflection; this
reflection would be Rolpa.
What is the purpose of looking back and observing thoughts? To

find if there is anything there. That discovery that there is nothing to
find (mi rnyed) is the whole point. We have already
spoken about what the Natural State is, and how we observe thoughts
and how they dissolve. We just remain in this Natural State without
changing anything. We keep in it continuously as long as we can. That
is the practice. But if our remaining in the Natural State is not stable,
then thoughts can arise and we are easily distracted. Then suddenly we
remember to go back. Here three points are relevant: (1) In order to
remain in the Natural State, we must have the energy to do so. If we
are too loose, we can easily lose it. (2) There is no particular way to
think, but we must recognize when agitation arises to disturb us. (3)
We may be in the Natural State, but our experience may become dull
and lack clarity and presence. So we need to be aware of these three
points. If we try to do anything special, we will lose the Narural State.
Begi!mers especially should practice only for short sessions, and then
gradually extend the time of practice. If we try to force ourselves to
practice for too long, more distractions will come.
Sometimes we can have a problem with agitation. New discursive

thoughts arise spontaneously; we are not creating them deliberately.
But if we are successful in remaining in the Natural State, whether
discursive thoughts arise or not, they do not disturb us. We do not
follow after them and become distracted. Agitation is of two kinds.
Rough agitation is very easy to recog-nize, whereas subtle agitation is
not because it is almost sub-liminal. Nonetheless, it becomes just as
much a distraction. If we do not immediately recognize distraction, it
will soon lead us astray. We can apply various methods here. When
rough agita-tion disturbs us, we find that we cannot stop thoughts
arising and control the mind. If we try to stop the thoughts, generally
this will not work. It is very difficult to control the mind under any
circumstances. If we have kept our energy and our clarity from the
very beginning, then distractions will fall away. But when agitation
becomes rough, then it is best just to stop practice for a while. There
can be any number of causes for agitation, including bad health. As a
countermeasure, we should take heavy,
nutritious food and keep warm. Subtle agitation is much more difficult
to recognize and counteract. We should try to stay in a room with less
light, lower our gaze and the object of meditation, do some deep
breathing and movement, put on warmer clothes, eat heavier foods,
and so on.
If we lose energy, not during the session but afterwards, then we
need to do exercises and other practices to increase our energy. If we lose
strength or energy during a session, we should not add too much energy
because this will cause agitation. When we lose a lot of energy, we
experience drowsiness. This all depends on the individual. When we are
drowsy we will go for a long time without clarity. Practitioners can lose
much time and opportunity because of drowsiness. It is just like sleep, but
it is not just a matter of taking a rest. If we find that our clarity is weak,
we must apply antidotes. What can we do? First we must examine to see
whether it is a health problem or simply a loss of energy. In the latter
case, just take a break and get some fresh air. Try practicing in a high
place, such as on a mountainside, and in a place which is not dark but well
lit. We must judge these external circumstances for ourselves. For
drowsiness, we can raise higher the object of meditation, take off some
clothes, open a window for fresh air, do deep breathing and hold the
breath, shake the body, eat lighter foods, and so on. But in general,
especially at the beginning, it is better to practice in many short sessions,
taking breaks in between. Then gradually we can extend the time of the
sessions. Again, we can practice Guru Yoga and take initiations and
receive the blessings from our Lama. We have to judge for ourselves what
is best for our individual body and our circumstances.
When the body and the mind unite, we experience a pleasurable

sensation, so when we realize Shamatha, or the calm state of mind,
then physical problems will become less. Our minds will be happier
and our bodies more comfortable. We can then easily bear the
problems that go on around us. In general,
Guru Yoga practice can restore our energy. Also reciting prayers, so
that we feel the actual presence of the Lama, can be helpful.
The principal practice here is to keep ourselves in the Natural
State. In the beginning, it is best to practice for short sessions. If one
can develop capacity in these short sessions, then the sessions can be
gradually lengthened, and finally the advanced practitioner will be
able to bring his practice into daily life. One will be able to walk, sit,
eat, sleep, and so on, and yet remain in the Natural State. One will
eventually be able even to think and talk while being in the Natural
State. Then keeping practice to discrete ses-sions will not be very
important. But for the beginner, discrete sessions are important.
In our meditation practice, it is important to understand that

Shamatha_ or Zhine (zhi-gnas), the calm state of mind devoid of
thoughts, is not Rigpa, the Natural State. The former is just an
experience (nyams), the experience of no thoughts (mi rtog-pa'i
nyams), whereas Rigpa is beyond the mind and beyond thoughts. But
Shamatha practice may help us to get into Rigpa, the Natural State. In
Dzogchen generally, it is not necessary to first practice Shamatha. If
we practice contemplation in the Natural State, then Shamatha is
present there naturally. We can do Shamatha practice according to the
Sutra system without any reference to Dzogchen and the Natural State.
We just select an appropriate object of meditation and concentrate our
mind on it. We can have Sha-matha without clarity or Rigpa, and we
can then apprehend the empty state. That is the experience of being
without thoughts. But for our practice to be Dzogchen, clarity and
awareness must be equally present with this empty state. Emptiness
alone is not sufficient. If we just practice Shamatha alone, then it is
quite possible that we will be reborn in the higher mental realms of the
Devas. [10] It is crucial to understand that Shamatha alone is not
Dzogchen practice.
In early Tibetan texts, we also find these contradictions between

Dzogchen and Shamatha. The Dzogchen texts insist that
clarity and awareness must be inseparably present with the empty

state; Shunyata alone is not Dzogchen. Not understanding this is a
cause of confusing the two, Dzogchen and Shamatha. This is a key
difference between Dzogchen and Ch'an Buddhism, which is usually
expounded in accordance with the Sutra system. [11] In the empty
state, there is nothing special there in terms of focusing, but with
Dzogchen, clarity must be present. Shamatha maintains that it is
sufficient just to stop the arising of discursive thoughts and to refrain
from creating new thoughts. We simply remain in that gap between
thoughts and expand the gap. What is the characteristic of this gap? It
is just an empty space where no thoughts are present Shamatha has
stopped the past thought and impeded the arising of the next thought.
The mind then grasps that empty space and dwells in it. So there is a
perception here, the result of grasping.
But in Dzogchen, there is no grasping at anything. Nor is there

any special searching for an awareness or clarity. The awareness is
already there, present from the very beginning, so there is no necessity
to grasp or apprehend it. There is no perception created by the work of
the mind. No mind work done at all; there is just presence. But in the
case of ordinary Shamatha practice as defined by the Sutra system,
there must be a percep-tion there, that is, an apprehending of an empty
state devoid of thoughts. There must be a thought present that knows
that there exists a state without thoughts. This thought thinks: "This is
Shamatha!" or "This is an empty state without thoughts!" So here the
mind is functioning even where there are supposedly no thoughts.
That is not Dzogchen. Nevertheless, through the reali-zation and the
perfecting of Shamatha practice, we can attain psychic powers such as
clairvoyance (mngon-shes) and telekinesis (rdzu-'phrul). These
develop because we have learned how to con-trol the mind.
How do we verify that we are in the Natural State? How do we

know when we are in it and when we have fallen out of it?
We can use methods here such as Guru Yoga and fixation on the
white A. When we have been introduced to the Natural State, we
know what it is from our direct experience. Then we can focus on the
white A and look back into our mind and find nothing there. Then we
continue in that state of presence. We know what the Natural State is
because we have been introduced to it previously. If we are in the
Natural State or Rigpa, it is just present there, and there is no problem
or doubt. We do not need to examine it to see whether it is actually
Rigpa or not. If we begin to examine, that is the work of the mind and
we have gone beyond the Natural State. We are again caught up in
thoughts. We are cre-ating something. The Natural State is Rang-rig,
or self-awareness as such; it knows itself without having recourse to
any secondary thoughts or cognitions. Once we know its true
condition, we can enter into it in the same way each time. It is just
itself and knows itself. We do not have to verify it each time.
What can we do about subtle thoughts that arise? When a

discursive thought dissolves, we have a moment of clarity. We are in a
state of clear awareness. But if this clarity is not fully present, then
subtle thoughts can arise. However, if we do not interfere with them or
elaborate them, they will dissolve. Then just dwell in that moment
when the thought dissolves. Do not try to do or change anything, but
gently intensify the sense of awareness. The perception which
apprehends the gap between thoughts is an experience; it is not what
we mean by Rigpa. Shamatha, as we have explained, apprehends this
gap, this empty space, and this apprehending thought is subtle.
Dzogchen allows even that subtle thought or apprehension to dissolve
and self-liberate. Then we leave everything just as it is. There is no
thinking or apprehen-ding. If we try to do something like perceive or
apprehend an empty space, we fall out of the Natural State. Rather, in
Dzogchen that empty state itself is awareness and knows itself
because emptiness and awareness are inseparable.
The Natural State is just itself and nothing else, whether thoughts
are arising or not. Having no thoughts (mi rtog-pa) is not the essential
practice of Dzogchen. There is nothing wrong with having thoughts; it
is natural for thoughts to arise. They represent the creative potentiality
or dynamism (rtsal) of the Nature of Mind. When we are in the
Natural State, there are no special thoughts associated with it. The
Natural State is always there whether thoughts are present or not. The
problem is to recognize this Natural State without being distracted by
thoughts. Watching thoughts arise and dissolve again is one way to
discover this for ourselves. It is like having an open window. There is
no special apprehending or grasping involved. And if we are familiar
with this practice of continuing in the Natural State, then when we
find ourselves in the Bardo after death, we will also be able to enter
into the Natural State. This will be like an only son who comes home
to his mother's lap.
However, although we have been introduced to the Natural State,

it is still possible for doubts to arise subsequently. In terms of doing
practice, different people have different capacities. So even though we
have been directly introduced, we may develop doubts where we
think: "It is like this or that." Individuals have differing notions and
understanding. We may possess a memory of having once been in the
Natural State. But we have no refer-ence point for this Natural State in
our memory because memory is dualistic. Memories are thoughts and
thoughts represent the working of the mind; they are not the Natural
State. Memories, however, may help us to come back to the practice
once we have lost it. When we enter the Natural State again, this
memory, being a thought, dissolves. We are totally present; we do not
live in the memory. If doubts arise, they are just thoughts. Just look
back at this doubt and it dissolves.
The Natural State is beyond all thoughts and words. It just is, and
it is inconceivable and inexpressible. But we must have our own
personal experience of thoughts dissolving, and not just hear
an explanation in words alone. How can we introduce the moon to a

child? We point at the moon; the child looks at our finger and listens
to our description and explanation. Our finger does not need to touch
the moon, yet the moon is introduced to the child. So an explanation
in words may be helpful by way of an introduction, but Dzogchen in
itself is beyond thought and speech.
What is the benefit derived from realizing this Dzogchen nature?

What is the purpose of all this? When we practice according to Sutra
and Tantra, we cultivate Bodhichitta as our intention and we think of
releasing other beings from the prison of Samsara. Now when we
practice being in the Natural State, this is certainly of benefit to us and
our happiness and peace of mind, but what of the benefit to other
beings? Is this not like the Arhat of the Hinayana Sutra system who is
thinking only of his own benefit and release from Samsara? If this is
so, how can we then say that Dzogchen is the highest teaching? We
can justly say that it is the highest because all virtuous qualities are
already inherent in the Natural State from the very beginning. They
spontaneously exist there, and include Bodhichitta, the perfec-tions of
Dana (generosity) and the rest, as well as the Shilas (moral precepts)
of the Vinaya.
So if we practice the Natural State, this alone, all of these many

virtuous qualities will manifest in us spontaneously and ef-fortlessly.
It is like a panacea, the one medicine that cures all ills. The potential
exists there all the time. Therefore, we do not need to practice these
virtues individually and cultivate them by means of discursive
thoughts. It is like the butter inherent in milk; it is there all the time,
even though we do not see it. All of the virtues of the Path are
inherent in the Natural State, and we do not need to develop them
individually one after the other. The Natural State encompasses all
good things But we must know this first, for without the knowledge
we can stray into wrong actions. This knowledge is the secondary
cause for the manifestation of virtues.
It is like churning milk in order to bring out the butter. The butter is
there all the time in the milk, but it is invisible; the churning is the
secondary cause for its visible manifestation.
In practical terms, in order to realize these virtues, we should also
pray to maintain the connection with the lineage of Dzogchen masters.
This means practicing Guru Yoga regularly and offering puja to the
Guardians and the Dakinis. Of course, this is on the relative level. It is
not that the Natural State needs any of these activities; it is we
ourselves who need them. Because all negative thoughts progressively
dissolve into the Natural State, we find that our minds become much
happier. Virtuous thoughts arise spontaneously and effortlessly.
Nevertheless, Dzogchen does not grasp at anything, even at

virtuous things. In Dzogchen, we do not even grasp at the pres-ence of
awareness. We find no grasping there and no watcher. Both the
watcher and the watched dissolve into the Natural State. Both the
subject side and the object side simultaneously dissolve. But other
schools are not satisfied to let thoughts dissolve and then find nothing
there, no trace at all. They maintain that there must be a thought or a
perception present that knows this state. Such a thought or perception,
however, no matter how subtle, still represents grasping. This is not
Dzogchen.
They assert that a subtle thought that knows this Shunyata must
be present there, for otherwise we can know nothing at all. Only the
presence of such a thought makes knowledge possible. When we
practice Shamatha, we must have the presence of some object,
whether a visible object like a white A, or a sound, or our breathing,
etc. Then we find the gap between thoughts and focus on that empty
space. We apprehend something, this empty space, and so there is a
thought present there which knows that empty space. It knows this
gap; it knows that there is a state devoid of thoughts. In other words,
there is a thought which knows non-thought.
But this is not what Dzogchen asserts. According to Dzogchen,

the Natural State is awareness as such; it is Rang-rig or self-aware; it
does not need some other thought or perception to know it. Dzogchen
says to let thoughts liberate of themselves and then just let everything
be. It is just being in itself, and not the presence of some thought
which knows "Just being." So this self-aware state is beyond thought.
Thoughts arise and if we are in the state of presence (rig-pa), then
there will be no interference with these thoughts. Thoughts come and
go and the state is just as it is (ji bzhin-pa).
Action
How are we to connect our Dzogchen practice in meditation with
the activities of our ordinary worldly life? Meditation (sgom-pa) is
only one side, whereas the activities of daily life (spyod-pa) are the
other. How can we link and connect them? And what benefit will we
find in this? We experience the ill effects of the passions or negative
emotions in our lives. and it is very difficult to stop them from doing
this. It seems at times as if these negative emotions rule our lives.
What antidotes can we apply to them?
The principal Dzogchen practice is to develop our capacity to

continue in the Natural State. The more familiar we become with
contemplation, the greater becomes its strength. We become calmer
and disturbances grow less. The presence of the Natural State reduces
the power of the passions and we manifest many virtuous qualities.
We come to understand that external pheno-mena are not real, that
they lack any inherent existence. Having understood this, we become
less attracted to objects and it becomes easier to control the passions.
In our meditation sessions, we may practice keeping in the

Natural State, even for long periods of time, but it is not so easy to
apply this to our worldly life. Madhyamaka may be used to
150 ~ Bonpo Dzogchen Teaching
counter our belief in the inherent existence of external things, but what
about the situation when a robber faces us on the road? Do we just
think "He has no inherent existence" and he will just go away? When
we meet something that is not according to our wishes, we have an
emotional reaction of anger. This is because of our ingrained habit of
thought, thinking that things exist inherently. Our meditation may not
make the robber go away, but it can undermine the power of our
emotional reaction to him, so that our mind is perfectly calm and clear,
and we can make an appropriate response to our circumstances.
What is this inherent existence? We see a blue flower and we

think that it really exists out there as an object, that it exists inherently.
But this represents ignorance. We see things and think that they exist
independently. And then we react to them emo-tionally. This basic
and fundamental ignorance that falsely as-sumes the inherent
existence of phenomena is the root cause of our negative emotions or
passions. Everything else represents a secondary cause or occasion for
the manifesting of these passions. To eliminate them categorically and
comprehensively, we must go to their root cause. Otherwise, we
simply attack the symptoms and not the cause. Ignorance means a lack
of awareness; we see things in a false way. We think things have an
inherent existence and so we grasp at them, and we experience
attachment or aversion towards them. Then we have an emotional
reaction of one, or the other, of the passions. Once this process starts,
it is almost automatic and very difficult to stop. So we go to the cause.
We can lessen attachments by means of meditating on Shunyata.
How can we understand Shunyata? Take again the example of the

blue flower. Pull apart the petals and where is the flower? We find that
there is nothing left behind. The flower is only a name for a
phenomenon that we create with our minds and then use for purposes
of communication. But it is nothing in itself. However, the naming
misleads us because we think that what we name must exist and be
real, whereas it is only a name. Language
has come to dominate our consciousness and we think things actually

exist because we name them and speak about them. We falsely think
that language mirrors reality. We give the world a structure according
to our use of language. But we mislead ourselves. We should
understand that this whole system of phenomena has been created by
ourselves. Not understanding this, ignorance gives rise to the passions.
But meditation can weaken the force of the passions by attacking this
link, this fundamental belief in the inherent existence of things.
In the same way, when we practice being in the Natural State, we

come to understand experientially that thoughts may arise but they
leave no trace behind. So, for the Natural State, there are no karmic
traces left behind. It is totally free of them, intrinsically free. Thus we
find here no bad seeds deposited as causes for negative thoughts or
consequences in the future. But remember, this is only true when we
are actually in the Natural State; for the ordinary everyday condition
of our mind, everything works in terms of karmic causality.
How do we understand our worldly life and integrate the Natural

State into it? What we have discussed above is one meth-od. All
phenomena are empty and created by our minds. With an
understanding of this we lessen the power of attachments and passions
and their hold over us grows weaker. We no longer grasp so strongly
at anything. Madhyamaka tells us that every-thing is made up of our
thoughts, that is, of names. But actually there is a different notion in
Dzogchen; everything is a reflection or a projection of mind (sems kyi
snang-ba). If we look into a calm pool of water, we see our entire
world reflected, that is, sky, sun, moon, stars, mountains, trees,
everything. But if we search, we do not find any of them there. There
is nothing there, but we see everything reflected in the water. If we
touch the reflection, we find only water. In the same way, all
appearances arise in the Natural State and they dissolve again into the
Natural State.
We can say that there is no inherent existence, but it is difficult to

understand this in concrete terms because we are so habituated to
think otherwise. However, engaging in this examination of
phenomena, and meditating on the emptiness of all phenomena, helps
us to become less attached to the things of everyday life. Dzogchen
asserts that not only is everything empty, but that everything is a
projection, a manifestation of energy (rtsal).
That is the first point here. Second, we should make an

examination of the phenomena of our daily life. If we practice
Thodgal, we will get visions. After the sessions of practice, we should
compare these visions with the vision which is our daily life, our
everyday karmic vision of human existence. The experiences of the
Thodgal visions in sunlight or dark retreat provide us with an example
of how visions arise and develop from the Natural State. When we do
practice in a dark retreat, we will see visions with colors and shapes,
and even though they may seem to be very real, we know that they do
not have any inherent existence. If they did have an inherent existence,
how would we be able to see them in a totally dark room when our
physical eye cannot function? We may see a wild yak in our dark
retreat room, although we know that this room is much too small to
hold such a huge beast. We can see visions of the whole world in this
room, although we know that the whole world could not fit inside it.
Everything looks bright and clear and real, yet they are only
projections. These are not real trees and mountains and yaks that we
see in the room. Yet we see them and they look solid and real. These
visions or appearances (snang-ba) are not seen by the physical eye or
the eye consciousness; they are seen by Rigpa and they represent the
energy or potentiality of Rigpa (rig-pa'i rtsal). Then they dissolve.
They are liberated into the source out of which they have come in the
first place.
If we examine matters, we discover that these Thodgal visions

and the visions we call ordinary life share the same
quality. Our vision of everyday normal life also arises from the
Natural State, dwells in the Natural State, and dissolves into the
Natural State. However, do not make these comparisons with ordinary
life while in the Natural State, only afterwards.
Another comparison we can make is with dreams. The visions we
call everyday life arise from our minds as projections. They are like
dreams. They both seem real, these visions in the dream state and
these visions in the waking state. But if we follow after a dream, what
do we find? When we wake up, we find that nothing remains.
Comparing them, we find that the dream state and the waking state,
both being composed of our visions, that is, our projections, are
equally unreal. Therefore, there is no point in grasping at these
delusions and having emotional reactions to them.
Normally when we see phenomena we like, we desire them, and

when we see phenomena we do not like, we become angry. But they
are just phenomena or appearances. We must under-stand this, not just
intellectually, but experientially. We can get intellectual
understanding from reading a book or from hearing a lecture, but we
get experiential understanding from practice. So practicing this
comparison is useful to make us calm and less attached.
Fruit
Now that we know what the Natural State is, how to con-tinue in
the practice of the Natural State, and how take it into everyday life, we
need to know what the results of practice are and what the ultimate
goal is. This knowledge provides us with the reasons why we do
practice. If we do not have this basic background, then we will not last
very long in a Dzogchen retreat. But if we have a solid foundation,
then the results will surely come.
We must consider the benefits of practicing Dzogchen. These

benefits are both immediate and ultimate. The immediate benefit is
that our mind becomes calmer and less disturbed by external
circumstances and the unfavorable conditions of life. And since we
experience less attachment and aversion towards things, our passions
or negative emotions grow less and less, and we create less negative
karma for ourselves. The ultimate benefit is that we realize liberation
from Samsara and attain the enlightenment of a Buddha, manifesting
the Rainbow Body of Light. That is to say, through the practice of
Thekchod, we come to realize the pri-mordially pure state of the
Dharmakaya itself, which is the Fruit, and through the practice of
Thodgal we come to realize the spontaneous manifestation of the
Rainbow Body, both t~e Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya, which
is also the Fruit. [12]
But what about other sentient beings? Our perceptions of them are
ultimately illusions. Are they empty phenomena and lacking any
inherent existence? Yet all of them also possess the Natural State and
are as equally caught up in their unreal projections as we are,
depending on their individual and collec-tive karmic causes. What can
we do to help to liberate them from their suffering in Samsara?
If we actually realize experientially that all phenomena are

illusion and then progress through the four stages in the development
of vision (snang-ba bzhi), we will find that our entire vision of the
world will become like rainbow light. The very solidity of reality will
dissolve before us spontaneously and, in return, be reabsorbed back
into its source. Even our own physical body, which is the result of
karmic causes and a manifestation of human karmic vision, will
dissolve into rainbow light and vanish into space. [13] All our visions
will dissolve, and for us reality itself is exhausted (bon-nyid zad-pa)
and vanishes, including the vision of our own material body. It has
dissolved progressively into rainbow light and then into empty space.
But all other sentient beings, who are still caught up in their
ignorance, remain behind in Samsara. However, we have not
abandoned them. Because we are now fully and permanently in the
Natural State, the virtuous quality of the great compassion for all
sentient beings, which is inherent in it, manifests spontane-ously and
without limitations. This compassion is total, the great compassion,
because it is extended to all sentient beings impar-tially. And by virtue
of the power of this spontaneous compas-sion, we reappear to
Samsaric beings as a Body of Light in order to teach them and help
guide them along the path to liberation and enlightenment. This is the
natural and spontaneous activity of a Buddha.
Conclusion
If we understand the real meaning and nature of Dzogchen, then it is
not necessary for us to do anything special. If people slander us, it will
make no difference because it will only be like an echo in a cave.
Whether people say good things or bad things about us, it is the same
empty sound. The point is that we have come to an understanding and can
apply that understanding in our lives. All virtuous qualities already
spontaneously exist in the Natural State. We do not need to seek anything
else beyond the Natural State.
At the end of a session of practice, we should recite the dedication

and prayers to send away any external and internal disturbances. This
is how we practice Dzogchen on a daily basis. If we realize the Natural
State and, having practiced it for some time, find that we are not ready to
attain the Rainbow Body, then we must make a proper connection with
regard to our next life. This is one primary reason for practicing in our
present life. Thus we can do Bardo practice and Phowa practice before we
actually die, and thereby we can gain some first-hand experience of what
to do when the time does come to die, and thereafter in the
Bardo. This is making preparation before doing the actual prac-tice at

the time of death. In this way, we can prepare ourselves for realizing
enlightenment in the Bardo after death or in our future life. These
Bardo and Phowa practices have been explained elsewhere. [14]
CHAPTERS
Rushans: The Preliminary Practices of

Dzogchen
Talks by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Coos Bay, Oregon, November 1991.
Transcribed and edited by John Myrdhin Reynolds
Rushan Exercises
Here we shall briefly introduce the Rushan practices of
Dzogchen. Rushans are the main preparation for entering into
Dzogchen and for discovering "the Nature of Mind" (sems-nyid) as
opposed to "mind" or the thought process (sems). This distinc-tion is
very important for Dzogchen. Rushans represent the real Ngondro
(sngon-'gro) or preliminary practices for Dzogchen. Generally, we
speak of external Rushans, internal Rushans, and secret Rushans. In
the Bonpo tradition, these three kinds of Rushans are found, and it is
customary to practice certain of the exercises for forty-nine days in a
retreat. In these preparatory exercises, there is much visualization
practice, really quite similar to the T antra system. But these are not
Dzogchen as such. The actual Rushans representing the real
preliminary practices for Dzogchen introduce us to the Nature of
Mind.
Impermanence of Life
But first we must say something about preliminary practices
(sngon-'gro) in general. These preliminaries are very important and
very necessary in both Buddhism and Bon. They represent
the gateway or entrance to the practice of both Tantra and Dzogchen.

They serve as a guide instructing us in what to do and what to think
when we do practice. [1]
In general, we realize that our normal everyday life is imper-
manent and that death will eventually come to us. But we do not know
when the hour of death will come. Among the preliminary practices
there is a meditation on the impermanence of life in order to make this
knowledge concrete for us. Death can come to us at any moment and
it is sheer delusion to think otherwise. And if death were to suddenly
come upon us, what could we do? Therefore, in the spiritual life
generally, as found in all religious traditions, and also in Bon, there is
much emphasis on consid-ering what happens after death and in the
future life. This is very important. According to Buddhism and Bon, it
is karmic causes, what we have done in the past, that will bring future
conse-quences, both good and bad. So we should not lose ourselves in
the vain pursuit of wealth and worldly success because these will be of
no help or benefit to us after we die. All sentient beings desire
happiness and to avoid suffering, yet most of them do not know how to
realize this. It is karmic causes that bring about future happiness or
sorrow.
Karmic Causes and Consciousness

Karmic causes are discussed very much in the texts of both
Buddhism and Bon. But how do we accumulate them? Virtuous
actions such as generosity, not harming others, and so on, create
positive karmic causes and in the future they bring about happy
results. But it is not enough just to talk about doing good deeds and
avoiding bad deeds. In our present life here and now, we are
experiencing the fruits of what we have done in past lives. These past
causes are not changed or modified by our actions in this present life
because they have already been accumulated and their consequences
will inevitably come in the same way as the shadow
Rushans: The Preliminary Practices of Dzogchen - 159
follows a body. But we can affect future consequences and future

lives by our actions in the present that create new karmic causes.
Therefore, in the present we can make a preparation for our future life.
This begins by cultivating a good motivation.
Each of us, as an individual sentient being, has our body, speech
and mind. Now, how do we develop a good motivation in terms of
these three? First we must understand how we accu-mulate positive
and negative karmic causes. We have eight kinds of consciousness and
among them the most fundamental is the Kunzhi Namshe (kun-gzhi
rnam-shes) or base consciousness. We call it the basis of everything
(kun-gzhi) because it is the basis for the transmission of all karmic
traces or bagchaks (bag-chags). It is called Alayavijnana in Sanskrit,
and all of the other conscious-nesses evolve out of it. Second, there is
the defiled mind con-sciousness or Klishta-manovijnana (nyon-shes)
and, third, there is the mind consciousness or Manovijnana (yid-shes).
Finally there are the five sense consciousnesses, and this makes a total
of eight Namshes or consciousnesses. The Madhyamaka philosophy
as-serts that there are only six consciousnesses: the five sense
consciousnesses and the mental consciousness. According to Ma-
dhyamaka, ignorance, here meaning the defiled mental con-sciousness
(klishta-manovijnana), is not a special consciousness, and so there are
only six, whereas the Chittamatra philosophy, as well as T antra and
Dzogchen, explains the working of conscious-ness and the
transmission of karmic causes in terms of these eight kinds.
How do these eight work? The five sense consciousnesses

operate in conjunction with the corresponding sense organs and sense
objects. All three, that is, the sense organ, the sense object, and the
sense consciousness, must be present for there to be a sense
perception. But then, this raw sense data must be correlated with
memories (dran-pa) and with mind (yid) in order for this raw sense
data to be organized into a recognizable object, which is then
identified by a name. This work is done by the mental
consciousness, and so the five sense consciousnesses act like servants

continually collecting data, and are controlled by the mental
consciousness which is like their lord or king. If the mind is a
powerful ruler, he sends his five loyal servants out to engage in
different kinds of activities appropriate to their capacities. The eye
consciousness captures forms, shapes, colors, and so on, and brings
these back to his master. The ear consciousness, and the rest, act in a
similar way.
This is rather like bees going everywhere to take nectar from
flowers and returning with it to the hive so that it can be made into
honey. Our perceptions are like this honey; the raw sense data of the
senses must be transformed into perceptions by the mind. Then at the
end of this process, we are aware of the perception, but not the actual
material, the raw sense data, out of which it was constructed. The
sense consciousnesses, like the worker bees, do not make any
evaluation of the perception as being good or bad; they do not judge. It
is the mental con-sciousness that makes the decision good or bad. And
then the per-ception mixed with this judgment is imprinted on the
Kunzhi, or base consciousness, like making an impression on soft
clay. That reaction to the original perception made by the mental
consciousness is stored there and, in our ignorance, we do not focus
on our actual immediate external experience, but we focus on this data
stored in the Kunzhi and think "self'', that is, we appropriate it or think
it is "mine", and thus grasp at it and become attached to it.
So the focus of attention is on the stored data in the Kunzhi and

not on reality. Thus the five sense consciousness are like the servants
who run about everywhere in the world collecting wealth to bring
back to the house of their master, the mental consciousness, who is
like the king. He gathers together and tallies all this wealth of the
senses, and then he deposits it in his treasury or storage hall; this is the
Kunzhi. But he does not enjoy this treasure; that is done by his wife,
the Klishta-manovijnana, or
defiled mental consciousness. It is she who thinks "All this treas-ure is

mine! I love it!" So this is how we collect karmic causes, and these are
retained in the Kunzhi. But karmic causes are not something material,
so there is always surplus room in the Kunzhi storehouse for more.
There is no limit here, for we have been accumulating karmic causes
over an infinity of past lives from time without beginning.
When we go to sleep at night, the five sense consciousnesses

dissolve into the Kunzhi. During the waking state, the five senses are
focused on the external world, but during sleep they return to the
Kunzhi, like a turtle drawing his limbs into his shell when he is
frightened. During dreamless sleep, there is only the Kunzhi present,
but during sleep there are also periods when we have dreams. At that
time, mental consciousness comes back into operation, but the five
senses are still dormant. The material of dreams arises from inside,
from the Kunzhi, rather than from out-side as with the senses. Most of
our dreams during the night are connected with recent daytime
memories because that material was freshly stored in the Kunzhi. But
at deeper levels, there are also memory traces left from previous lives.
Everything is there in the Kunzhi, our entire past history over
countless lives; nothing has been lost. So dreams arise from these
causes deposited in the Kunzhi.
Also, the after-death experience of the Bardo is quite similar to

the dream state. The Kunzhi is there all the time; it is not destroyed by
an individual death. All of the past karmic traces are there in the
Kunzhi Namshe and they are causes for the arising of karmic visions
in the Bardo of Existence, the Sidpa Bardo (srid-pa bar-do). In the
Bonpo tradition, we find Sutra, Tantra and Ozog-chen, and in all three
the existence of the Bardo between death and rebirth is taught. When
our mind experiences death and leaves behind the lifeless physical
body, our mind-stream contin-ues to have experiences because the
karmic causes still remain in the Kunzhi Namshe. We can have rough
thoughts linked to the
passions, as well as subtle thoughts linked to movements of subtle

psychic energy (rlung, Skt. prana), and both of these can have effects.
There is a union of mind and subtle prana which occurs, and this
unification is necessary for rebirth to occur. Some schools maintain
that it is the Kunshe Namshe itself, the store-house or base
consciousness, that takes rebirth, but Madhyamaka denies this and
asserts that it is the mental consciousness (mano-vijnana) that
undergoes rebirth. In any event, this mental con-sciousness is
functioning in the Bardo. We see and feel just as we do in normal life
or in a dream. We feel that we are inside a body with all its senses
operating, even though it is not a material body, but a mind-made
subtle body (yid Ius). When we wake up from a dream, we know that
the dream was unreal and not true. We realize that it was only a
dream. But actually, we find ourselves in the same condition with the
same feelings, whether we are in the dream state or the waking state.
The same occurs in the inter-mediate state of the Bardo.
There is no precise time limit for the Bardo experience; forty-nine

days is only a convention. We have the same feeling in the Bardo that
we have in the dream state. At this moment, we think that the dream
state is unreal and not true, whereas the waking state is real and true.
Yet they are both the same condition and arise from karmic causes.
Karmic causes give rise to our karmic visions, whether in the dream
state, in the waking state, or in the Bardo. And they condition our
future rebirth. So we need to be aware and scrupulous about
accumulating positive karmic causes.
The accumulating of karmic causes by the mind (yid, Skt. manas)
is fundamental and crucial. The mind is the great collec-tor. For
example, we may have a perception, the mind judges this, and we
have an emotional reaction of anger. The mind then collects this
thought complex and deposits it in the Kunzhi Namshe. It is imprinted
and retained there in the vast Kunzhi storehouse. But how can we stop
this process? How can we stop this linking up with the emotional
defilements and with igno-
ranee? Ignorance is the most difficult of all to stop because we have

been habituated to ignorance for a long period of time. And it distorts
everything; it distorts how we see reality, like a yellow dye on the
glass of our spectacles that colors yellow everything we see. So, it is
very difficult to see things clearly. This distortion is the result of
ignorance and the passions.
All of our different kinds of consciousness are mixed up with this
habit of ignorance; only just before we attain Buddhahood do we
finally purify this radical and fundamental ignorance. But oth-erwise,
it is extremely hard to purify ourselves of it. When we look out at the
world, we do not see what is really there, rather, we perceive what has
already been deposited within us, our karmic causes. Our vision of the
external world is really a projec-tion of our own internal condition; the
external forms we per-ceive are influenced and distorted by our mind.
The external object that we perceive does not exist inherently, so it is
our ignorance that looks backward at itself and grasps at the object as
being substantial and real.
As the result of this mistaken assessment, the passions come into

existence as emotional reactions and impulses. In this way all the
passions or negative emotions are created. If ignorance was not
present there at the very beginning, the passions would not arise. Just
look back into ourselves and observe how this igno-rance functions.
For example, if we intend to go to war, we must first know who is our
enemy and what are his capabilities. We do not just jump into battle
immediately. So we must recognize what the emotional defilements
are and how they work, for it is by means of these defilements that we
accumulate negative karmic causes. But there is also the possibility of
accumulating positive karmic causes through acts of generosity,
meditating on the Bud-dha image, and so on.
There are two principal types of karmic causes: collective and

individual. For example, all human beings possess the same karmic
cause for a human rebirth and for human karmic vision.
That is why we, as human beings, see the world in the same way. But
the Devas and the Asuras and the Pretas see the world very differently
from the way we humans do because they possess dif-ferent collective
karmic causes. We humans all see the ocean in the same way, but the
ocean looks quite different to a fish or a Naga living in its dimension
of water.
We also have our individual karmic causes which bring about our
individual existence and circumstances. For example, there is a man
and some people see him as a friend, while others see him as an
enemy even though he is the same man. This is according to
individual karmic causes. In himself, he is none of these things.
Nothing has an inherent existence, but everything depends on the
causes of perception. When an individual human being dies, his share
of the collective vision possessed by humanity dissolves, just as when
the sun finally sets in the west, all of its rays are gone, but the sky
remains. So even though the individual cause dis-solves, the collective
cause remains because all other humans still participate in it.
Even though it is said that in Dzogchen there are no rules, it is not

a matter of just going about everywhere and doing as we please. This
is because, unless we are actually in the Natural State, karmic
causality continues to operate as long as the mind oper-ates. Some
teachings have a direct meaning, whereas others have an indirect
meaning. So when we hear the statements made in Dzogchen texts, it
is very important to understand their context. It is important not to
confuse and mix up these different types of meanmg.
So, the principal thing here is for us to collect the ten virtues in
terms of our activities of body, speech and mind. In terms of the body,
we do not kill or steal or rape. In terms of speech, we do not lie,
slander, use harsh speech, or gossip. And in terms of the mind, we do
not have ill will, covetous thoughts, or wrong views. These ten virtues
accumulate good karmic causes, whereas the ten vices do the
opposite. But if we have bad karmic causes,
then we need to release and purify them. We require methods to

accomplish this, and this represents the spiritual path.
Methods of Purification
Even the Buddha himself was once an ordinary human being like
us. But how did he attain realization? He followed the teach-ings of
the previous Buddhas and practiced these teachings. Thereby he
realized enlightenment and liberation from Samsara and, in turn, he
gave the teachings to others. Anyone who follows the teachings of the
Buddhas will most certainly attain results and purify negative karmic
causes. Then that person will be like a man who has caught smallpox
in the past; he will never catch it again because he is immune. The
sickness of Samsara will never come back. And this is the purpose of
following the teachings.
In the Bon tradition we have three principal methods for ac-
complishing release from the karmic causes of the passions or
emotional defilements: Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. Take the. ex-
ample of finding a poisonous plant blocking our path. According to
the Sutra method, we must avoid it, or else burn and destroy it utterly.
The methods employed by the Sutras represent the path of
renunciation (spong lam). But it is not necessary to destroy the
poisonous plant because, if we know the proper method, we can
transform the poison into medicine. That is the method of the Tantras
and it represents the path of transformation (sgyur lam). But if we do
not touch the plant and just leave it be, the poison will not harm us.
This is the method of Dzogchen which represents the path of self-
liberation (rang grollam).
The Sutra system employs various antidotes in order to con-trol
the passions, whereas the T antra system uses visualization to
transform negative karmic vision into positive pure vision in our
imagination. This is done with the mind, but the method in Dzogchen
is different because Dzogchen goes beyond the mind. When the
emotional defilements arise, we do not follow after
them or give them support in any way. Nor is there any searching for
antidotes or transformations. When they arise, we just leave them as
they are and they will dissolve of themselves. Their ener-gy will
dissipate. They go away and do us no harm. In Dzogchen, we leave
everything just as it is and it self-liberates. Thoughts can do no harm
and they leave no traces behind. These are the princi-pal methods for
purifying the kleshas or passions and for puri-fying negative karmic
causes.
The Outer Rushans

Now, having understood something about the inter-relation-ship
of karmic causes and consciousness, we can see the purpose of
preparation in Dzogchen. Here there are the preliminary practices
known as Khorde Rushan Chewa ('khor 'das ru-shan dbye-ba), which
means distinguishing between Samsara and Nir-vana. We first have to
know what is good about Nirvana and what is bad about Samsara. It is
always imperative to know clearly the purpose of our practice,
otherwise we may not persist in it. Nirvana means a state where all
negative karmic causes and all obscurations have been purified.
Samsara is cyclical existence, the beginningless cycle of death and
rebirth, where in each lifetime we experience suffering.
Principally we speak of six realms or destinies ('gro-ba drug) and

each has its characteristic forms of suffering. If we are reborn in the
hell realms, for example, then we experience great suf-fering of heat
and cold. When we are experiencing such intense suffering, how is it
then possible to do any practice? The Rushan exercises, however, can
give us some experience of what it is like there. If we are reborn in the
Preta realm, then we experience intense hunger and thirst. But we do
not die from this suffering until the energy of the karmic cause for
Preta rebirth is exhausted. Reborn in the animal world, whether as a
wild animal or as a domestic animal, we experience suffering. Even in
the
most pleasant realm of the Devas, where we possess great powers and
long life, when our good karma for Deva rebirth is exhausted, we will
suffer death and rebirth elsewhere. So there is no refuge from
suffering anywhere in Samsara.
Now it is possible for us to accumulate karmic causes and then
act on them, and it is also possible to accumulate karmic causes and
not act on them. For example, we may become angry and kill
someone, but we may become angry and not kill anyone. It is also
possible to kill someone when we are not angry, such as soldiers do in
a war. They just shoot other soldiers and do not even know the names
of those they kill. In all of these cases, we are collecting karmic
causes. However, at the time when the fruits ripen, we will experience
different results depending on the precise causes. Sometimes the
results come immediately, and at other times only after a long while,
perhaps in a future life. This is because, in order for a karmic cause to
manifest its result, cer-tain other conditions or circumstances must be
present as secon-dary causes. If these secondary causes are not
present, then the primary cause does not manifest its result.
In general, karmic causes are not only associated with anger, but
also very much with desire. If there is too much desire in the mind-
stream of the individual, this will lead to rebirth in the Preta world as a
hungry ghost. A hungry ghost continually experiences frustration of
his desires, especially of great hunger and thirst which are never
satisfied. This experience of suffering in the dimension of the
Pretaloka is created by desire, just as suffering in the dimension of the
hell worlds is created by anger. But if we have practiced many acts of
generosity in our past life, then our suffering in the Pretaloka will be
correspondingly less. We may have the cause for human rebirth and
find ourselves reborn here on earth, but some humans are born into
favorable circumstances, some are not. Some are rich and some are
poor. Some may live an honest and good moral life, yet bad results
come; while others live a dishonest and immoral life and good results
come. They
become rich and famous. This all depends on what karma the
individual has accumulated in previous lives. A dishonest, ungen-
erous, and immoral person is accumulating bad karma in this present
life, even though the results of this karma may not manifest until a
future life. Their present fame and fortune are representing the results
of their stock of past good karma. But this stock will be soon
exhausted and they will fall and find them-selves in much less
fortunate circumstances. Such an individual is like a mad dog who
bites many people and then dies himself. The effects of karmic
causality are not limited to a single lifetime but exist within a
continuum of lifetimes. So do not be deceived. The results of present
actions will surely come.
There are cases where we tell lies, and do other things to help
people which are normally considered bad, such as killing a ban-dit
who is threatening to rob and harm many people. It all depends on our
intention. If the intention is good, even though the action itself was
bad, the results are much less than if we had the intention to do harm.
And the same applies to good actions. In general, generosity is a good
action, but providing guns to Iraq is something that would cause great
harm to others. So it is not sufficient just to look at the act, we must
always consider the intention, and it is our intention that
fundamentally conditions our karma. That is why we must pay so
much attention to moti-vation, to Bodhichitta.
One function of the Khorde Rushan exercises is to provide us

with experiences, many experiences of all the six realms of rebirth and
this, in turn, provides the conditions or secondary causes for many
karmic causes to manifest their results. Normally these karmic causes
are unconscious, we do not even know of their existence, but here, in
the context of Rushan practice, we provide a space for their results to
manifest. The consequences of these causes manifest as samskaras or
unconscious impulses. By imitating or acting out the activities of
body, speech and mind of diverse beings from the six realms, we
allow the unconscious
impulses deposited in the Kunzhi, which are associated with these

realms, to manifest in consciousness at the present time. With
complete abandon and with no inhibitions whatsoever, we allow the
impulses to manifest and we yell, scream, run about fran-tically, weep.
We do whatever the impulse directs. We act com-pletely like a hell
being, or like a Preta, or some animal such as a lion or like a bird. We
may act like a Deva or an Asura, or many different kinds of people.
There is no limitation. We imitate gods and goddesses such as Siva
and Vishnu and Uma. Even though we become the god Siva and have
the experience of Siva, we still remain in Samsara. Even though we
are Siva, Uma is still constantly making trouble for Siva as her
husband. So we discover that wherever we may be reborn in Samsara,
we find no peace or refuge, and no permanent happiness. Even the
Devas still experi-ence suffering in Samsara.
In these Rushan exercises, we pretend and we do visual-

.•
izations such as actually being a denizen in hell, or a hungry Preta in a
great waterless desert, or a mighty lion in Africa. And through our
activities of body, speech and mind we act out what these beings do
and say and think, according to what impulses spontaneously arise.
The visualizations and sounds we make provide the secondary causes
for the manifesting of these samskaras ('du-byed). But all of this is
done in a retreat, in isolation in the wilderness, far away from people
and towns. Otherwise, if people saw and heard us, they would think
that we have gone mad and send the police to take us to hospital.
Once we have acted out this karma for worldly beings and have
exhausted it, we then imitate the Bodhisattvas and their efforts to help
other beings. This is done through visualization and speaking out
loud. Then we visualize that we are the Buddha surrounded by his
retinue and we are giving teachings to them. We not only visualize
that we are a Buddha, but we actually speak aloud, giving teachings to
this imaginary audience. Our intention is to release them from their
suffering in Samsara. But even a
Buddha does not have the capacity to save everyone because they
have free will. The Buddha is like the sun which sheds its light equally
and impartially everywhere, but the individual must come outdoors,
out of the shadows, in order to receive and enjoy the sunlight. The
individual must voluntarily come to the Buddha, hear the teachings,
understand them and put them into practice before any results, that is,
salvation or liberation from Samsara, can be attained. The individual
cannot be coerced into salvation. But a Buddha can use skillful means
to subdue difficult beings, and so we next visualize ourselves as a
wrathful deity and subdue others, transforming them into disciples
who listen. In this way we come to experience all good and bad
conditions, everything of Samsara and Nirvana. These exercises and
activities represent the outer Rushans.
The Inner Rushans

Then we visualize ourselves successively as the seven Bud-dhas,
that is, the six Dulshen, plus Shenlha Odkar. The latter, Shenlha
Odkar (gShen-lha 'od-dkar), is the Sambhogakaya aspect of the
Buddha. He is a radiant white in color and is attired in all the costly
jewels and silks worn by a great prince, thus signifying the richness
and inexhaustible abundance of the Sambhogakaya. The six Dulshen
(' dul gshen drug) are the six Nirmanakaya Buddhas projected into the
six realms of rebirth in order to teach the path to liberation to the
sentient beings imprisoned there. According to one system, these six
Dulshen are as follows:
1. Mucho Demdrug (mu-cho Idem-drug) is blue and red in color; he

appeared in the hell realms in order to transform anger and hatred
by means of unconditional love and friend-liness.
2. Sangwa Ngangring (gSang-ba ngang-ring) is red in color; he

appeared in the Preta realms in order to transform greed and
desire by means of total generosity.
3. Tisang Rangzhi (Ti-sangs rang-zhi) is blue in color; he appeared
in the animal realms in order to transform igno-rance and
confusion by means of great wisdom and total knowledge.
4. Drajin Pungpa (Gra-byin spungs-pa) is golden in color; he ap-

peared in the human world in order to transform envy and
jealousy by means of total expansiveness.
5. Chegyal Parti (lCe-rgyal par-ti) is light blue in color; he ap-
peared in the Asura realms in order to transform pride and
arrogance by means of total peacefulness.
6. Yeshen Tsugphud (Ye-gshen gtsug-phud) is white in color; he
appeared in the Deva realms in order to transform indolence and
sloth by means of total diligence and vigor.
All of these figures are emanations or projections of the

Nirmanakaya Buddha, T onpa Shenrab Miwoche, who lived in Olmo
Lung-ring in Tazik some 18,000 years ago. He manifested in each of
these dimensions in order to purify these realms and teach the path to
liberation and enlightenment.
We practice being these Buddhas successively for seven days and
recite their mantras. We visualize rays of light in different colors
coming out of our hearts and purifying these six realms. We send
these rays of light into the hell realm, into the Preta realm, and so on,
and manifest Nirmanakaya Buddhas who teach there in those realms.
The beings who reside in those realms turn to the right and listen to
the teachings. We also visualize Yidams appearing in different world
systems. They emanate lights and recite mantras to purify all these
realms and the beings inhabiting them. This method here is very much
like T antra, involving a lot of visualization and transformation,
although that is not the usual
Dzogchen practice. We practice in a retreat in this way for forty-nine

days and these exercises represent the Inner Rushans.
The Secret Rushans

Now we come to the Secret Rushans. All things are created by
our minds. When we look back into ourselves, we see how good
things, like the activities of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas, and
how bad things, like the sufferings of Samsaric beings, are all created
by the mind. Thus Samsara and Nirvana are equally created by the
mind.
Now visualize a white Tibetan letter A in the space in front of us.
Focus on this acutely and do this as long as possible without agitation
or distraction. Then look back and see who it is who is focusing on
this white letter A. We discover that the watcher and what is watched
simultaneously disappear. Again focus on empty space, just the
location in space where the white A had been, but without visualizing
anything. Just gaze into space without thinking anything. And look to
find where the mind is. When we focus on an object like the white A,
we find that the mind be-comes calm and one-pointed. Now we search
to find the mind. Where is it located? Is it inside the body or outside?
Does it have any color, shape, or form? What qualities does it have?
We must do this research and thorough examination in order to
discover for ourselves what the mind is and where it is. What do we
find? We try to search for the Nature of Mind in this way. We must do
this until we are satisfied.
We observe our thoughts: From where do they come? Where do

they stay? Where do they go? Do they arise from inside the body or
from outside? We just focus our gaze into empty space and remain for
some time that way. We just observe; we just look at where thoughts
arise, stay and go. What is their nature? What are their qualities? We
must continue to do this until we are satisfied.
We should do this practice only in short sessions, and then stop.

After a break, do it again. Gradually we can extend the period of time
when we are not distracted or disturbed. In retreat, do four sessions
during the day and four sessions at night. If in the beginning, we stay in
the session too long, or try to force ourselves, we will lose our focus. But
if we practice only in short sessions, things will develop much better. If
we become disturbed, we take a break and go outside and face east or
focus west (gazing into the sky with our back to the sun) and try again.
When the mind is not much distracted, we try to keep it one-pointed. We
discover that the mind never goes away; it is always present. And
although we find an incessant movement of thoughts, the mind is not
something material.
Recognizing the Nature of Mind

We have been continuously searching for the mind. But if we try
to do or correct anything while we are focusing, agitation will disturb
us and thoughts will come more and more. But check to see what is
the condition of the mind, where is it and what does it do. Is it material
or not? Material things have size, shape, and color. Does the mind
have these qualities? Seek to find the mind. However, success in this
searching for the mind will depend on the skill and capacity of the
practitioner. If we are trying to follow the teachings, but we just think
the mind must be like this or that, this thinking itself becomes an
obstacle. Searching for the mind means just looking; it does not mean
thinking or specula-ting philosophically. If we find something from all
this looking, then we must discuss it with the Lama. But if we just
read what is said in the texts or hear explanations, and then think the
mind is this or that, it is not sufficient, even though we utter the
correct answers. Why? Because these explanations, whether correct or
not, are only thoughts created by the mind; they are not the mind
itself. The teachings indeed say the mind is like this or that, and
we may think of the correct answer and repeat it verbally, but this
answer is only something created by mind.
Here in Dzogchen, we are not thinking or creating concepts; we
are simply looking directly at our own immediate experience. When
we discover this experience for ourselves, then we can compare it with
what the texts say. Searching for the Nature of Mind is not just
thinking thoughts about the Nature of Mind. We are searching for the
real truth, what is really there. Thoughts are secondary; they are one or
more steps removed from our imme-diate experience. They are about
the past, but our immediate ex-perience is here and now in the present
moment. What is our immediate experience? Do not think about it;
just look at it. What do we find?
From these Rushan exercises we come to know experientially

that everything of Samsara and Nirvana is created by mind. But just to
know this is not good enough. We see these thoughts, whether good
or bad, arise but now we must search for the Nature of Mind which is
beyond thoughts. It is not necessary to search for thoughts because
thoughts are always there; they arise incessantly. Now we search for
the Nature of Mind which i~ beyond thoughts and beyond the mind.
We must realize by way of our direct immediate experience what is
mind, the incessant arising of thoughts, and what is the Nature of
Mind.
If we do not recognize the import and nature of Dzogchen, and
only cultivate small virtues, this will bring us temporary hap-piness,
but we will not realize the ultimate result. This is because we have not
gone to the root of the matter. We will only come back and circulate
again in Samsara. So the practitioner must understand the necessity of
doing practice. According to the Dzogchen teachings, we must first
recognize the Nature of Mind. Once we have recognized it, then it is
not necessary to keep checking our Nature of Mind to see if it is
correct or not. That checking is the working of the mind, and any
working of the mind interferes with being in the Natural State. The
very act of
checking or examining immediately changes the whole situation, so it

is no longer the Natural State. Therefore, any thinking or examining is
done after the session and not while we are in contemplation.
When we practice, disturbances may come. We can use var-ious

methods to get rid of them and thus our meditation will be-come more
stable. But this meditation, if we do not examine it, is ordinary
meditation (according to the Sutra system), or is it Dzogchen? Is it
merely a state of meditation created by the mind or is it real
contemplation, a state beyond the mind? We look back at the mind
and simultaneously the> watcher and what is watched disappear. But
is this statement correct or not? Does something remain behind? When
the thought dissolves, we just leave everything as it is until the next
thought arises. Is there an empty space or gap between these two
thoughts? Is it really empty? Is it clear? At that moment when the
thought dissolves, is that space clear and bright? If, in that gap, our
presence is very clear, even though there is no thought there, then we
are aware and alert. We are not sleeping. At that moment we have the
possi-bility of realizing the Natural State. But if we think that it must
be like this because it says so in the text, then this is only a thought
created by the mind. It is not immediate experience. Once we know
what the Natural State is, then we do not need to check in order to
decide whether or not we are in the Natural State. If we do so, then we
have fallen out of the Natural State.
So we should simply observe thoughts without trying to change or

modify them. Just keep everything as it is and thoughts will dissolve
by themselves. This is self-liberation. They self-arise and they self-
liberate. But we should not think "empty" or "dis-solved" because that
is thinking, which is the operation of mind. The Natural State is
beyond the mind, and if we start to think, we lose it. So just leave
everything as it is. This state that we discover is inconceivable and
inexpressible. There .is nothing to create here, nothing to develop or
visualize. It is totally complete and
perfected just as it is. That is why we call it Dzogchen or the Great

Perfection. There is nothing to be added to it or subtracted from it;
nothing to be modified or corrected. It is just as it is, totally perfect.
Everything is already there. So just leave it as it is. There is no
problem; so do not create any problems.
Just after a thought dissolves, we may have an experience of no
thought and of emptiness that is inexpressible. After the ses-sion is
over, we can examine and think about this experience; we can even
discuss it and check to see whether our mind is like this or not. We
have a memory of the experience, so we are able to check it. But when
we are in contemplation, in the Natural State, we do not do any
examining or checking because that is the mind working. Each of us
needs to have our individual experience of this. We look back into our
mind at the thought, and then it dis-solves. Does this happen or not?
Do we find this gap between thoughts?
If we realize the Natural State for the moment, then there is no

special description to be made of the state of calm or of the movement of
thoughts. There is just this presence, whether there is calm or movement,
it makes no difference. But this Natural State of Rigpa is not the same as
just relaxing and having a blank mind with no thoughts present for a little
while, or like deep sleep without dreaming, or like unconsciousness
generally. This is because a bright clarity is present here in the Natural
State. We are aware and we are alert, although we are not thinking. This
is nothing special and it is quite normal, but usually we are unaware that
we are aware.
It is also normal for thoughts to arise, and we should recog-nize this

process, as well as the gaps between thoughts. And in those gaps we find
an awareness or presence. That is Rigpa and this gives us the opportunity
to see the Nature of Mind directly and nakedly, that is, without
interference from mind and thoughts. But normaJly we do not recognize
this, just as we do not recognize the presence of the sun in the sky when it
is entirely
filled with clouds. Although we do not see the face of the sun, the sun
is there all the time. If it was not there, we would have no illumination
at all. So we do not think about anything, but just remain in this state
of presence as long as we can. This is the real meditation.
When the next thought arises, we do not try to do anything or

change anything. We just let it arise and leave it as it is. But we are
totally aware. It is like a mirror reflecting whatever is set before it. The
mirror does not have to do anything; it is just its inherent quality to
reflect and it does this effortlessly and natu-rally and spontaneously.
And when we do not interfere by means of the mind, then the thoughts
just liberate by themselves. We do not have to do anything. It is like
the wind blowing the clouds from the sky; they dissolve into space
without our having to do anything. We just watch the thoughts as we
watch the clouds in the sky. We do not care one bit, whether they
come or not. The thoughts liberate and we remain in a state of
awareness. We have no expectations and no regrets. At the beginning
of meditation practice, we wait for the thought to dissolve. This is by
way of an introduction; later we do not need to do this. Dzogchen
means that we leave everything just as it is. We do not need to focus
or to expect or to wait. We do none of these things, yet we are globally
aware and present. So there is nothing special here; we are simply like
the bright, empty sky.
Meditation
Usually meditation means that the mind is working, and there are
stages in this process. We begin with Shamatha, or the calm state of
mind, and eventually this develops into Vipashyana, or higher insight.
Things are explained this way in the Sutra system. The mastery of
Shamatha brings with it a pleasant sensation in the body, a feeling of
blissfulness. There are also experiences of clarity and of being empty
without thoughts. These experiences
occur naturally as the result of our meditation practice. When we

practice meditation successfully for some time, we realize four
successive stages as the result of meditation. These are known as the
four Dhyanas and, as a consequence of realizing them, we have the
possibility of rebirth in the Brahmalokas, the higher mental planes
which are the dimensions of the Brahma gods.
There are sixteen levels or mental planes called Brahmalokas and
they belong to the Rupadhatu, or world of mental forms. Three of
these levels, or Brahmalokas, are correlated with the first Dhyana, the
next three with the second Dhyana, three more with the third Dhyana,
and the seven highest levels with the fourth Dhyana, that is, a total of
sixteen, though some traditions count seventeen. The highest among
all these levels is the Brahmaloka called Akanishtha, or Ogmin ('og-
min), and here dwell the gods of pure light ('od lha). These Brahma
gods are higher than the Devas and the Hindu gods who dwell on the
astral planes of the Kamadhatu or Desire World. The Desire World is
so-called because all of the beings who dwell within it experience
sense desires, whereas the Brahmas live a purely abstract mental
existence, although they inhabit subtle bodies of light. Beyond the
Rupadhatu is the Arupadhatu, or formless dimensions, consisting of
four Samapattis or levels of cosmic con-sciousness. There are also
gods, higher even than the Brahmas, who dwell in these dimensions,
but they have passed beyond form and are invisible.
Nevertheless, all of these levels of existence belonging to the

Kamadhatu, the Rupadhatu, and the Arupadhatu are still part of
Samsara because they are brought about by causes and are
impermanent. The cause of the Dhyanas and the Samapattis is
meditation. The first Dhyana is characterized by examination,
analysis, bliss, rapture, and one-pointedness of concentration. These
factors are progressively reduced as we ascend through the Dhyanas,
until one-pointedness alone remains. Nevertheless, the mind is
opeiating throughout, and the duality of subject and
object persists. The four Samapattis are far more abstract because
there are no concrete objects of meditation but just open, unob-
structed space. With the first Samapatti, our meditation is empty and
expansive like infinite space. At the second Samapatti, our
consciousness becomes infinite. But in both cases there is still duality
and grasping, whether at an infinite empty space like the sky, or at
consciousness itself. At the next two levels there is nothing whatever
specific to grasp or apprehend because only a very subtle
consciousness exists. It is focused as a single point and yet, at the
same time, it is infinite. But consciousness is still there because we are
alive and the body is not dead. There is focusing and apprehension, so
there is still duality, an9 this is not the same as Rigpa or the Natural
State.
The Dhyanas and Samapattis are conditioned states of being
brought about by causes. Therefore, they are impermanent and belong
to Samsara. But the Natural State of Dzogchen is without any grasping
or duality. It is a state beyond the mind and beyond meditation
because it is totally unconditioned. But otherwise, in our development
in meditation, we have these four stages of Dhyana or concentration,
and these bring experiences of pleas-urable sensation to the body and
of bliss to the mind. [2]
We need to have some experience of this. We are trying to attain
a recognition of the Nature of Mind, but these Dhyana states are not
the Nature of Mind. It is a mistake to think so. Rigpa is not meditation.
Meditation is work done by the mind. It is not simply a matter of
having a blank mind or no thoughts; such a state on its own is not the
Natural State. Just being empty like the sky is not the Natural State.
Emptiness as such, or focusing on emptiness, or being as empty as the
sky, or nothing existing, or focusing just on consciousness; none of
these Sama-pattis is the Natural State. They are experiences created by
the mind; they are conditioned and impermanent. In these Dhyanas
and Samapattis, a very subtle consciousness continues to exist and we
focus and apprehend, but this is not the Natural State
according to Dzogchen. We have to find this Natural State which is

beyond the mind for ourselves, and then remain in it as long as
possible. This is what is known as Thekchod and it IS not meditation,
but beyond meditation. It is non-meditation.
When we practice Dzogchen, our state is clear and bright, even
though we do not apprehend anything. We are simply aware. This
non-meditation is the correct meditation. And in this way we discover
the Nature of Mind. Now in our practice, we may allow thoughts to
dissolve, but then we may find that our awareness or sense of presence
is not clear. We may find that we can stay in this state of a blank mind.
This simply looks like unconsciousness. This dull blank state of mind
is called Lung-maten (lung rna bstan) and it is not the correct
meditation. Some practitioners are able to stay in this Lungmaten
condition for hours without distraction, but this state is only an
experience; it is not the Natural State or Rigpa. Certainly, it is a very
deep state, but it is not true samadhi, for real samadhi is without any
grasping, and it is also bright and clear. Ordinary Shamatha is just a
calm state of mind; it is just an experience. In this dull state of
Lungmaten, we cannot even move, so it is like being asleep. It is a
deep, but a dull, meditation. To confuse this with Dzogchen is a
mistake.
When we practice in this way, suddenly we may experience a

very strong grasping like "my!" or "myself!" This arises in a very
uncalled-for way. This event represents the grasping at the inherent
existence of a self as something independent. If we allow ourselves to
pursue this and identify with it, we will mix it into everything and it
will come to disturb us. We develop a sense of self, of self identity,
and it comes to pervade all our experience. And if we continue to
meditate and develop profound levels of concentration, then when we
die we will find ourselves reborn among the long-lived gods in the
Brahmalokas of the Rupadhatu. Nevertheless, this result is
impermanent, even though it may last
for an exceedingly long period of time. Rebirth in heaven does not

represent liberation from Samsara.
Or, on the other hand, we may practice and have an expe-rience
of emptiness and no thought, and then we may conclude that
ultimately nothing exists. All mind, all bliss, all karma, and so on,
simply vanish. If we pursue this experience, it is possible that we may
fall into a nihilistic view This is not correct.
Or, we may observe the arising of thoughts and then grasp at them
very strongly, thinking "my country", "my family", or whatever. This
will not bring us to the real practice of Dzogchen in meditation. But, at
other times, we may meditate and keep ourselves in the pure
Dzogchen view. Theughts may arise, but we do not interfere with
them or grasp at them with the mind, and so they dissolve again of
their own accord. They self-liberate (rang grol). But even though they
dissolve, our awareness or sense of presence, our sense of being there,
remains very bright and clear. All of the senses are functioning at their
optimum, and yet we do not move from the Natural State. That is the
correct Dzogchen practice and the right view.
Sometimes we may feel that we do not want just to remain in the

Natural State, but that we want to practice the visualizations of the
deities and mandalas, and so on. So, it is better at that time to do some
sort of T antric practice. Indeed, some people are not satisfied at all
with the Dzogchen view and want to do visual-ization practice. Let
them do it, by all means. But if we want to be a Dzogchenpa, we must
realize that there is nothing here to be created by the mind. If
something is created by the mind, it is artificial and temporary; it is
not the Natural State. If we have not discovered the Nature of Mind
and the inseparability of clarity and emptiness, then all of this
visualizing of mandalas and deities will only prove to be a
disturbance, and we will not find ourselves in the Natural State.
Continuing in the View

We have described some wrong meditations where we actually do
not find ourselves in the Natural State. What is it that we can do? Just
remaining continuously in a bright sense of presence without grasping
at anything will bring us a sense of inexpressible bliss. We will
continue to see all of the mountains, lakes, trees, houses, people, and
so on, that exist in the world, but we will not be distracted by anything
that we see or hear. We remain in a sense of presence (rig-pa) that is
bright and clear, just like a mirror that reflects all of these same things
in the world, but is not affected or changed by what it reflects. We
become like that mirror. It will be the same whether we are reflecting
the human world, as we are doing now, or the hell realms, or the
Pretaloka, or the Asuraloka, or the Devaloka, or whatever. All of them
are merely reflections and they make no changes or modifications to
our Natural State.
No matter what circumstances or what worlds we find ourselves

in, we are without any expectations or changes. We are just what we
are, the Natural State which is like a mirror. It is clear and empty, and
yet it reflects everything, all possible existences and all possible
lifetimes. But it never changes and it does not depend on anything
else. It is just itself, and nothing special. Even if the mind finds itself
dull or drowsy or agitated, the Natural State is in no way disturbed or
modified by this. So there is nothing to be removed and nothing to be
purified in any particular way. For example, this is like the sun
shining in the sky. It occurs naturally; no special work or effort is
required. It is like a lamp illuminating a dark room; it does this
effortlessly. It is just the nature of the sun or the lamp to illuminate.
There is nothing special to be done to remove the darkness. This is the
pure view of Dzogchen.
How to Practice Meditation

Now we come to the second part of the text. In the above, we
have provided a direct introduction and attempted to correct some
wrong views. Now once we have discovered and recognized the real
nature of Dzogchen, which is the Natural State, how are we to practice
it? When we are beginners, if we attempt long sessions of practice at
first, we will become restless and develop other problems such as
headaches, pain in the eyes, and so on. We will grow tired and
become fed up with meditation. Therefore, we should begin practicing
with many short sessions, taking breaks in between, rather than
attempting prolonged sessions. This will keep us in a good condition,
and thus we will become familiar with the practice. Later, when we
are more familiar with it, we can extend the sessions little by little. In
this way, meditation will become more of a habit. But we must judge
this for ourselves according to our feelings, because every practitioner
is different.
What is the time to practice? It is best to begin in the spring. Also,

it is best to stop at midday, otherwise we will become tired. Then it
will be very difficult to make progress in meditation. Midday and
midnight are not good times to practice. If we persist in meditation at
those times, sleepiness will tend to overcome us. Also, after drinking
wine is not a good time for the same reason, or after hard physical
labor. If we try at those times, then our feelings will be like a fever.
Before meditating, we should not eat too much or eat rich or heavy
foods, especially onion and garlic, which will make us overly warm
and feel heavy. In the early morning, in the afternoon, and in the
evening, these are the best times to practice because our clarity is at a
maximum. So, at these times we keep to ourselves to practice
contemplation. We should make a precise timetable and keep to it
habitually. But sometimes we can change the time because if we
remain too rigid, this will create problems and we will not want to
meditate.
What do we do between sessions? Our normal pos1tton is sitting

crosslegged, with our two hands in the equipoise gesture, our necks
are bent, and our gaze not too open and not too closed, looking down
at nose level. Sometimes we need to move or shake our body. If we sit
for too long without moving, we will become very uncomfortable.
Our eyes gaze out into space. But when prac-ticing contemplation in
the Natural State, it is also possible for us to practice in other
positions, for example, while lying down, or sometimes standing up
and moving about slowly, or even walking. Someone who is really
proficient at contemplation can even be in the Natural State while
eating or when speaking to others. But the point is always that one is
not distracted. Some-one who is proficient can even go into a crowd
of people and still do practice. Such a person can practice while
engaging in the four activities of sitting, standing, lying down, and
eating, and this will not disturb the Natural State. This is a sign that
our meditation has become stable.
What is a suitable place for practice? The best is a solitary place

which is pleasant and very quiet. A mountain should not be too high
and a valley not too close. The water nearby should be clean and it
will be good if there are many flowers blooming and many herbs
growing. It is a place with few distractions; no people, no tourists, no
robbers, no television, no cars, no airplanes. Here we set up a
comfortable seat in the shade, and any necessary shelter. The food we
eat is nutritious and light, not too heavy. In our hermitage, or our tent,
or our cave, we can practice at any time. Once we have become
familiar with the meditation, then we can change the site; we can go
higher into the mountains, or into the rocks, or to the lake, or to the
place where water flows. Generally we choose pleasant places which
do not disturb us. But sometimes we can use a difficult and unpleasant
place. Wherever we practice meditation, we should look for the signs
that show we are familiar with the practice.
Disturbances to Meditation
When we are practicing meditation, there are several kinds of
disturbance that can arise. For example, we may be in meditation but
we lose awareness, and it seems as if we are sleeping. This is a sign of
a loss of energy. We need to renew our strength and our clarity, but
not to counteract drowsiness to such an extent that we are then
disturbed by agitation. We need these three things: strength, clarity
and calmness. If we find that we have lost awareness and things are
not clear, what can we do? There are several methods to apply
according to the cause of disturbance.
If you find yourself afflicted by drowsiness, go to practice in a
high place where the air is fresh, or to an open space, or if you are
inside, open the window and let more light into the room. If this is not
sufficient, go to some place where there is a strong wind. If we find
that we are still disturbed, we can wash our head and face, as well as
our hands and feet. The cold water will re-fresh us. Also, changing the
site of practice may help. Try prac-ticing without any back support or
pillow. Get up and move about and do some deep breathing and yoga
exercises.
Or we may find that we are disturbed by agitation. We may try to
concentrate, but the concentration is too weak and we find ourselves
disturbed by thoughts arising. Or external sights and sounds may
disturb us. Move to a quieter, more remote place, or try practicing in a
relatively dark room. If our bodily health is not good or our diet poor,
this can bring agitation. In this case, we can take some nutritious meat
broth and a little chang (beer or wine) to make us feel warm, relaxed
and comfortable. But these are to be used as medicine. Nevertheless,
we must judge matters for ourselves.
Sometimes when we practice meditation, thoughts will come

automatically. For example, thoughts of money, or personal affairs, or
sex, and so on, and these can also agitate and disturb us. But we
should consider that all of these thoughts, good and
bad, of friends and enemies, are only expenences m a dream. They

have no inherent existence, and so there is no point in grasping at
them and following after them. Remember that everything is like an
illusion. Do not give any support to these thoughts; just let them go.
Also, when we are practicing meditation, we may have thoughts

like: "Is this the Natural State or not?" and "Is this the pure Dzogchen
view or not?" and "Is this clear or not?" and "Am I really meditating,
or is this just my delusion?" And other kinds of doubts may also arise
in our mind. All of these represent the self-agitation which we create
and encourage. This is an indi-cation that we do not know much about
the Dzogchen view, so we must do more reading and studying of the
Dzogchen teachings in order to overcome the deficiency. Also, it is
good to discuss one's doubts with the Lama, if possible. These doubts,
at first very subtle, can grow and cause us a great deal of agitation.
We must examine to see and decide whether our meditation is good or
not. Continue for a time meditating and then check it. But there is no
checking or examining while we are in the Natural State, otherwise,
we fall out of it. Or, we may have many subtle thoughts moving
subliminally. Try to recognize this when it is occurring. These
thoughts are like thieves and there is no special antidote to them. Just
let them liberate by themselves without clinging to them. If we can do
this, disturbances will become less and less.
Sometimes our body will shake spontaneously, or we feel as if we

have no head, or our psychic channels shake, or our mind feels light
and spacey, or we have pains in our joints. At that time do some self-
massage. Perhaps we hear loud sounds in our ears. In that case, take
some heavier food and massage yourself with oil. But in any event, do
not try to force yourself.
Sometimes we start the practice and we find that we are not
pleased with it and become fed up. Our eyes hurt, we have headaches,
we cough a lot. These are all signs that we are trying
to force our concentration too much. Just relax and gaze loosely into
space. Do not hold the mind too tight. And always practice in many
short sessions, none of them too long.
We may have the desire to do something with our hands, to sing
or to watch television; this is a sign that we are not suffi-ciently
devoted to the Dzogchen view. Therefore, we need to study this view
more and think about the unique opportunity provided by a precious
human rebirth, the impermanence of life and so on. Remember that
everything in the world is a delusion and we cannot depend on it.
Recall the hell realms, the Preta worlds, and so on, and the suffering
experienced in all of them. These thoughts will motivate us to devote
ourselves to the practice of the Dharma. If we do not know these
things, we need to study them.
Signs of Right Meditation

Practicing meditation correctly means that we will grasp at things
much less and that our clarity will increase. There is no specific way
to apprehend either clarity or emptiness. We should just continue in a
relaxed state without grasping. But our aware-ness (rig-pa) is very
present and bright, and we remain this way. Thoughts arise
spontaneously and they liberate spontaneously. And the thoughts
become less and less, and our awareness is stable and clear. When we
are practicing, there is no special feel-ing to be explained. But when
this immediate sense of presence is very bright, we call that
Vipashyana. These are all signs that we are practicing the right
meditation. Also being unable to explain it is a sign that it is the right
meditation.
When we are practicing meditation and our drowsiness
disappears, that is also a sign. If, when we are meditating, we suddenly
think "My master is so kind; I am practicing so well and I am
satisfied", that also is a good sign. If we have been practicing
meditation during the day, and then at night, we dream that we
are meditating, that also is a postttve sign. If our appearance remains

young, that is a good sign. Our thoughts remaining calm is a good
sign. Not having strong thoughts when our relatives come to visit, that
is a good sign. These are all signs that our meditation is going well.
When others slander or praise us and we do not care, this is a good
sign also. Even though we receive teachings from the Buddha himself,
we do not have any expec-tations. We are not disappointed if there are
no results. These are good signs. We can see inside our body, or see
omens or practice telepathy; these powers come naturally. We can see
the six realms of rebirth and see the sufferings of the beings therein.
At night, it is no longer dark for us and we can see clearly. This is a
sign. These are all good signs and there is nothing better than this. We
meditate and, spontaneously and effortlessly, these results come. We
feel comfortable and undistracted. We always remain at the same level
of evenmindedness. We are disturbed by neither happi-ness nor
sorrow.
When we continue in a feeling of comfort and happiness, it is a

sign that the earth element of our body has been brought under
control. If we practice meditation and we feel as if we are sinking into
water, this is a sign that our meditation is now controlling the water
element. Sometimes our meditation is clear and strong and we feel
warm; this is a sign that our meditation now controls the fire element.
Sometimes we feel light and experience a floating sensation; this is a
sign that our meditation controls our air element. Sometimes our
experience is very bright and the distractions of the senses do not
disturb us, and we feel clearer and more empty; this is a sign that our
meditation now controls the space element.
When these signs arise, we do not worry or speculate about them.

There is no need to do anything about them. Just leave everything as it
is. And gradually our normal illusions will lose their rigidity and
disappear. [3]
CHAPTER9
Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal
Talk by Lopon Tenzin Namdak,

Devon, May 1991.
The Natural State

In Dzogchen, it is the Natural State that is emphasized, and this
state we must realize for ourselves in our own experience. It is
machopa (rna bcos-pa), that is, there is nothing to change or modify or
create or correct in it. We let it remain just as it is. Thoughts may arise
in the Natural State and yet it remains just as it is. There is no
employment of an antidote as in the Sutra system and no
transformation of anything as in the T antra system. If we realize this
Natural State, that is the real nature of Dzogchen. It is Thekchod
(khregs-chod). [1]
We discover this Natural State through a direct introduction, and
not by way of reasoning. The method is to observe how thoughts arise,
how they remain, and how they go. We look back at our mind and
observe it. But we do not interfere or modify anything; that is not the
method. We just let things be and watch what happens. We will
observe that when we do not interfere with them or try to change
them, then thoughts will dissolve of themselves and leave nothing
behind. What do we find? We find that there is nothing there. This
Natural State is inexpressible and inconceivable. It is empty, but this
emptiness is not just nothing because there is an awareness there. But
this awareness or Rigpa is not the same as our ordinary consciousness
(rnam-shes). That
consciousness is dualistic; there is a subject that apprehends and an

object that is apprehended. But here there is an awareness (rig-pa)
where the seer and the seen are united and inseparable, like fire and
warmth. However, when we practice the Natural State, it is not
necessary to make an examination and check what is sub-ject and
what is object. In the Natural State, the practitioner does not examine
anything; one is simply Rang-rig or self-aware.
The word Salwa (gsal-ba) means "clarity", but this is not a
physical, visible light. Here "clear" (gsal-ba) means present and aware.
Tongpa (stong-pa) means empty, and these two are Yermed (dbyer-
med) or inseparable. This is like the daytime sky, where the sky is
emptiness (stong) and the sun is luminosity (gsal). When we remain in
a state of presence or immediate awareness (rig-pa), this state has three
qualities: Essence, Nature, and Energy, which means emptiness,
awareness, and their unifi-cation. They are never separate. We only
separate them in order to talk about the Natural State, such as in a
commentary. In actuality, they are never distinct and separate. In
general, Dzog-chen teaches this, but in the Longde (klong-sde) series
of teachings, there is more emphasis put on the side of emptiness
(stong-cha), ,whereas in the Semde (sems-sde), there is more emphasis
put on the side of clarity (gsal-cha). But this is only a matter of
emphasis and not one of real distinction or separation. In this context,
long (klong, vast expanse) means tong (stong, empty}, and sem (sems,
mind) means sal (gsal, clear). Then Upadesha or Manngagide
emphasizes their inseparability (gsal stong dbyer-med). So there are
different methods to be found here in these three series of Dzogchen
teachings.
The Three Series of Dzogchen Teachings

In the three series of Dzogchen teachings (rdzogs-chen sde
gsum), that is, the Semde (sems-sde), the Longde (klong-sde), and the
Manngagide (man-ngag gi sde) or Upadesha, the Natural State
Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal - 191
is precisely the same because it exists as the unification and

inseparability (dbyer-med) of emptiness and awareness. However, the
view in each of these three series of teachings is different because
emphasis is placed on the one side or on the other. With such an
emphasis, the process of realization takes longer because we must
equalize the emptiness side "(stong-cha) and the clarity side (gsal-
cha). There must be Yermed, or unification, for there to be any real
Dzogchen. All of this is very well explained in the Nam-mkha, ,phrul
mdzod, which is a Dzogchen Semde text belonging to the Bonpo
tradition. It is a T erma, or hidden treas-ure text, rediscovered in central
Tibet (dbus-gter) and also an oral transmission from the master Tsewang
Rigdzin (Tshe-dbang rig-'dzin). [2] This text does not speak about
Thodgal, but it does speak a lot about unification (dbyer-med).
The Semde texts explain matters by way of knowledge (ye-shes),

immediate awareness (rig-pa), and the Nature of Mind (sems=sems-
nyid), especially the latter. Hence, this series of Dzogchen teachings is
called Semde (sems-sde), or the Mind series, where sem (sems) means
"mind." Here everything is influ-enced by mind, whereas in the
Upadesha, everything is influenced by the Natural State. But this
"mind" (sems) is just as it is and, therefore, the real significance of the
word is not mind but the Nature of Mind (sems-nyid). However, the
explanation found in the Dzogchen Semde is somewhat similar to the
Chittamatra (sems-tsam) view because this sem (sems) lies more on
the awareness side (rig-cha) than on the emptiness side (stong-cha).
Then one proceeds to practice by means of the four contem-plations
(ting-nge-'dzin bzhi). [3]
Then, in the Dzogchen Longde (klong-sde) or Space series, the

nine empty spaces (klong dgu) are found. Here the Natural State
remains just as it is. It is empty. There is nothing substantial or
tangible to be found anywhere; there is nothing moving or visible.
Here the emphasis is on the side of emptiness (stong-cha) and this
emptiness is very much like the Madhyamaka notion of
Shunyata. There is no inherent existence. There is nothing visible

externally and nothing visible internally. But there are nine aspects on
the object side with reference to emptiness. In the Madhyamaka
system there are sixteen Shunyatas, but here there are nine. Thus the
nine vast empty spaces (klong dgu) represent the object side of things.
Then on the subject side, which is the practitioner, there are three
stages in the meditation: harmonious meditation {mthun sgom),
internal meditation (nang sgom), and spacious meditation (klong
sgom). This is the way one proceeds with the practice.
Why are there these Dzogchen Desum (rdzogs-chen sde gsum) or

three series of Dzogchen teachings? It is because there are these three
qualities to the Natural State: awareness, emptiness and their
unification (rig stong dbyer-med). Even though the Nam-mkha' 'phrul
mdzod is mainly a Semde text, it explains that if we proceed only on
the side of awareness or on the side of emptiness, we will fall away
from true Dzogchen. There are no special texts devoted to Longde
preserved in the Bonpo tradition, although quite a number of them
were trans-lated by Vairochana (eighth century C.E.) and have been
pre-served in the Nyingmapa tradition. The principal Bonpo Dzog-
chen texts are all Dzogchen Upadesha.
From the practice of the Longde alone we will not be able to

realize the Rainbow Body because there is no Thodgal practice to be
found here. Properly speaking, Thodgal is the cause for realizing the
Rainbow Body ('ja' Ius) and this is found only in Manngagide.
Through the practice of Thekchod alone it is possi-ble to realize the
Body of Atoms (rdul Ius) where the material body is dissolved into the
atoms (rdul) of its constituent elements, and then these disappear into
space, leaving nothing visible behind. However, there is still some
substance (albeit atoms) remaining, although this is invisible to the
eye. But this is not what is meant by the Rainbow Body. The Illusion
Body (sgyu-lus) is created by quite a different cause, according to the
Dzogrim
Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal ~ 193
(rdzogs-rim) practices of the T antra system. Also, according to the

Longde system, a method does exist for making the material body
disappear, but this is not done .according to the process of Thodgal so
it is not the same at all. However, we Bonpos do not have the texts for
this Longde method; it is strictly a Nyingmapa matter.
Thekchod and Thodgal

Most of the extant Bonpo texts dealing with Dzogchen are
Upadesha. In the Upadesha or Manngagide (man-ngag gi sde), the
emphasis is put on Thekchod and Thodgal. Thekchod means entering
into and remaining in the Natural State. This is mainly concerned with
the state of primordial purity (ka-dag), but Thodgal is the other half of
Upadesha practice and refers to spon-taneous self-perfected
manifestation (lhun-grub ). Here the prac-titioner uses posture,
breathing and gazing. But nevertheless, as the base and foundation for
this Thodgal practice we first need to establish our Thekchod firmly,
which means being able to conti-nue with stability in the Natural
State.
Thekchod means that we enter into and continue in the Natural
State. We begin practice by turning inward and observing the mind.
But there is no visualization practice to be done here. We do not need
to become engaged in the activities of Kyerim and Dzogrim as is the
case with T antra. All we have to do is to be aware without distraction
and observe the arising of thoughts. We observe that they dissolve
again without leaving a trace. As long as we remain in the Natural
State, no visualization is needed. If we need the supports of
visualization and mantra in our practice, then we are not ready for
Dzogchen. When we are actually in the Natural State, we do not
examine whether it is good or bad. There is no judging or thinking
about something as, for example, when we watch TV. If we are
examining or judging or focusing on something, this is the work of the
mind, and therefore we are
not in the Natural State. If we focus the attention, we lose the Natural
State. Any focusing or fixating of attention is the work of the mind,
and then we are no longer in the Natural State. So we do not judge in
any way the thoughts that arise. If we relax our fixation on an object
like the white A, then it seems as if more thoughts arise. They become
like rough water in a mountain stream. But if we continue the practice,
later the mind becomes like a slow-moving river and, eventually, like
a calm sea.
At first we will need a quiet place to practice because many
distractions come to disturb us. And also we may have problems with
drowsiness, dullness and agitation. However, methods exist for
overcoming these problems. Drowsiness and dullness mean that our
energy is not there. For drowsiness, we need fresh air and to find a
higher place. For dullness, we need to add energy in order to make
things clearer. Agitation can be coarse or subtle. The first is easy to
recognize, whereas the second is very difficult to detect and we do not
realize that we are distracted. If agitation is very rough, we need to
stop practice and do something else for a time. This is how to practice
Thekchod.
Thodgal Visions
The reason why we do Thodgal practice is in order to realize that
the vision of ordinary normal life is equally illusory and insubstantial.
We think that our impure karmic vision, that is, the world as we see it
as human beings, is solid and real and concrete. But this vision is all a
projection arising from causes. Because we all have the cause for
human karmic vision, we humans see the world in more or less the
same way. But we must understand the illusory nature of our karmic
vision. The practice of Thodgal may also serve as a preparation for the
after-death experience, where visions arise in the Bardo.
As an example of such spontaneous visions, close the eyes and

press with the fingers on the eyelids and the eyeballs. We will
Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal- 195
see lights. These are not actual Thodgal visions, but just a kind of
introduction. Thodgal visions are natural and not artificial. They are
not deliberately created, as a visualization is, by the mind. In a dark
room, we can also have ordinary visions that are not Thodgal. But for
our vision to develop, we must employ the Dzogchen methods. We
must understand that these spontaneous visions exist in, and develop
in, the Natural State. However, all of these visions are illusions; there
is nothing substantial there. Thodgal vision may at first appear
different from our normal everyday vision, but we should realize that
these two kinds of vision ultimately have the same nature. They are
both projections and until we realize this, we are not ready to do
Thodgal practice.
In Dzogchen, we are introduced to there being one source, rather
than Two Truths. For example, we put our fingers in our ears and
what happens? We hear self-originated sounds (rang sgra). In order to
hear, normally we need the ear. But here we hear a sound, and not
through the ear consciousness. Or again, press the fingers on the lids
covering the eyeballs, then suddenly release them and open the eyes.
We see self-originated lights (rang 'od) and self-originated forms and
colors, technically called "rays" (rang zer). We see them when the
eyes are closed and we continue to see them when the eyes have
opened. When we have our eyes open, we usually see through our eye
consciousness but, in this case, the lights and colors are not seen by
means of the eye consciousness; they are only seen by Rigpa. This is
only an exam-ple in order to introduce us to Thodgal.
In Thodgal, everything that appears is natural and sponta-neous; it

is not a visualization made by mind. It is not something artificial.
Dzogchen just does what is natural, therefore, it represents a much
shorter path to enlightenment. Besides Kadak, or primordial purity or
Shunyata, the Natural State has this quality of Lhundrub or
spontaneous manifestation, and this is not something recognized by
Madhyamaka. The method of Madhya-maka represents a via negativa
(negation), but it neglects the
positive side of the Natural State. Dzogchen, on the other hand,

emphasizes both equally, because Kadak and Lhundrub are Yerm-ed,
that is, inseparable in the Natural State.
Thodgal possesses methods using various sources of light, such as
sunlight, moonlight, lamplight, crystals, and so on. Then there are
methods for gazing into the clear, empty sky and for retreats in total
darkness. In all of these cases, the Thodgal visions that arise are not
perceived by the eye consciousness, but by our Rigpa. Although
sunlight, and so on, represent secondary causes for the arising of the
visions, the visions themselves do not arise from some external
source; they arise from within us.
There are no limits to these visions. Certainly visions of deities
may arise, but impure karmic visions may also arise, espe-cially at
first. But whatever visions arise, they arise spontaneously and
naturally. According to some Dzogchen teachings, we are instructed
to do the practice for seven sessions, signifying the six realms of
rebirth, plus the Bardo. And so, visions of animals, ghosts, demons,
and many other kinds of worldly beings may arise. According to the
dark retreat found in the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, there are seven
sessions, but these are not according to the six realms.
Visions of thigleys (thig-le}, or spheres of light, arise and inside

them we may see deities, such as the famous Zhitro (zhi-khro}, or
Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. But this is not at all the same as the
Kyerim and the Gyulu practices described in the Tantras because they
are things created by the mind. Rather, the Thodgal visions arise out
of the Natural State naturally and spontaneously. The Natural State,
although diffused throughout the physical body, is principally located
in the hollow space within the physical heart (tsitta}. The Thodgal
visions, even in dark retreat, appear only in front of us because the
translucent Kati channel links the heart to the eyes. Inside the eyes, we
find two separate channels, one is the vehicle for the normal operation
of the eye consciousness, known as the optic nerve, and the other
is the Kati channel which functions as the passageway for the

movement of Rigpa. The Kati goes up from the hollow in the physical
heart to the back of the brain and then divides into two before entering
into the eyes. This Kati is not used for the normal functioning of
vision. It is called the translucent crystalline channel Kati (ka-ti shel
gyi rtsa). In Thodgal, the visions arise in the heart, pass along the Kati
channel, emerge from the eyes, and are perceived in the space
immediately in front of us. It is like having a lamp inside a hollow
earthen vessel with two holes on one of its faces. The light inside is
then seen in the darkness outside the vase, but its source is in the
interior.
With the practice of Thodgal, our visions develop and gradually
become more stable. At first we may see normal things like trees,
mountains, and so on. Later we will most likely see letters, deities,
and so on. At first these visions will not be stable, but will move about
quite a bit. Moreover, we may only see parts of the deities, such as a
face, or a torso. But with the third stage in the development of vision,
we will see deities in yab-yum and entire mandalas, and all of this will
be complete and perfect and bright. At the fourth stage, which is
known as consummation (zad-pa), all the visions dissolve and all that
remains is the Nat-ural State. Since there are no more obscurations,
there is nothing more to appear.
However, Thodgal is not like Tantra where we must do much

visualization practice first in order for visions of the Yidams to
appear. If the visions arise from some positive karmic causes, such as
Kyerim, then we do need to practice in a special way. In that case, the
resultant visions would be conditioned by our previous visualization
practice. But these would not be Thodgal visions because they arise
from causes created by the mind.
Furthermore, we must compare our Thodgal visions with the
vision of ordinary life in order to discover that they come from the
same source. The Thodgal visions are insubstantial. We can easily see
that they are illusions. We see them come and we see
them go. But our normal life vision appears to be very stable and
seemingly solid. We think that this vision is real, but this is only our
ignorance. So the practice of Thodgal provides us with an example.
Thodgal vision is like a key to the realization that nor-mal life is also a
projection and an illusion. We can bring the knowledge gained from
Thodgal practice to bear on the vision of normal life. We compare
them and we discover that all of our so-called normal life is an
illusion. If we cannot make this com-parison, then perhaps it is better
just to watch TV. Now while we are in the Natural State, we do not do
any checking and exam-ining because this is the work of the mind, but
at other times we can examine the various qualities of the visions and
compare them with the vision of ordinary life.
Through making this comparison of the Thodgal visions with

normal vision, we gradually come to sense that the external world is
equally unreal. Our ordinary life seems to have the same quality as the
Thodgal visions, that is to say, as unreal and as insubs-tantial. This
culminates with the third stage in the development of vision. The
visions of the deities and mandalas come to overlay and even replace
our ordinary impure karmic vision. At the fourth stage, all of these
visions dissolve and go back to their source. They return to the
Natural State and there is nothing left except the Natural State. If we
die at a time when we have realized the first stage, then in the Bardo
and in our next life we will meet the masters and the teachings again
and again, and so continue to practice until we attain liberation. If we
die at a time when we have realized the final stages, we will be reborn
in a pure dimension.
The Thodgal visions come spontaneously and without

anticipation. When they go, they leave no traces. Our keeping in the
Natural State purifies all obscurations and the main obscu-ration is
ignorance. The three principal methods are through sunlight, total
darkness, and empty space. But in order to practice Thodgal, first we
must realize the Natural State. So Thekchod,
which means just remaining in the Natural State undistracted by

thoughts, -is something that is always necessary in Dzogchen practice.
If visions arise and we become attached to them, then this is no
different from Samsara. When we have visions in the practice of
Thodgal, we have no grasping ('dzin-pa) at them because we are in the
Natural State. In the vision of daily life, on the contrary, we are
constantly grasping at one thing after an-other. Through the perfection
of Thekchod, we may even be able to think and to do Tantric practice
while still remaining in the Natural State, and then this will be like
gazing at the moon reflected on the sea.
Development of Visions
Without Thekchod, we cannot practice Thodgal. Visions may
come, but they will not be Thodgal visions. First we must practice
Thekchod and make our remaining in the Natural State stable, then we
can go on to practice Thodgal. In this way our visions will be stable.
In Thodgal both pure and impure visions can come, but gradually the
visions will become clearer and clearer, and then more and more
integrated with our normal vision. In the end this integrated vision
will dissolve into the Natural State, both Thodgal vision and normal
vision.
The ultimate purpose of practicing Thodgal is to realize the
Rainbow Body of Light. This occurs after all of our vision has been
integrated. Our physical body is also part of our karmic vision, so
when all of our vision dissolves into the Natural State, our physical
body dissolves into empty space. The method for realizing the
Rainbow Body ('ja' Ius) may be either gradual or instantaneous. In
terms of its gradual realization, we speak of the four stages in the
development of vision, or Nangwa zhi (snang-ba bzhi). These are as
follows:
1. The vision of the visible manifestation of Reality (bon-nyid

mngon-sum). At this initial stage only small thigleys, or tiny
spheres of rainbow light, appear in the sunlight.
2. The vision of the increasing of experiences. Now chains and
networks of thigleys appear. Also, the faces and torsos of deities
may appear inside the thigleys.
3. The vision of developing to the full measure of Awareness. This
stage represents the full development of the pure visions of the
deities and the mandalas, including the Peaceful and Wrathful
Deities. Some of the thigleys may be as small as a mustard seed,
while others are as large as a shield.
4. The vision of the final consummation (mthar-thug zad-pa). All of
the visions dissolve back into the Natural State, and only that
remains.
These visions are not always stable. When they dissolve

spontaneously, it may be a sign that we are ready to realize the
Rainbow Body. Visions have two alternative qualities: pure and
impure. At the final stage, all of our visions are pure. But at the
moment our normal everyday life vision is impure. There are two
doors that must be opened: the pure and the impure. Inside them there
are four doors apiece, making a total of eight doors. This is according
to what kind of visions come.
Thodgal visions arise spontaneously from our Natural State, and
how they develop depends on our individual capacity, level of
purification, and so on. But if, for example, a master appears before us
and gives us some teaching, this is not a Thodgal vision but a pure
vision (dag snang). It is conditioned and brought about by some cause
or karmic link. Examples of this are the visions some T ertons have
had of Guru Padmasambhava. These pure visions come about because
of a cause or seed planted in the Terton's stream of consciousness in a
previous life when he was a disciple in personal contact with Guru
Rinpoche. A Thodgal vi-sion, on the other hand, has no external
cause; it arises solely
from within, from out of one's Natural State residing in the heart. It is
natural ~nd spontaneous, without any antecedent cause. It represents
the free spontaneous creativity (rtsal) inherent in the Natural State
which is our innate Buddha-nature.
The Four Lamps

In the practice of Thodgal, we speak of four lights or Four Lamps
(sgron-ma bzhi), or sometimes of Six Lamps (sgron-ma drug). These
Four Lamps are as follows:
1. The lamp of the self-originated wisdom (shes-rab rang-byung gi

sgron-ma)
2. The lamp of the completely pure dimension of space (dbyings
rnam-dag gi sgron-ma)
3. The lamp of the (globe-like eye of) water that lassos every-thing
at a distance (rgyang zhags chu'i sgron-ma), and
4. The lamp of the empty spheres of light (thig-le stong-pa'i sgron-
ma).
The First Lamp or light (sgron-ma) is Thekchod. We first need

this lamp if we are to see anything. Thekchod is the fundamental
practice and the principal practice. It means con-tinuing in the Natural
State with stability. This is intrinsic imme-diate awareness (rig-pa).
Here Self-originated Wisdom (shes-rab rang-byung) means not the
discriminating wisdom (shes-rab) of the Sutra system; in this context,
it means Rigpa, the clarity aspect, in union with Kunzhi, the emptiness
aspect. It is explained as being like the empty, open sky illuminated by
sunlight. Certainly we must understand that the Natural State is empty,
but also that it has three qualities and these are inseparable. First, this
emptiness is immaterial and insubstantial, and so it is like the sky or
Namkha (nam-mkha', sky, space). That is its quality. Whatever we do
or take from it, this emptiness is always there as the Base.
Even if we fill everything up and make clutter everywhere, this

emptiness of space is still there as the container of everything.
Whatever we do, Shunyata is always empty; it is not any bigger or any
smaller by virtue of what it contains. Whatever we put into it or take
out of it, it remains the same and undiminished as the Base. This
aspect is called Ying (dbyings) or dimension. It is the dimension in
which everything originates and happens. And this emptiness never
changes whatever we do; it is never increased or diminished. That
aspect is called Long (klong) or vast expanse. These are the three
qualities to emptiness: space (nam-mkha'), dimension (dbyings), and
vast expanse (klong).
As for the Second Lamp: it is somewhat like watching a film
show in the cinema hall. The Thodgal visions appear to manifest in the
space before us, just as the cinema show does. When we do Thodgal
practice, we gaze into the clear open sky and focus our gaze in this
space without blinking. Then, at the horizon, or the tops of the trees,
or on the side of the window frame, wherever we are gazing, we find
that the space at this border becomes whiter and, at the center of our
vision, it grows darker. If we are gazing out through a window, for
example, we find that the sky will be lighter and whiter next to the
window frame and darker at the center. As we continue to gaze, this
light part around the border or at the edge becomes larger. However,
the visions will only appear in the darker center. This is the dimension
in which the Thodgal visions manifest. And they will be like the
cinema pictures projected onto the screen in front of us.
The Third Lamp refers to the physical eye as a doorway. The Kati
channel connects the physical heart to the physical eye organs. In dark
retreat, the visions are clearer and brighter than in daylight, but the
principle is the same. In Thodgal practice, the eye organ is given this
rather unusual name (rgyang zhags chu'i sgron-ma), where rgyang
means "distance" or "at a distance", zhags means "lasso" or a rope with
a noose at the end, and chu means "water." The eyeball is filled with
water, so chu refers to
Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal - 203
the eyeball. When we gaze into space, our visions appear at some
distance from us and our sight goes out to them and grasps them like
lassoing a wild horse. We watch our visions develop with full
awareness. That is the meaning of rgyang zhags. The eye organ is
connected with the kidney which is ruled by the water element,
therefore "water." According to ancient Bonpo medical science, the
outer organs are controlled by the inner organs. This infor-mation,
such as the correspondences eye-kidney-water element, nose-lung-air
element, tongue-spleen-earth element, and so on, is given in the
account of embryology found in the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud and
elsewhere.
As for the Fourth Lamp, it is like small white or black spots seen
in the sky, or like the rainbow thigleys seen in sunlight. At first they
are very tiny, but then they develop because we remain in the Natural
State. Their nature is empty (stong-pa). They are called thigley
because thig means "essence" as well as "a line drawn on a paper" to
demarcate a mandala, and signifies being related to the essence or
Natural State, and le means "very clearly," that it is very bright and
clear. Therefore the meaning of thigle is that it is clear and connected
with the Natural State.
The Rainbow Body

To become a real Jalupa ('ja'-lus-pa) means that we have practiced
Thodgal. These visions are not specifically created by the mind, but
appear spontaneously in the presence of secondary causes like
sunlight, the open, empty sky, and so on. They arise naturally and
spontaneously from the Natural State, and no Kyerim or Dzogrim
practice must be done first as a preparation. We only need to stabilize
our Thekchod practice. Then the visions come automatically.
Gradually all of the Peaceful and Wrathful deities appear to us and
these visions develop until completion. Then they dissolve again into
the Natural State.
This final stage in the development of vision is called the

Exhaustion of Reality (bon-nyid zad-pa). Nevertheless these visions
have the same quality and the same source as our normal vision in
everyday life. Because our material body is part of our karmic vision
and has the same source as the Thodgal visions, at the time when all of
our visions dissolve, our material body will also dissolve. This occurs
at the point of actual death when the impure elements of our material
body will revert back (ru-log) into the subtle pure forms of the
elements, which are clear, coloured lights. These lights manifest as
rainbows, which then dissolve into the space of the sky. All that
remains behind at the end of the process are the practitioner's clothes,
hair and nails, because these things have not been suffused with
consciousness. The material body had been part of one's impure
karmic vision but now, for the practitioner, the pure visions become
the actual Jalupa or Rainbow Body, which is the real Sambhogakaya
and Nirmanakaya, and one becomes perfectly purified.
In terms of Dzogchen, the Dharmakaya is realized through the

practice of Thekchod, whereas the Form Body, that is, the
Sambhogkaya and Nirmanakaya, is realized through the practice of
Thodgal. The attaining of the Rainbow Body by a master is a sign or
indication that this has occurred. But this is not the end, even though
liberation and enlightenment have been attained. The Jalupa can
subsequently reappear, even appearing as sub-stantially material, to
sentient beings in order to teach them the Dharma. However the
Sambhogakaya can only be seen by the Aryas, that is, the Great
Bodhisattvas who have ascended the first through the ninth stage of
the path. They can see the Sambhoga-kaya and hear the teachings. But
ordinary sentient beings, their minds still obscured with defilements,
cannot see or hear the Sambhogakaya. Therefore the Nirmanakaya
manifests to them and reveals itself in time and history, generally in
human form.
Lopon T~nzin Namdak
Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung
Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung explaining points of the teaching.
Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung with the translator at

Triten Norbutge Monastery. Kathmandu.
Monks debating.
Monk challenging one another in debate.

APPENDIX
The Biography ofLopon Tenzin Namdak
The Venerable Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche

[1] is an accomplished scholar and practitioner of the Bon tradition,
in particular of Dzogchen and the Ma Gyud or Mother T antra, and the
foremost and most learned expert on Bon outside Tibet. Since the
1960s he has also been in the forefront of reviving Bonpo religious
culture among the Tibetans living in exile from their homeland in
India and Nepal, where he has established Bonpo communities and
monastic educational institutions.
Lopon Rinpoche was born in 1926 in Khyungpo Karru (khyung-

po dkar-ru) in Khyungpo district of Kham province in eastern Tibet.
His father was a farmer with land in the Chamdo district, where he
possessed many yaks, sheep, horses, goats, dogs and other animals. At
the age of seven, in 1933, [2] he entered T engchen Monastery (steng-
chen dgon-pa), which was the local monastic establishment in the
same district. [3] His uncle, Kal-zang Tsultrim (bsKal-bzang tshul-
khrims), was the Umdze (om-mdzad), or chant leader, among the
monks at the monastery. Tengchen Monastery belonged to the
tradition of Old Bon (bon rnying-ma), otherwise known as Yungdrung
Bon (g.yung-drung bon) in contrast to New Bon (bon gsar-ma) [4] and
had close af-filiations with Menri Monastery and Yungdrung Ling
Monastery in central Tibet. This monastery had the only school in the
dis-trict at the time and here young Lopon Rinpoche was taught to read
and write, thus beginning his extensive education. It was
210 -Appendix - The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak
here also that he took his novice monk vows at the age of four-teen.
In 1941 when he was fifteen years old, Lopon Rinpoche traveled

with his uncle to Yungdrung Ling (g.yung-drung gling), one of the
two leading Bonpo monasteries in central Tibet. [5] Coming from a
family famous for its many artists, from 1941 to 1943 he was largely
engaged in helping to execute a series of wall paintings or frescos in
the new temple at this monastery. The Lopon had been trained as an
artist and painter since the age of eleven, and this training in drawing
and painting has served him throughout his entire life. [6]
In 1944 at the age of eighteen, he went on pilgrimage to Nepal

with two other monks, first visiting Solu-Khumbu and then
Kathmandu, where he meditated at the holy hill of Swayambhunath at
the western end of the valley, a location which had once been graced
and blessed by the presence of the Buddha Tonpa Shenrab himself. [7]
Lopon Rinpoche returned to Tibet by way of Pokhara and Mustang,
the latter also being an area of Bonpo settlement in Nepal. From there
he went on pilgrimage to the Mt. Kailas region of west Tibet, which
lies at the heart of the old Zhang-zhung kingdom.
In 1945, Lopon Rinpoche returned to Yungdrung Ling to be-gin

his studies in philosophy (mtshan-nyid). From 1945 to 1950, he lived
more or less a hermit's existence with his tutor and mas-ter Gang-ru
Tsultrim Gyaltsan Rinpoche (sGang-ru Tshul-khrims rgyal-mtshan).
This master was an exceedingly learned Lama in the Bonpo tradition
and for some eighteen years he had been the Lopon at Yungdrung
Ling Monastery. After retirement from this monastery, Gang-ru
Rinpoche lived in a meditation cave at Nam-tso (gnam-mtsho) Lake in
northern Tibet. The young Lopon Rin-poche lived in the cave with
this master for four years. With the master, he studied the same
subjects as those taught at Yungdrung Ling, namely, grammar (sgra),
poetics (snyan-ngag), monastic dis-
Appendix- The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak- 211
cipline ('dul-ba), cosmology (mdzod-phug), and the stages of the path

to enlightenment (sa-lam).
Following his master's advice, in 1950 he went to Menri
Monastery [8] in Tsang province, near Sakya Monastery in central
Tibet, in order to complete his studies in preparation for the Geshe
(dge-bshes) degree examination, the Tibetan equivalent of a Doctor of
Philosophy. Here he underwent a full course of scholastic studies. At
this time, his principal teacher was Loppn Sangye Tenzin (slob-dpon
Sangs-rgyas bstan-'dzin). At Menri, he studied Tibetan and Sanskrit
grammar, poetics, astrology and medicine, as well as chanting and
ritual practices. His advanced studies included Prajnaparamita,
Madhyamaka philosophy, Abhidharma, Vinaya, Tantra and
Dzogchen. In 1953, at the relatively young age of twenty-seven, he
passed his oral examinations and was awarded the Geshe degree from
Menri Monastery. In the same year, due to his outstanding learning
and scholarship, he was elected to serve in the position of Lopon or
head teacher for the academic course of studies at the college of the
monastery, succeeding his own master Lopon Sangye Tenzin. From
1953 until 1957, he remained in this position only to retire in that year
as the conflict between the native Tibetans and the encroaching
Chinese Communists increased in central Tibet.
Until 1960, he remained at Se-zhig Monastery on the Dang-ra

lake in northern Tibet. March 10, 1959, saw the Lhasa upris-ing
against the Chinese Communist tyrannical rule over Tibet. Many of
the most famous living Lamas of Tibet, including H.H. the Dalai
Lama and H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa, were forced to flee from their
homeland and a flood of Tibetan refugees entered India and Nepal. In
1960, after his long retreat, Lopon Rinpoche also sought to flee,
seeking refuge in India. But on the way south he was shot by Chinese
soldiers and incarcerated in a Chinese military prison for nearly ten
months, where he endured great hardships. Finally, he was able to
make an escape, leading a small party of monks. They traveled by
night and hid during the day
212- Appendix- The Biography of Lapan Tenzin Namdak
for some twenty-two days until they reached safety in Nepal by way
of the small principality of Lo Mustang.
Coming finally to Kathmandu, Lopon Rinpoche stayed for some
months at Najyin (gna'-sbyin) Monastery. In 1961, while residing in
Kathmandu, Lopon Rinpoche met and was befriended by the
celebrated English Tibetologist, Dr. David Snellgrove, of London
University who invited him to London, along with Lopon Sangye
Tenzin and Geshe Samten Karmay. Thus, receiving a Rockefeller
Foundation Grant in the Visiting Scholar Program, the Lopon came
first to the University of London and then he resided for a time at
Cambridge University. Towards the end of his stay in England, he
made a retreat at a Benedictine monastery on the Isle of Wight.
During this time, in 1967, his collaboration with Professor

Snellgrove resulted in the publication, by Oxford University Press, of
The Nine Ways of Bon which contains translated extracts from the
famous gZi-brjid, the most extensive hagiography of the Buddha
Tonpa Shenrab. This was the first scholarly study of the Bonpo
tradition from original sources to be made in a Western language. [9]
Lopon Rinpoche remained in England for three years, from 1961 to
1964.
In 1964, the Lopon returned to India from England and was
subsequently employed as a Tibetan expert by the American Library
of Congress in New Delhi where, under the PL 480 Program, the
American Government purchased diverse books published in India in
around fourteen different languages, including Tibetan. The project of
purchasing Tibetan texts was under the supervision of the celebrated
Tibetologist, E. Eugene Smith, from the University of Washington, a
famous center for Tibetan studies in the United States. It was Mr.
Smith who was initially responsible for encouraging Tibetan Lamas,
including the Lopon, to republish Tibetan texts by way of photo offset
in India. This program ensured that these precious texts would not be
lost to Tibet or to the world.
Appendix - The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak - 213
While in New Delhi, the Lopon was also befriended by Dr.

Lokesh Chandra of the International Academy of Indian Culture and
their collaboration led to the publication, by way of photo offset, of a
text made from a block-print at Menri. It was an an-thology or
collection of texts from the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud.
[10] Published in New Delhi in 1968, the book was entitled His-tory
and Doctrine of Bon-po Nispanna-Yoga. [11]
Among the nearly one hundred thousand Tibetan refugees who
had fled the Chinese Communist occupation of Tibet, a small number
belonged to the Bonpo tradition. [12] After escap-ing from Tsang
province, monks from Menri Monastery, which had been totally
destroyed by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution inspired
by Chairman Mao Tse Tung, found them-selves in the Kulu-Manali
district of Himachal Pradesh state in north-west India. Impoverished,
they were forced to secure a live-lihood as road workers. Among their
number was Sherab Lodro (Shes-rab blo-gros), the thirty-second
Abbot of Menri Monastery (1935-1963). Finding the road work
exhausting in an alien cli-mate, many of the monks died or suffered
from serious illness, as did the Abbot himself.
Thus, when Lopon T enzin Namdak returned to India in 1964, he

undertook the task of raising funds and finding land in order to
establish a Bonpo settlement in northern India. From 1964 to 1967, the
Lopon worked desperately to keep the Bonpo people and their culture
alive in exile. In 1967, with the financial help of the Catholic Relief
Service, he purchased a piece of unde-veloped forest land at Dolanji,
near Solan in Himachal Pradesh, and began to establish a settlement
there. The first Bonpo families who settled there initially lived in tents
on the cleared land. Later the new monastery developed nearby.
In 1967 the settlement was formally registered with the In-dian

Government under the name of the Tibetan Bonpo Founda-tion.
About seventy families transferred there from Manali and each
received a house and a small piece of land, the size depend-
214 - Appendix - The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak
ing on the number of people in the family in question. The Ti-betan

Bonpo Foundation possessed its own constitution and ad-ministration,
with the Abbot of Menri acting as president. The new settlement at
Dolanji was given the name Thobgyal Sarpa (thob-rgyal gsar-pa) after
the village of Thobgyal in Tsang prov-ince, located near the original
site of Menri Monastery. However, most of the Tibetans in the new
settlement came from the Mt. Kailas region and Upper Tsang in the
west as well as Hor, Kongpo, Derge, Amdo and Gyarong in the east.
After the death of Sherab Lodro, the thirty-second Abbot of Menri

in 1963, the Abbot of Yungdrung Ling, the second most important
monastery for Bonpos in central Tibet, became the spiritual head of
the Bonpo community in exile in India. He came to Dolanji in 1967,
together with a group of monks, and founded a new monastic
community, overseeing the erection of small houses and a small prayer
chapel for religious services. In 1969, the Abbot of Yungdrung Ling
arranged the ceremony to find a successor to the deceased Abbot of
Menri to be chosen by lot. The names were put into a vase and while
prayers to the Bonpo deities were being chanted, the vase was churned
until a name fell out. The selection of the office fell to Jongdong
Sangye Tendzin (ljong-ldong Sangs-rgyas bstan-'dzin), who thus
became the thirty-third Abbot of Tashi Menri Monastery. At that time,
San-gye Tenzin was working at the University of Oslo, Norway, in
collaboration with the celebrated Tibetologist, Dr. Per Kvaerne. For
the rest of the year, he and the Abbot of Yungdrung Ling worked
together on the monastery project. Following the death of the Abbot,
Jongdong Sangye Tendzin assumed the spiritual leadership of the
Bonpos in exile. More houses were erected, as well as a library, and an
abbot's residence (bla-brang) was con-structed. Monastic life was
organized around the ordinances of the Vinaya ('dul-ba). The
foundation for a main temple was laid in 1969 and completed in 1978.
This temple was given the name Pal Shenten Menri Ling (dpal gshen
bstan sman-ri gling). The
whole complex was designated as the Bonpo Monastic Centre and it

formed part of the Tibetan Bonpo Foundation. At the time, this was
the only Bonpo monastery in India. [13]
The Lopon made a second visit to Europe in 1969 where, at the
invitation of Professor Helmut Hoffmann of the University of
Munich, he was a visiting scholar at the University of Munich,
contributing to the monumental Tibetan-German-English dic-tionary
being compiled there, and yet to be published. The Lopon stayed in
Munich for seven months
From 1967, when the first monks came to Dolanji, the teach-ing
was largely given by Lop on Sangye T enzin, the former teach-ing
master at Menri in Tibet, assisted by his successor, Lopon Tenzin
Namdak, the founder of the settlement at Dolanji. From 1970 to 1979
Lopon Rinpoche continued to teach and write while residing at the
Bonpo Monastic Centre and, in addition, he was much engaged in the
publishing in New Delhi of a large number of important Bonpo texts.
Due to various difficulties, es-pecially a lack of basic canonical books,
the teaching was only partial and consisted mainly of training the
young monks in the practices of the Dzogchen tradition, especially the
Zhang-zhung-snyan-rgyud, which was considered by both Lopons to be
of prime importance. In 1977, when Lopon Sangye Tenzin died af-ter a
protracted illness, Lopon Tenzin Namdak was assigned full responsibility
for the education of the younger generation of monks. In the next year, he
conducted funerary and post-mortem rites for his teacher Lopon Sangye
Tenzin.
By 1978, a sufficient number of important Bonpa texts had been

published, many having been borrowed from the collection housed at
Samling Monastery in Dolpo, Nepal, and reprinted in New Delhi, so
that classes could be organized around them as a curriculum.
Moreover, premises for use as classrooms were now available. Thus, a
Dialectics School, or Shedra (bshad-grwa), was established in 1978,
organized under the guidance of Lopon Rin-poche, who served as one
of the two professors at the college.
216- Appendix- The Biography o{Lopon Tenzin Namdak
The official name of this institution was Yungdrung Bon Shedrub

Lobnyer Dude (g. yung-drung bon bshad-sgrub slob gnyer 'dus-sde).
In that year the full training in Bonpo academic studies be-gan and in
1986 the first class of monks graduated. [14]
In 1978, Lopon Rinpoche, together with the new Abbot,
Jongdong Sangye Tenzin, visited H.H. the Dalai Lama, head of the
Tibetan Government in exile at Dharamsala in order to in-form him of
the purpose of establishing the Bonpo settlement at Dolanji and the
Lama College or Dialectics School, with its nine-year program of
Geshe studies. Moreover, they requested official recognition, by the
Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala, of Menri Trizin
Rinpoche, the Abbot of Menri Monastery, as the head of the Bonpo
school in general among Tibetans. Thus, Jongdong Sangye Tenzin
became the present throne-holder, or thirty-third Abbot of Menri,
under the name H.H. Lungtog Ten-pai Nyima (sKyabs-rje lung-rtogs
bstan-pa'i nyi-ma dpal bzang-po). Normally, His Holiness resides at
Dolanji, but he has now visited the West on a number of occasions.
Moreover, H.H. the Dalai Lama and his Government officially
recognized the Bonpos as the fifth Tibetan school and granted them
representation on the Council of Religious Affairs at Dharamsala.
In 1978, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, together with a group of his

Italian students, came to visit Dolanji and, because of his wide non-
sectarian interest in Dzogchen, he requested from the Lopon the
initiation for Zhang-zhung Meri, the Yidam or meditation de-ity
practice closely associated with the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud. This
had been the personal T antric practice of Gyerpungpa him-self. It is
traditional to receive this empowerment before entering into the
practice of Dzogchen according to the Zhang-zhung tra-dition. [15]
Years later, when the Lopon visited Merigar, the re-treat center of
Norbu Rinpoche in the hills of Tuscany north of Rome, he gave the
complete Lung, or scriptural authorization, to Norbu Rinpoche and the
latter's students in the Dzogchen Com-munity.
From 1976 to 1986, Lopon Rinpoche educated the young monks

at Dolanji and wrote several texts himself, including some that are
used in the Dialectics School. In 1986 Geshe degrees were awarded to
the first six young monks to complete the nine-year training at
Dolanji. For three years Lopon Sangye Tenzin taught the Dzogchen
teachings of the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud to a group of about fifteen
monks and when he had completed this first cycle of teaching, he was
requested to teach it again to the same group. But in the middle of this
second cycle he became seriously ill and Lopon Tenzin Namdak took
over the burden of teaching. Lop on Sangye T enzin died in 1977. He
had requested that the money left over from his estate after his death
be spent on the dialectics school. With his departure this left as
teachers Lopon Tenzin Namdak and Geshe Yungdrung Langyal.
Lopon Rinpoche continued to teach Dzogchen. Geshe Yungdrung
Lan-gyal, who was a Geshe Lharampa in both the Bonpo and the Ge-
lugpa traditions, having studied at Drepung, was the principal teacher
for around twelve students in philosophical studies focus-ing on
Madhyamaka and logic required for the Geshe degree.
The purpose of this new Dialectics School at Dolanji was to

preserve the tradition of education in philosophy (mtshan-nyid) first
established and developed at Yeru Wensakha, where phi-losophical
analysis and logic were applied to the understanding of the mDo
sngags sems gsum, that is to say, the teachings of Sutra, Tantra and
Dzogchen. At Tashi Menri in Tibet, the monks stud-ied the five
scriptural systems (mdo gzhung lnga) in the philoso-phy college, but
all of the instruction in Tantra and Dzogchen was done in a more
private context with individual masters. The five scriptures, actually
five collections of texts, are:
1. tshad-ma- pramana or logic and epistemology;

2. phar-phyin - Prajnaparamita or the Perfection of Wisdom Su-tras;
3. dbu-ma- Madhyamaka philosophy;

218 -Appendix - The Biography of Lapan Tenzin Namdak
4. mdzod-phug- Abhidharma or cosmology, and

5. 'dul-ba- Vinaya or monastic discipline.
However, at the revived Menri Monastery at Dolanji, stu-dents

also study Tantra and Dzogchen in the college, as well as the five
above-mentioned scriptural systems that pertain to the Sutra level of
teaching. Also included in the course of studies are the secular
sciences (rig-gnas), such as grammar, poetics, astrol-ogy, medicine
and so on. [16] The school has a nine-year pro-gram of studies that
prepare the student for the Geshe degree ex-amination.
In 1986, Lopon Rinpoche made a return visit to Tibet to visit the

site of Menri Monastery and other important Bonpo monas-teries,
seeking to inspire the few remaining monks who were liv-ing under
Chinese occupation. He also traveled to eastern Tibet, including his
native district of Khyungpo. Here he enthroned Sherab Gelek (Shes-
rab dge-legs) as the new Abbot of Tengchen Monastery and offered
donations for the restoration of the mon-astery, which was at that time
in a sorry state of disrepair. These repairs and restorations continue
today under the direction of the Abbot. Subsequently, he was reunited
with his mother for the first time after forty-five years. He then
returned to Lhasa and flew to Chengdu in China in order to visit
temples and the holy moun-tain of Langchen Gyingri. By way of
Lhasa again, he returned by air to Kathmandu.
Once in Nepal, he donated all the remaining money he had

collected in Tibet and elsewhere to acquiring a small piece of land at
the foot of Nagarjuna hill to the west of the famous hill of Swayambhu
at the far end of the Kathmandu Valley, in order to build the future
monastery of Triten Norbutse (khri-brten nor-bu-rtse). The monastery
was formally founded in 1987 and one of his former students from
Dolanji, Geshe Nyima Wangyal, was put in charge of the project.
Later the Geshe became the first Khenpo or Abbot of the new
monastery. In 1988 Lopon Rinpoche con-
tracted jaundice, but continued his regular teaching schedule after first
moving into a small building erected on the land. [17]
Unique to the Bonpo monastic tradition and the education
developed by Lopon Rinpoche provided to the monks, is debating of
the view of Dzogchen in relation to Madhyamaka and other Buddhist
philosophies. Unlike the Nyingmapa tradition, which generally
transmitted Dzogchen in the context of secret medita-tion instructions
conferred in private between master and disci-ple, the Bonpos
developed a system of logic and debate specif-ially related to the
Dzogchen teachings and thereby, in a certain sense, brought Dzogchen
out of the closet into the philosophical market place of discussion of
ideas. This has elicited some criti-cism from Lamas belonging to other
Tibetan schools. However, in 1988 H.H. the Dalai Lama, who is
himself also well versed in Dzogchen and a practitioner of it, visited
the Dialectics School at Dolanji and was quite pleased with the fact
that the Bonpo monks use debate and logic as a method of studying
Dzogchen, especially in relation to other philosophical systems. With
much delight and enthusiasm, His Holiness observed the monks
debating various philosophical points of the Dzogchen view. [18]
In 1989, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, made his third visit to

the West, this time to England, America and Italy, at the invitation of
the Dzogchen Communities of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche in those
countries. During the course of several months, Lopon Rinpo.che
presented to interested Western stu-dents Dzogchen teachings
according to the Bonpo tradition of the A-khrid and the Zhang-zhung
snyan-rgyud. In Los Angeles, the Healing Light Center generously paid
the hospital costs for a badly needed operation to extract six gall-stones.
Thereafter Lo-pon Rinpoche recovered completely and was subsequently
able to visit Italy, both Rome and Merigar, the retreat center of Namkhai
Norbu Rinpoche in Tuscany, before returning to Nepal.
Again the Lopon was invited to the West in March and April by
students of the Dzogchen Community, first to Bischofshofen
in Austria and then to Rome and Merigar in Italy and to south Devon
in England. Thereafter the Lopon taught for the first time in
Amsterdam in the Netherlands. At this time, he was accompa-nied by
Geshe Nyima Wangyal, the first Khenpo or Abbot of Triten Norbutse
in Nepal. After his return to Nepal in August, a small group of English
students met with the Lopon at Triten Norbutse where, every morning
for two hours, he presented an exegetical commentary on a Dzogchen
text composed by the fa-mous Shardza Rinpoche (1859-1933) [19]
known as the
bzang snying-thig. The edited transcripts of this teaching resulted in the

publication in 1993 of Heart Drops of Dharmakaya. [20]
In October he came to New York City at the invitation of
H.H. the Dalai Lama to attend the Kalachakra initiation and to give a
lecture on the Nature of Mind as the representative of the Bonpo
tradition of Tibet. For this lecture, the Lopon had previ-ously
composed a paper while teaching in Devon entitled: "The Condensed
Meaning of an Explanation of the Teachings of Yungdrung Bon,"
which was published in time for the presenta-tion, before the actual
Kalachakra initiation. [21] He taught briefly in New York City and
Amherst, Massachusetts. After a tour of the American Southwest and
various American Indian res-ervations, he taught on Dzogchen at
Coos Bay, Oregon, in No-vember. The transcripts of these teachings
were published hter in 1992 and privately circulated by the Bonpo
Translation Project as Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings. [22]
In 1992, he returned from Nepal to Dolanji to attend the Ge-she

examinations and give the initiation for the Ma Gyud, or Bonpo
Mother Tantra, the most extensive of all Bonpo Tantric initiations,
requiring seven days to complete the cycle. At this time, the Lopon
also enthroned Geshe Nyima Wangyal as the first Abbot of Triten
Norbutse in the presence of H.H. Menri Trizin, the current Abbot of
Menri at Dolanji.
That summer, Lopon Rinpoche again visited Tibet, first going on
a pilgrimage of the Lhasa area, and then proceeding to the
Nag-chu region of Kham or eastern Tibet where he gave many

teachings and initiations. He made a return visit to T engchen
Monastery in his native district of Khyungpo, which had been re-built
since his previous visit in 1986. He remained at the monas-tery for a
time, giving the Mawe Senge initiation and teaching the Vinaya to the
monks. He visited adjacent regions and then his mother once again.
Thereafter he returned to Lhasa, where he purchased a small piece of
land in order to build a reception house for the Bonpos living in the
city, that is, a place where they could meet and assemble for religious
practices.
In 1994, Lopon Rinpoche traveled again to Lhasa and Nag-chu,
but conditions had changed in China and he was not able to give any
teachings or initiations. When he returned to Triten Norbutse
Monastery in Kathmandu, he performed the consecra-tion (rab-gnas)
of the new Lhakhang, or temple and assembly hall, at the monastery.
The event was also attended by H.H. Menri Trizin from Dolanji and
the latter officially inaugurated the Dialectics School (bsad-grwa) and
Meditation School (sgrub-grwa) at the monastery.
At the Dialectics School, every week one monk is subjected to an

exhaustive and thorough examination by Lopon Rinpoche and all the
other monks enrolled in the Geshe degree program. Each monk in turn
poses questions to the examinee, with even the youngest monks taking
their turns at asking questions. It is not unusual for such an oral
examination to last five to six hours. In the course of one year every
monk in the program is tested two or three times in this manner. Upon
successful completion of the thirteen-year Geshe program, during the
course of the graduation ceremony, the monks are awarded the
distinguished Geshe degree by the representative of H.H. the Dalai
Lama.
In addition to the Geshe Degree Program, Lopon Rinpoche
provided personal guidance and daily meditation instruction to a small
group of advanced practitioners who focus their study and practice on
Dzogchen. Lopon Rinpoche also oversaw the monas-
222 -Appendix - The Biography of Lapan Tenzin Namdak
tic education of a small group of orphaned boys who received pre-

Geshe training and instruction that also include training in debating.
In early 1994, there were only twenty monks in residence at

Triten Norbutse, but after the inception of the Dialectics School, the
monastic population increased dramatically in a matter of months.
Currently there are over one hundred monks in resi-dence and new
monks arrive at Triten Norbutse, at times on a daily basis. Most come
directly from Tibet, but some also from Dolanji in India and some
from the border regions of Nepal, in-cluding Dolpo and Mustang.
Also in recent years, a number of Bonpo nuns have fled Tibet and
come to the monastery in the hope of receiving teachings from the
Lapan and other senior monks.
Since the Cultural Revolution in China and Tibet in the 1960s,

the availability of Bonpo teachings in Tibet has become quite limited.
Currently, monks can only receive teachings at the Sutra level because
in general there are no qualified teachers available to give the higher
level teachings of Tantra and Dzog-chen. The Bonpo education
currently available in Tibet focuses upon the preliminary practices,
zhine meditation, and the one-hundred-day Tummo (or psychic heat}
retreat. As a result, in or-der to receive a complete education in the
Bonpo tradition, monks and nuns must leave Tibet to obtain these
teachings from Lapan Rinpoche. The primary purpose behind the
Lapan estab-lishing the Dialectics School is to train Bonpo monks in
exile so that they can eventually take the Bonpo teachings back to
Tibet. [23]
Since 1995, Lapan Rinpoche has visited Europe regularly in order

to give Dzogchen teachings from the Bonpo tradition, in particular the
Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud and the A-khrid. From time to time, he has
also visted the United States at the invitation of his former student
from Dolanji, Geshe T enzin Wangyal, and others. Since this time,
Lapan Rinpoche has regularly taught re-
treats every spring or summer in France, where the Association

Yungdrung Bon was set up by his Western students to facilitate his
work in the West and in particular Europe. In 2001 this proc-ess led to
plans to establish a permanent Bonpo teaching, re-search and retreat
center in France, and this project was realized in the summer of 2005
with the purchase of a chateau in France. This institute and retreat
facility is now known as Shenten Dargye Ling (gshen bstan dar-rgyas
gling), meaning "the place for the spreading of the teachings of the
Buddha Tonpa Shenrab."
For further information regarding the monastery, its pro-grams
and future plans, as well as Shenten Dargye Ling in France, contact:
Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Triten Norbutse Bonpo

Monastery Ichangu, G.B.S. Ward No.6, G.P.O. Box
4640, Kathmandu, Nepal E-mail: triten
@wlink.com.np.
The Curriculum of Studies at

Triten Norbutse Monastery
The program of philosophical studies (mtshan-nyid, Skt. Lak-
shana, definitive characteristic) held at the Dialectics School (bshad-
grwa) at Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Ne-pal, since
1994 has been extended by Lopon Rinpoche to thirteen years, and
even to fourteen or fifteen years because the Geshe ex-aminations are
not held every year. [24] This provides an oppor-tunity to study more
texts than in the usual curriculum. When acting as head teacher or
Lopon at Menri Monastery in Tibet, Lopon Rinpoche had already
begun to revise the traditional cur-riculum of studies. Then at the re-
established Menri Monastery at Dolanji in India, he included the study
of Tantra and Dzogchen as studies in the Geshe program.
The course of Geshe studies commences with the study of

Pramana (tshad-ma) or Logic, that is, with the methods of correct
logical thinking and arriving at valid cognitions. At Triten Nor-butse,
these preliminary studies in methodology and logic extend-ing over
the first three years are known as the first successive year course in
logic studies (tshad-ma lo rim dang-po), the second suc-cessive year
course in logic studies, (tshad-ma lo rim gnyis-pa), and the third
successive year course in logic studies (tshad-ma lo rim gsum-pa).
[25] In a formal sense, Bonpo logic is similar to the Buddhist logic
developed in India by Dignaga and Dharmakirti. However, in the
Bonpo tradition, the origin of logic is attributed to the Primordial
Buddha himself, Kuntu Zangpo, [26] rather than to historical figures
like Dignaga and Dharmakirti.
Pramana, in the narrower sense, means valid cognition. And in
terms of debate and philosophical discussions with Outsiders (phyi-
pa), that is to say, non-Buddhists and non-Bonpos, there are two
sources of valid cognition:
Appendix- The Biography of Lapan Tenzin Namdak- 225
1. direct perception (mngon-sum tshad-ma, pratyaksha-pra-mana)

and
2. inference (rjes-dpag tshad-ma, anumana-pramana).
When engaged in discussions with Insiders (nang-pa), that is, other

Bonpos, then scriptural authority represents a third source of valid
cognition. This is because an enlightened being like the Buddha is a
reliable witness and would not lie or be mistaken in any way.
The thirteen-year course of studies at the Dialectics School is as

follows:
Sutra System Studies:

I. Tshad-ma (initial three years).
Studies in logic, terminology, and methodology, representing a
three-year course in basic knowledge and correct thinking.
A. bsDus-grwa (first year).
Studies in terminology and methodology.
Thun-mong bsdus-grwa'i rnam-bshad by Khenchen Nyi-
ma Tenzin.
Bon-can zur-bkod gsal-byed by Khenchen Nyima Tenzin.
B. rTags-rigs (second year).
Studies in epistemology. [27]
bsTan-bcos chen-po tshad-ma rnam-'byed by Ponlob Yon-tan
Gyatso.
C. Tshad-ma (third year).
Studies in formal logic. The practice of debate (rtsod-pa)
begins with the first year and continues throughout the entire
course of studies. [28]
Tshad-ma rnam-'byed 'phrul gyi sgron-me by Nyammed
Sherab Gyaltsan. (Root text in 14 folia).
Students are required to memorize these root texts (rtsa-ba)
and the others that follow below.
rNam'byed 'phrul gyi sgron-me'i 'grel-pa, auto-commen-tary

to the above root text.
II. Theg-rim (fourth year).

Studies of the successive vehicles to enlightenment, Sutra sys-
tem section only.
Theg-pa'i rim-pa mngon du bshad-pa'i mdo rgyud, root text and
commentary attributed to Tonpa Shenrab. (Root text in 6 folia to be
memorized).
Theg-'grel (three different commentaries).
III. Sa-lam (fifth year).

Study of the five paths and the ten stages.
Sa-lam 'phrul gyi sgron-me by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsan (Root
text in 26 folia).
Rang-'grel, his auto-commentary, plus another commentary.
IV. Phar-phyin (two years).

A. Phar-phyin (sixth year).
Studies in the Khams brgyad or Prajnaparamita Sutra. Phar-
phyin skabs dang-po by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsan. (Root
text and commentaries for Chapters 1-2).
B. Phar-phyin (seventh year).
Studies in the Khams brgyad or Prajnaparamita. Phar-phyin
skabs gnyis-pa by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsen. (Root text and
commentaries for Chapters 3-8).
V. dBu-ma (eighth year).

Studies in Madhyamaka philosophy.
dBu-ma bden gnyis kyi gzhung by Meton Sherab Odzer (Root text
in 6 folia).
Two commentaries by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsan and Lopon T
enzin Namdak.
Appendix - The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak - 22 7
VI. mDzod (ninth year).

Studies in the Abhidharma or cosmology.
Srid-pa'i mdzog-phug, attributed to Tonpa Shenrab. (Root text in
16 folia).
Srid-pa'i mdzog-phug rtsa 'grel, attributed to Dranpa Nam-
kha.
Lung mtshan-nyid srid-pa'i mdzog-phug klad don, by Azha
Lodro Gyaltsan.
sNang-srid mdzod-phug gi gzhung 'grel-pa, by Nyammed Sherab
Gyaltsan.
VII. 'Dul-ba (tenth year).

Studies in the Vinaya or monastic rules and ordinances.
'Dul-ba rtsa sdom rgyal btsan gsal-ba'i rgyan (Root text in 11
folia).
Two commentaries by Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsan:
'Dul-ba mdor bsdus kyi 'grel-pa
'Dul-ba kun las btus-pa sa-gcod
Tantra System Studies:

VIII. sNgags (eleventh year).
Studies in the system of the Father Tantras (pha rgyud).
Theg-rim (Tantra section only).
bKa' 'grel by Lopon Tenzin Namdak.
gSang-ba bsen thub kyi 'grel-pa by Azha Lodro Gyaltsan.
IX. Ma rGyud (twelfth year).

Studies in the system of the Mother T antra.
Ma rgyud sangs-rgyas rgyud gsum 'grel-pa, attributed to Milu
Samlek.
Ye-shes thig-le mchan 'grel by Lopon Tenzin Namdak.
Dzogchen Studies:
X. rDzogs-chen (thirteenth and fourteenth years).
228- Appendix- The Biography of Lopon Tenzin Namdak
Theg-'grel (Dzogchen section only).

Nam-mkha' 'phrul-mdzod, attributed to Dranpa Namkha (Root text
with 7 folia).
Nam-mkha' 'phrul-mdzod 'grel-pa, attributed to Dranpa

Namkha' (commentary).
gTan-tshigs gal mdo rig-pa'i tshad-ma, attributed to Lishu
Tag-ring.
Gab 'grel, attributed to Dranpa Namkha.
Zhang-zhung snayan-rgyud bka' rgyud skor bzhi, attributed to
T apihri tsa.
(This is the bKa'-rgyud only, not the Nyams rgyud. The Zhang-
zhung snayan-rgyud and the A-khrid are both mostly practice
oriented, and so are not studied in the Dialectics School. A portion of
the Ye-khri mtha'-sel is also studied, if time permits.
Parallel to this course of academic studies, taught in morning

classes, there are the study and practice of the secular sciences and
arts (rig-gnas). These classes are usually in the afternoon. The
traditional list of these sciences in the Buddhist context is as fol-lows:
1. Sanskrit linguistics (sgra rig-pa}

2. healing and medicine (gso-ba rig-pa}
3. arts and crafts (bzo rig-pa}
4. external sciences, such as astrology, etc. (phyi rig-pa)
5. internal sciences, which are religious and spiritual (nang rig-pa}
At Triten Norbutse, eleven such sciences are taught to the stu-dents as

follows:
1. Tibetan spelling (dag-yig ming-gzhi)

2. Tibetan grammar (brda-sprod)
3. poetics (snyan-ngag)
4. Sanskrit linguistics (sgra rig-pa)
5. composition and stylistics (sdebs-sbyor)
6. calendrics, similar to Chinese astrology (nag-rtsis)
7. Indian astrology and horoscopes (dkar-rtsis)
8. consecrations for stupas, statues. etc. (gzungs-rdzong)
9. proportions for stupas, mandalas, etc. (thig-tshad)
10. medicine and healing (gso-ba rig-pa), and
11. arts and crafts (bzo rig-pa)
When the sciences of linguistics and composition are combined, that

makes ten secular sciences
Usually there are six to eight graduates examined at any one time,
but this depends on the circumstances. The examinations consist of
testing the student's memorization of the root texts, his skills in
debating, a written examination, the making of an astro-logical chart
for an individual, calculating a one-month calendar according to
Indian astrology, designing a stupa and a mandala, a written poem, a
written prose composition, and constructing a poem grid diagram (sgra
'khor). Upon completion of all the ex-aminations, the graduate is
presented by the Abbot or Khenpo with a certificate of graduation
(lag-khyer) and a white silk scarf (kha-btags)
The Meditation School (sgrub-grwa) is independent of the

Dialectics School and a student may enter it separately without first
enrolling in the Geshe Studies program. This represents a four-year
program of the study and practice of Dzogchen in a semi-retreat
situation, one year each being spent on a different system of
Dzogchen, as follows:
First year : A-khrid, attributed to Meuton Dongdzod Ritrod

Chenpo.
Second year : rDzogs-chen, attributed to Dranpa Namkha.
Third year : Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud, attributed to T apihritsa, and
Fourth year : Ye-khri mtha'-sel, attributed to Dranpa Namkha.
For the graduate completing four years, there is a similar gradua-tion

ceremony and certificate.
Notes
Notes to the Preface of the First Edition

1. Originally published as an appendix in John Myrdhin Reynolds
(Vajranatha), Yungdrung Bon: The Eternal Tradition (1991).
2. See Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005).
3. See Namkhai Norbu, Drung, Dreu, and Bon (1995) and The Neck-lace
of gZi (1981).
4. On the two authentic traditions of Dzogchen in Tibet, see Rey-nolds,
The Golden Letters (1996) and Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from
Zhang-zhung (2005), especially Chapter One.
Notes to the Introduction to Bon

1. In the Bonpo tradition, Maitreya, the future Buddha, is known as Tonpa
Thangma Medron (sTon-pa thang-ma me-sgron).
2. On the Bonpo understanding of the Trikaya, or Three Bodies of the
Buddha, see Chapters One and Two in Reynolds, The Oral Tradi-tion
from Zhang-zhung (2005).
3. However, this similarity of the Bonpo texts to many Indian Bud-dhist
texts and teachings was explained as simple plagiarism in me-dieval
Tibetan histories written by Buddhist monk scholars. Shenchen Luga
was considered the main perpetrator here. Until re-cently, before the
actual Bonpo texts became known, most Western scholars accepted this
accusation at face value. However, most of the Tertons (gter-ston), or
discoverers of hidden treasure texts, were simple illiterates and not
learned scholars. They could have hardly composed these texts. On
Bonpo Terma discoveries, see Karmay, Treasury (1972).
4. There are three principal biographies or hagiographies of Tonpa Shenrab

in the Bon tradition:
232- Notes
(1) mDo 'dus or Dus gsum sangs-rgyas byung-khungs kyi mdo,

(2) gZer-myig or 'Dus-pa rin-po-che'i rgyud gzer-myig, and
(3) gZi-brjid or 'Dus-pa rin-po-che dri-ma med-pa gzi-brjid rab tu
'bar-ba'i mdo.
A summary of the hagiography of T onpa Shenrab, drawn from the gZer-
myig, will be found in Helmut Hoffmann, The Religions of Ti-bet (1961),
pp. 84-98. A brief version of the hagiography may be found in Sangye
Tandar, The Twelve Deeds: A Brief Life Story of Tonpa Shenrab, the
Founder of the Bon Religion (1995). Although the monastic career of T
onpa Shenrab in his later life bears many resemblances to the account of
Shakyamuni Buddha's Great Renun-ciation and subsequent teaching
activities, as found, for example, in the Lalitavistara, his life story is
otherwise of an origin quite inde-pendent of anything remotely Indian
Buddhist. Indeed, the noted Russian scholar Kuznetsov sees Tonpa
Shenrab as being of Central Asian or Iranian origin. See B.l. Kuznetsov,
"Who was the Founder of the Bon Religion," in Tibet journal (1975).
Certain contempo-rary Tibetan scholars see Tonpa Shenrab as a native-
born Tibetan, rather than a prince or priest of Central Asian origin. See
Namkhai Norbu, The Necklace of gZi (1981). Karmay also appears to
suggest this. See Samten G. Karmay, "A General Introduction to the His-
tory and Doctrines of Bon," in The Memoirs of the Research De-
partment of the Toyo Bunko (1975), pp. 171-218. Lopon Tenzin
Namdak, following Bonpo tradition, is adamant in asserting that Tonpa
Shenrab was not a Tibetan, but originated in '01-mo lung-ring, which he
identifies with Shambhala. In that case, '01-mo lung-ring was a mystical
domain and not a precise geographical location. On the significance of
'01-mo lung-ring and Shambhala, see Edwin Birnbaum, The Way to
Shambhala (1980), pp. 12-13, 44, 79-81, 1 02; and especially see Daniel
Martin, Mandala Cosmology (1994 ). On the signicance of mystical
geography in general, see Mircea Eli-ade, The Sacred and the Profane:
The Nature of Religion (1957), and also Henry Corbin, Spiritual Body
and Celestial Earth (1977).
5. On Shambhala and Olmo Lung-ring, see Burnbaum, The Way to

Shambhala (1980).
6. See Sangye Tandar, The Twelve Deeds (1995).
Notes- 233
7. On the origin of the word bon, see Geza Uray, "The Old Tibetan Verb
Bon," in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientarium Hungaricae (1964).
8. According to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, the translations of these technical

terms chab dkar as "white water" and chab nag as "black water" are
problematic. Indeed, chab does mean "water" in Ti-betan, but the word
may originally have been a Zhang-zhung term and held a different and
now forgotten meaning. In the old Bonpo usage, the terms "white"
(dkar) and "black" (nag) did not have the moral connotations that they
have in English, such as "white magic" done for good purposes and
"black magic" done for evil purposes. In this context, "white" refers to
invoking the aid of the gods and spirits, drawing positive energy to
oneself, while "black" refers to the exorcizing and expelling of negative
energies, per-ceived as a process of purification. The exorcised negative
energies are felt to appear black in color, but the intention here is
positive, namely, that of purification.
9. According to Karmay, the name 'Phan-yul designates the district of

'Phan-yul to the north of Lhasa. This may have been the location where the
Bonpo translation of the Prajnaparamita was made in the early period, to be
later concealed in a different region before re-discovery by gShen-chen klu-
dga' in the eleventh century. However, the Lopon disputes this theory and
holds that 'phan-yul was proba-bly a Zhang-zhung word whose meaning has
been forgotten. The Tibetan term 'bum, literally meaning "one hundred
thousand," is the usual designation in the Buddhist tradition for the entire
collec-tion of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the largest of which consists of one
hundred-thousand verses. See Karmay, Treasury (1972).
10. See Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon (1967).

11. On 'Chi-med gtsug-phud and the lineages for the Bonpo Dzogchen
teachings, see Chapter Three with the translations of the Yig-chung and
the rNam-thar in Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung
(2005).
12. On the Zhang-zhung language, see Erik Haarh, "The Zhang-zhung
Language: A Grammar and Dictionary of the Unexplored Language of
the Tibetan Bonpos," in Acta ]utlandica (1968). On the relation-ship of
Kinnauri to the Zhang-zhung language, see D.O. Sharma, A
Descriptive Grammar of Kinnauri Delhi (1988).
234- Notes
13. See Karmay, Treasury (1972).

14. On the sMar-yig script of Zhang-zhung, see Tshering Thar, "The
Ancient Zhang Zhung Civilization," in Tibet Studies (1989). Also see
Namkhai Norbu, The Necklace of gZi (1981).
15. On the Bonpo Terma tradition, see Karmay, Treasury (1972). All of the
early Terma discoveries of the Bonpos were sa-gter, that is, the actual
physical texts written in previous times and concealed in various places
of Tibet and Bhutan. Most of the actual discoverers of these collections
of Terma texts were not learned Lamas, but simple farmers and hunters,
who could not have possibly forged or otherwise plagiarized these texts.
Among the most famous of these early "Tertons" were three Nepalese
thieves known as the three At-saras, who in the year 961 CE stole a
heavy locked chest from the Cha-ti dmar-po temple at Samye Monastery.
Escaping into the mountains with their loot and thinking that it contained
gold, they broke into the chest. But when they opened it, they found only
some old texts. Greatly disappointed, they sold these old books to some
local village Bonpo Lamas for gold and a horse.
16. According to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, sTang-chen dMu-tsha gyer-med

was a disciple of Dranpa Namkha, the prince of Zhang-zhung and not the
later Tibetan Dranpa Namkha who lived in the eighth century as claimed by
Karmay, Treasury (1972), pp.xxxvii, xxxviii. This sage appeared to Lodan
Nyingpo in a series of visions, dictat-ing a number of texts which the latter
wrote down. At this time, it is said, Lodan Nyingpo was 23 to 24 years old
and these visions came to him spontaneously without his conscious control.
Even though this process would be designated a Mind Treasure (dgongs-
gter) or a pure vision (dag-snang) by the Nyingmapas, the Bonpos classify
such vision revelations as snyan-brgyud or oral transmis-sions, even though
they do not represent a continuous oral trans-mission from the earliest time.
In all, Lodan Nyingpo received four cycles of oral transmissions in visions
from the Vidyadharas and the Dakinis. See Karmay, Treasury (1972), pp.
183, 340.
17. On the Nyingmapa Terma tradition, see Eva Dargyay, The Rise of
Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet (1977). Also see Tulku Thondup, Hid-den
Teachings of Tibet (1986), and Tulku Thondup, The Tantric Tradition of
the Nyingmapas (1984).
Notes- 235
18. The Three Cycles of Precepts that are Outer, Inner and Secret (bka' phyi
nang gsang skor gsum) are as follows:
(1) The Outer Cycle (phyi skor) contains the Surra system of teachings
(mdo-lugs) relating to the Path of Renunciation (spong lam).
(2) The Inner Cycle (nang skor) contains the Tantra system of
teachings (rgyud-lugs) relating to the Path of Transformation
(sgyur lam), otherwise known as the Secret Mantras (gsang
sngags).
(3) The Secret Cycle (gsang skor) contains the Upadesha teachings
(man-ngag) relating to the Path of Self-Liberation (grol lam),
otherwise known as Dzogchen, the Great Perfection.
19. On the Central Treasures, see John Myrdhin Reynolds, Yungdrung Bon:
The Eternal Tradition (1994). And also Lopon Tenzin Nam-dak and John
Reynolds (tr), The Condensed Meaning of an Expla-nation of the
Teachings of Yungdrung Bon (n.d.). Also see Tenzin Wangyal, Wonders
of the Natural Mind (1993), pp. 35-37, 203-208.
20. Oral communication.

21. Shenchen Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga', 996-1 035) discovered the largest
single cache of old Bonpo texts. See Karmay, Treasury, p. 126-135.
22. On the A-khrid system and rMe'u-ston dGongs-mdzod ri-khrod chen-po,

see Per Kvaerne, "Bonpo Studies: The A-khrid System of Meditation," Part
One: "The Transmission of the A-khrid System," in Kailash (1973), pp. 19-
50. Bru-chen rGyal-ba g.yung-drung (1242-1290) composed the practice
manual entitled the A-khrid thun mtshams bco-lnga-pa, "The Fifteen
Sessions of Practice for A-khrid." For the translation of most of this text, see
Per Kvaerne and Thubten Rikey, The Stages of A-khrid Meditation:
Dzogchen Prac-tice of the Bon Tradition (1996). And on the A-khrid
system gener-ally, see Per Kvaerne, "Bonpo Studies" in Kailash v. I, n. 1
and n. 4 in Kailash (1973 ).
23. On the rDzogs-chen sems-sde, see Reynolds, The Golden Letters, ibid.
and also Namkhai Norbu, The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra,
Tantra, and Dzogchen, Arkana Penguin Books, London
(1993).
236- Notes
24. sNya-chen Li-shu stag-rings was said to be a contemporary of the Tibetan

king Trisong Detsan and was actively involved in the con-cealing of Terma
texts. He is said to be the source for the rDzogs-chen yang-rtse'i klong-
chen. See Karmay, Treasury (1972).
25. Usually it is said that the Rainbow Body ('ja'-lus) is accomplished at the
point of death. However, the Rainbow Body of the Great Transfer ('ja'-
lus 'pho-ba chen-po) is accomplished while the master is still alive. He
simply dissolves into space and then reappears in a Body of Light ('od-
lus). Among those who are believed to have at-tained the Great Transfer
were Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and T apihritsa.
26. On Tapihritsa and Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo (Gyer-spungs snang-

bzher lod-po), see Chapters Five, Six, and Seven in Reynolds, The Oral
Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005).
Notes to Chapter One: Introduction to the Practice of

Dzogchen
1. gCig brgyud, transmission to a single disciple only. On the Twenty-four
Masters, all of whom become J alupas ('ja' -lus-pa) who realized the
Rainbow Body ('ja'-lus), see Chapter Four in Reynolds, The Oral
Transmission from Zhang-zhung (2005). Unlike the other tra-ditions of
Bonpo Dzogchen, the Zhang-zhung snyan-rgyud was never a Terma (gter-
ma), or hidden treasure text, concealed during the eighth century
persecution of Bon and rediscovered centuries later. For the traditional
account of why this was not the case, see Chapter Seven in Reynolds, The
Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005). On the Bonpo Termas in
general, see Karmay, Treasury
(1972).
2. The Guardians (bon-srung, bon-skyong) are the guardian spirits of the
teachings of Bon. Some of them are emanations of enlightened beings,
others represent nature spirits and pagan gods subdued and converted -to
Bon or Dharma by Tonpa Shenrab and other great masters in the past,
such as Gyerpung Nangzher Lodpo. Among the Bonpos, the chief
guardian of the Dzogchen teachings is the god-dess Sidpa Gyalmo (srid-
pa'i rgal-mo), who is a direct emanation of the Primordial Wisdom,
Sherab Jyamma (shes-rab 'byams-ma). The former corresponds to
Ekajati in the Nyingmapa system and to Paldan Lhamo (dpal-ld:m lha-
mo) in Tibetan Buddhism in general.
Notes- 237
It was Sidpa gGalmo who, in a vision, urged Lopon Sangye T enzin

formerly the Lopon or chief teacher at Menri Monastery in Tibe~ and
later Lopon at the refounded monastery at Dolanji in India, to make the
Dzogchen teachings more available, lest they be lost to humanity in
these difficult times. On the goddess Sidpa Gyalmo, see Reynolds, The
Healing Practice for Sidpa Gyalmo (1996) and on the Bonpo guardian
Nyipangse, see Appendix Three in Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from
Zhang-zhung (2005).
3. First translated from the Zhang-zhung language into the Tibetan
language by Panchen Tsanpo in the ninth century, see Chapter Eight in
Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005).
4. According to an article by Prof. Uray, the word bon may come from an
old Tibetan verb 'bond-pa, meaning "to invoke the gods." This would
correspond to the Zhang-zhung word gyer, which was taken into Tibetan
as a noun and as a verb gyer-ba, "to chant." Beckwith gives an
alternative possibility, namely, that bon comes from the Sogdian bwn
(pronounced bun) meaning Dharma. See Uray (1964) and Beckwith
(1986).
5. The Tantra system speaks of yuganaddha, or unification (zung-'jug),
where two separate things are brought together and then blended or
merged into one, like pouring water into milk. In Dzogchen, the idea is
not unification, but inseparability (dbyer-med), that is to say, they have
never been separated. Although one may speak of two aspects for the
sake of human understanding, in actual fact, they have never been
separate, like water and wetness.
6. On the practice of Refuge and Bodhichitta in Bon, and on the Ngondro
(sngon-'gro), or the preliminary practices in the Bonpo tradition, see
Appendices One and Two in Reynolds, The Oral Tra-dition from
Zhang-zhung (2005).
7. Whereas the individual enters into the practice of the Surra system by
way of taking vows and into the Tantra system by way of taking
initiations, one enters into Dzogchen by way of receiving a direct
introduction (ngo-sprod). After engaging in some preliminary prac-tices,
such as semdzin (sems-'dzin), or fixatmg the mind on a single object of
meditation such as the white Tibetan letter A, and other Rushan
exercises (see below), in order to impart some immediate experience of
what is meant by mind (sems), the Lama points out to the practitioner
what is the Nature of Mind (sems-nyid) and its in-
238- Notes
trinsic awareness (rig-pa). But to be directly introduced in this way

alone is not enough. One must practice Rigpa, or contemplation, again
and again in order to become familiar with it and remove all doubts with
regards to its nature. Only then can one have confi-dence in it. This
process corresponds to the Three Statements of Garab Dorje. On this
and direct introduction, see Reynolds, The Golden Letters (1996).
8. The method of meditation proper to Dzogchen is that of self-liberation

(rang-grol). See Reynolds, The Golden Letters (1996).
9. On Guru Yoga combined with Dzogchen or contemplation practice, see
Appendix One in Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung
(2005).
10. This practice of looking back at thoughts and searching for their source,
or for the mind, is not unique to Dzogchen. Nevertheless, it represents a
practice done at the beginning and later it is not neces-sary for the
advanced practitioner, according to Lopon Tenzin Namdak.
Notes to Chapter Two: The Attaining of Buddhahood

according to Sutra, T antra and Dzogchen
1. According to Lopon Tenzin Namdak, the more immediate aim of the
practice of the Higher Tantras is creation, by way of the prac-tices of the
generation process (bskyed-rim) and the perfection process (rdzogs-
rim), of a Gyulu, or illusory body (sgyu-lus) com-prised of mind (sems)
and prana or subtle psychic energy (rlung). Such a subtle psychic body
has the form of one's Yidam (yi-dam lha), or personal meditation deity,
whether this form be peaceful or wrathful, male or female. This Yidam
image represents a purified vision of oneself, a self-deification, that is in
contrast to the normal impure karmic vision one has of oneself in
everyday waking-state consciousness. By meditation upon oneself in
this purified arche-typal form the practitioner, during the course of
sadhana practice, accesses those virtuous qualities, capacities, and
wisdoms associated with that particular deity. Then, at the time of death,
when the ma-terial body and the conscious mind separate, as a
practitioner one transfers one's consciousness (rnam-shes) into this
subtle body of the Yidam, which has been previously prepared by way
of medita-
Notes- 239
tion practice in one's lifetime. Although this in itself does not repre-sent
enlightenment and one needs to do further practices in order to purify
subtle obscurations, one is no longer the passive victim of the various
visions created by one's past karma in the Bardo, or af-ter-death
experience.
2. The two obscurations (sgrib-pa gnyis) are the emotional defile-ments, or
kleshas, and the intellectual defilements, or distorted, wrong ideas about
the nature of reality.
3. This example was added later by the Lopon by way of further ex-
planation. On this question of the one and the many, see also the
Appendix in Reynolds, Self-Liberation (1998).
4. The practices with sunlight, with total darkness, and with the empty sky
are not the cause of the Thodgal visions but, rather, they serve as the
supports (rten) for the manifestation of these visions, much as does the
screen for a cinema show.
5. The generation process, or stages of generation (bskyed-rim), refers to
the process of visualizing oneself in the form of the Yidam medi-tation
deity in the sacred space of the mandala. When totally identi-fying
oneself with this divine form or pure vision during the course of the
sadhana or T antric transformation process, the practitioner develops a
divine pride (lha yi nga-rgyal). But none of this has any inherent
existence. Before generating oneself as the deity, one dis-solves all
impure karmic vision, the way one sees things now in samsaric
existence, into the state of Shunyata, emptiness or pure potentiality,
which is like the clear, empty sky. The practitioner may succeed in
totally identifying in concentration with the Yidam deity during the
course of the sadhana or meditation session but, at the conclusion, the
visualization is dissolved again into the pristine state of Shunyata, and
one enters into formless contemplation (mnyam-bzhag) for a time. Even
though there is no image or discur-sive thought in this state of even
contemplation for focusing and anchoring consciousness, one is not
unconscious. Rather, one is to-tally present and aware like the clear,
open sky devoid of clouds but filled with sunlight. The dissolving of the
visualization of oneself as the meditation deity before returning to the
mundane waking state consciousness of reality (rjes thob), ensures that
one does not con-fuse levels of reality and suffer ego inflation, that is to
say, the false
240- Notes
identification of the empirical ego (impure karmic vision) with the pure
archetype.
6. This clarification was added later by the Lopon.
7. That is to say, the Paths of Vision (mthong lam), Meditation (sgom lam),
and Culmination (mthar thug lam), the latter also being known as the
Path Beyond Training (mi slob lam).
Notes to Chapter Three: Four Essential Points for Un-

derstanding Dzogchen
1. The Nam-mkha' 'phrul mdzod, "The Magical Treasury of the
Sky,"attributed to Dranpa Namkha (eighth century}, a contempo-rary of
Guru Padmasambhava, belongs to one of the four principal cycles of
Dzogchen teachings in Bon, the Ye-khri mtha'-sel, redis-covered by
Lungton Lhanyen (Lung-stong lha-gnyan) in the elev-enth century.
2. The Two Truths (bden-pa gnyis), the Relative Truth (kun rdzob) and the
Absolute Truth (don-dam), refer to the understanding of reality
according to the Surra system and, in this context particu-larly, the
Madhyamaka philosophy. The Two Truths are also ap-plied in the
Tantra system but Dzogchen has a different, non-dual, understanding.
3. On the understanding of the Primordial Buddha in Dzogchen, see

Chapter Two in Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung
(2005).
4. Thigley Nyagchik (thig-le nyag-gcig) has been translated as unique
essence, single point, unique sphere, and so on, with reference to the
non-dual totality of being. But this does not mean that Dzog-chen is
positing the existence of a single substance out of which all forms are
fabricated, like a series of pots all made of clay. Nor is it postulating a
single ocean of being into which all individual selves, like so many
raindrops, fall and dissolve upon their liberation from the cycle of
rebirth. Nor is it postulating a great "One Mind" in which all partial
minds participate. As the Lopon pointed out, if there existed only One
Mind, then when the historical Buddha at-tained enlightenment, all
sentient beings would have become enlightened. Or again, if Kuntu
Zangpo is primordially enlightened as the One Mind, then diversity
would have never come into ap-
Notes- 241
pearance. Nevertheless, this reflects the perennial problem of the one

and the many, and how the latter can be derived from the for-mer. The
Thigley Nyagchik transcends this dichotomy in the view of Dzogchen.
On this problem in relation to universality and indi-viduality in terms of
Buddha enlightenment, see the Appendix in Reynolds, Self-Liberation
(1998).
5. This Buddhist teaching that a self does not exist as an eternal un-
changing entity, Anatmavada, contrasts with the Hindu Vedantic view
that the self (atman) is all that exists. For the Buddhist view, the self is
unreal and insubstantial, lacking any essence or inherent existence. By
means of practicing meditation and observing the mind, one discovers
not some unchanging abiding entity or sub-stance that can be designated
"the self" but, rather, a constantly changing stream of consciousness.
The Buddhist view, however, also contrasts with the dualistic view of
Samkhya and similar movements in Ancient India that postulated two
distinct orders of reality, originally existing independently, that is to say,
Nature (prakriti), which is constantly in flux and undergoing evolution,
as against a plurality of spirits or selves (purusha), who are the passive
witnesses to the activities of Nature. Nature is active, but blind and
unconscious, whereas Spirit is conscious, but passive and inactive, like
an audience watching a dancing girl. Whereas the Buddha re-jected
Samkhya's radical dualism, the dialogue between the Bud-dhist and the
Vedantist points of view is much more subtle.
6. Here, in one's meditation practice, there is a two-fold investigation into

the meaning of Arman or self (bdag). First, there is the conven-tional
notion of a self in persons and the grasping at this supposed self as real
(gang-zag gi bdag 'dzin), as a permanent entity or sub-stance having an
essence or inherent existence. Second, there is the conventional notion of
a substance in or behind phenomena, a stuff that they are made of, and
the grasping at the reality of that stuff (bon gyi bdag 'dzin). The first
kind of no-self in persons (gang-zag gi bdag-med) is realized in
Hinayana, whereas, in addition, the sec-ond kind of no-self in
phenomena, their insubstantiality, is realized in Mahayana. Note that
whenever a Tibetan Buddhist text has the term chos, a Bonpo text will
have the word bon. In both cases, these words translate the Sanskrit
'dharma' or 'phenomenon'.
242- Notes
Notes to Chapter Four: The View of Shunyata found in

Madhyamaka, Chittamatra and Dzogchen
1. This transcript has been compiled from the notes I made at retreats held
with Lopon T enzin Namdak in Bischofshofen and Vienna, Austria, in
Devon, England, and in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Thus this
transcript represents a compilation of the Lopon's teach-ings on
Shunyata over the course of four retreats, and I have taken the liberty,
with his permission, of adding any additional clarifica-tions required
here and any sentences needed to link the various paragraphs or topics.
Also I have added subheadings for the pur-pose of clarification.
2. Here the Lopon is speaking on the side of the doctrinal system as

formulated logically and scholastically, and not on the side of the
individual practitioner who can, of course, change his or her mind or
change course mid-stream. If philosophical systems postulate dif-ferent
bases, then logically their paths of practice will be different and
consequently their results will be different. For example, if one sows
barley seeds in a field, one cannot expect wheat as the harvest.
3. Note that in Dzogchen, one also requires secondary causes to bring
about the visible manifestation of the Trikaya. The Trikaya is latent in
the Natural State, but invisible. It is not like a statue sitting in a temple
with an open door. The Lopon suggests that this may be compared with
the Jonangpa view.
4. Longchenpa (Kun-mkhyen klong-chen rab-'byams-pa (fourteenth
century) in his magnum opus the mDzod bdun, or Seven Treasuries,
came to place Dzogchen in the context of Indian Buddhist teaching and
clearly demonstrated it is the real teaching of the Buddha, in fact, the
culmination of the Prajnaparamita, and not some heresy or import from
outside.
5. These questions are discussed in another series of texts known as the
Gal-mdo, in particular the gTan-tshigs gal-mdo rig-pa'i tshad-
ma.
Notes- 243
Notes to Chapter Five: The Views of Tantra, Maha-

mudra and Dzogchen
1. This is more or less true of all the Sarmapa schools. But nowadays, and
even for some preceding centuries, the Geshes, or Lama schol-ars,
belonging to the Menri tradition of Bon, studied and were fa-miliar with
the expositions of the Dharma by the great Tsongkhapa and certain other
Gelugpa scholars, whereas they were not so likely to be familiar with
Nyingmapa, Sakyapa, and Kagyudpa treatises. For example, only later
while in India during exile from his home-land in Tibet, did the Lopon
come to read the mDzod bdun of Longchen Rabjyampa and found this
superb exposition of Dzog-chen to be in full agreement with the Bonpo
understanding. In the earlier period, Yeru Wensakha (g.yas ru dben-sa-
kha), the monas-tery preceding Tashi Menri Monastery, lacking its own
philosophy college, sent its candidate Geshes to the nearby Sakyapa
monastery of Druyul Kyedtsal (Brus-yul skyed-tshal) to pursue their
Sutra sys-tem studies. In later centuries, after the establishment of the
Ge-lugpa hegemony in central Tibet in the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama,
Tashi Menri Monastery, re-established in 1405 by Nyammed Sherab
Gyaltsan, sent its candidate Geshes to Drepung Monastery for Sutra
studies. Consequently, Bonpo Lama scholars of the Menri tradition are
quite familiar with the works of Je Tsongkhapa and with Gelugpa
exegesis in general.
2. In the era of the New Translations, the Prasangika Madhyamaka system

was introduced into Tibet by Patsab Lotsawa (sPa-tshab lo-tswa-ba Nyi-
ma grags). He translated the seminal texts of Prasan-gika into Tibetan,
including the Prasannapada of Chandrakirti. Pat-sab Lotsawa lived in
the twelfth century. He was a native of 'Phan-yul and went to Kashmir
as a boy in 1137; for twenty-three years he studied with many Buddhist
scholars in India, including the two sons of Sanjana, Hasumati and
Kanakavarman. When he returned to Tibet, he taught the six treatises of
Nagarjuna, translated the Prasannapada, the Madhyamakavatara and its
auto-commentary, and Chandrakirti's commentary to the Yuktishashtika. He
revised the translation of Chandrakirti's Shunyatasaptati and translated the
Sutrasamuccaya with the collaboration of Khudo Debar (Khu-mdo sde-'bar)
and the Kashmiri scholar Jayananda. He gathered about him many disciples.
See George Roerich, The Blue Annals (1974),
244- Notes
pp. 230, 236, 272, 341-2, 344, 350. As the result of his efforts,
Prasangika Madhyamaka became the intellectual fashion in Tibet and
replaced the earlier eclectic Svatantrika-Yogachara-Madhya-maka
system of Shantirakshita. Generally, Prasangika Madhyamaka is now
the official philosophy and party line in all Tibetan schools, including
the Nyingmapa and the Bonpo, at least in terms of Sutra system studies.
3. The Lam-rim chen-mo represents Tsongkhapa's great exposition of the

Sutra path, following ·in the tradition of the Bodhipathapradipa of
Atisha (eleventh century). His sNgags-rim chen-mo represents his
equally famous exposition of the Mantra path or Tantra system.
4. The Hwashang Mahayana was the representative of the viewpoint of
Ch'an Buddhism in Tibet. According to the Tibetan histories of the
Middle Ages, he was defeated in face-to-face debate by Ka-malashila,
the chief Indian disciple of the Abbot Shantirakshita and the leading
proponent of the gradual path of Indian Madhyamaka. As the result of
this encounter, Kamalashila wrote his famous trea-tise, the
Bhavanakrama (sgom-rim). It is said that the Hwashang was forced to
flee Tibet in disgrace, leaving behind only his shoes. But according to
ancient texts (tenth century) discovered at the Tun Huang library in
Central Asia, the Hwashang never actually entered Tibet, but only
communicated with the Tibetan king Trisong De-tsan by way of
correspondence. These documents preserved in Ti-betan and Chinese
represent his side of the controversy, expressing the sudden
enlightenment point of view.
5. The Bonpo tradition has four classes of Tantras. The Outer or Lower
Tantras (phyi rgyud) are:
(1) Kriya Tantra (bya-ba'i rgyud), the Tantra of Ritual Activity, and
(2) Charya Tantra (spyod-pa'i rgyud), the Tantra of Conduct (that is

both external and internal). These designations are also em-ployed
for the Lower Tantras in the Buddhist schools. In the Lower
Tantras, the Yidam, or meditation deity, is visualized in the sky or
the space in front of oneself (mdun bskyed) and the practitioner
prays to receive the blessings and capacities of the Yidam, thereby
actualizing them within oneself. However, there is still a separation
between oneself and the Yidam; its
Notes- 245
presence is invoked out of space and at the end of the sadhana

practice, it again dissolves back into space.
The Inner or Higher Tantras (nang-rgyud) are:
(3) Yeshen Tantra (ye-gshen gyi rgyud), the Tantra of Primordial
Practice, and
(4) Yeshen Chenpo Tantra (ye-gshen chen-po'i rgyud), the Tantra
of Total Primordial Practice.
This third class of Tantra is divided into Father Tantra (pha rgyud) and
Mother Tantra (rna rgyud). In the sadhana practice here, not only does
one visualize the deity and the mandala in the space in front, but also one
transforms oneself in visualization (bdag bskyed) into the form and
experience of the deity. The Father Tantra em-phasizes this visualization
or generation process (bskyed-rim). Chief among the Father Tantras are
the General Collection, or Chyipung cycle (spyi-spungs skor), featuring
the three Yidams: Walse, Lhagod and Tsochok, representing the Body,
Speech and Mind aspects of the Buddha. The peaceful form of Lhagod is
Mawe Senge (smra-ba'i seng-ge), the Bonpo form of Manjushri, who is
the patron of scholarly learning and dialectic studies (mtshan-nyid).
Tsochok is accompanied by a large retinue of Peaceful and Wrathful
Deities (zhi khro lha tsgogs), such as those described in the Tibetan
Book of the Dead. This group is further expanded into five Yidams, or
meditation deities, representing the enlightened Body, Speech, Mind
Quality, and Activity aspects of the Buddha. These are known as the
Five Divine Citadels (gsas-mkhar mchog lnga), namely,
(1) Walse (dBal-gsas rngam-pa)

(2) Lhagod (Lha-rgod thog-pa),
(3) Tsochok (Khro-bo gtso-mchog mkha'-'gying),
(4) Gekhod (dBal-chen ge-khod), and
(5) Phurpa (dBal-phur nag-po).
Also in Bon, we find the Mother Tantra, or Ma rgyud thugs-rje nyi-ma,
where the Yidam is known as Sangchok Gyalpo (gSang-mchog rgyal-po).
Here the goal is explained very much in terms of Dzog-chen and the
emphasis is on the perfection process (rdzogs-rim), where the practitioner
comes to experience internally what the Yi-dam experiences. These six
yogas for Method (thabs-lam), Sleep (gnyid), Dream (rmi-la), Bardo (bar-
do), Chod (gcod), and Con-sciousness Transference ('pho-ba) are similar to
the Six Yogas of Naropa. However, in the Mother Tantra, the male aspect
(yab)
246- Notes
represents Shunyata or space (dbyings) and the female aspect (yum)

represents wisdom or awareness (ye-shes). The final class, Yeshen
Chenpo, consists mainly of Guru Sadhana practices and is even more
closely connected with Dzogchen.
6. This was my own experience in Darjeeling years ago with Kangyur
Rinpoche and Kalu Rinpoche who definitely asserted that Maha-mudra
and Dzogchen were the same. But this was the Mahamudra of
Gampopa. As pointed out by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche also, both
possess four yogas or contemplations (rnal-'byor bzhi, ting-'dzin bzhi)
described in almost identical terms, for Mahamudra: tshe-gcig, spros-
bra/, ro-gcig, bsgom-med, and for Dzogchen: gnas-pa, mi g.yo-ba,
mnyam-med, /hun-grub. See Namkhai Norbu, The Crystal and the Way
of Light: Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen (1993).
7. Here the Lopon is not speaking specifically of the Mahamudra of
Gampopa, which has been propagated widely by the Kagyudpa school
of Tibetan Buddhism. Gampopa received this transmission from his own
master Milarepa, who had been influenced previously by the Dzogchen
Semde (sems-sde) teachings of his Nyingmapa Lamas. Rather, we are
concerned here with Mahamudra as defined in various commentaries on
the practice of Anuttara T antra where Mahamudra represents the
culmination of the Tantric practice of transformation.
8. The Path of Vision is the third among the five successive paths in both
the Sutra and the Tantra system, namely, the Path of Accumu-lation
(tshogs lam), the Path of Unification (sbyor lam), the Path of Vision
(mthong lam), the Path of Meditation (sgom lam), and the Path Beyond
Training (mi slob lam), also known as the Ultimate Path (mthar thug
lam). These five paths are combined with the ten stages, or bhumis (sa
bcu), pertaining to the career of the Bodhi-sattva. The first bhumi
belongs to the Path of Vision, the remaining ones to the Path of
Meditation.
9. This is in accordance with strict logic, that is, speaking from the side of
the system. From the side of the individual practitioner, it is a different
matter, because one can always change course. One counter-argument
runs: If we want to go to New York City, we can take a jet plane, or a
train, or a bus, or a car, or a bicycle, or even walk- but in every case we
come to New York City. So different methods can lead to the same goal.
But here the Base is the same:
Notes- 247
the human being who decides to go to New York; only the means of
transportation differ.
10. Among the three methods or appro;:tches to the spiritual path, the Path
of Renunciation (spong lam) of the Sutra system employs anti-dotes to
the negative emotions, the Path of Transformation (sgyur lam) of the
Tantra system employs visualizations in meditation and transforms
these negative emotions, and the Path of Self-Liberation (grol lam) of
Dzogchen simply allows the energies of these negative emotions to
dissolve of themselves, or self-liberate (rang grol).
11. According to Tibetan scholasticism, any spiritual path or philo-sophical
system can be analyzed in terms of the base or foundation (gzhi), the
path or practice (lam), and the fruit or result ('bras-bu). The base of any
system will logically and inevitably define and con-dition both the
practice and the final result. Therefore, if the bases are different, the
results will inevitably be different, according to this logic.
12. The method of practicing the fruit as a cause on the path means
visualizing oneself as the meditation deity in the mandala and thereby
accessing within one's mind-stream its powers, capacities and wisdoms.
This method is in agreement in aspect with the result or the fruit, that is
to say, the Rupakaya.
13. The Jonangpas were a school, in some ways affiliated with the
Sakyapas, which produced some great Lama scholars like Dolpopa and
Taranatha. Moreover, they were famous for their exegesis of the
Kalachakra Tantra and for their interpretation of Madhyamaka that
differed from that of Chandrakirti. They were suppressed in the time of
the Fifth Dalai Lama, largely for political reasons, and disappeared from
the scene in central Tibet. However, they have continued to flourish as
an independent school in eastern Tibet un-til the present day. The
Jonangpas also asserted an interpretation of the Tathagatagarbha, or
inherent Buddha Nature in all sentient be-ings, in some ways similar to
Dzogchen, but they did not know the practice of Thodgal that provides
the secondary causes for the visi-ble manifestation of Buddha
enlightenment, the Rupakaya.
14. Thigleys (thig-le, Skt. Bindu) are energy droplets occurring in the
system of subtle psychic channels of the body of the yogi. These en-ergy
droplets are activated through the practice of Tummo (gtum-mo), or
inner psychic heat, known in Hindu yoga as Kundalini.
248- Notes
Notes to Chapter Six: The View of Dzogchen

1. On the Dharmakaya and the masters in the lineage for the Zhang-zhung
Nyan-gyud, see Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung
(2005), Chapters Two through Nine.
2. Geshe (dge-bshes, Skt. kalyanamitra), literally "good spiritual friend," is
the term used not only in Bon but also in the Sakyapa and Gelugpa
schools, for an individual who has completed the course of Surra studies
3. The two principal systems of Bonpo Termas, or hidden treasure texts

discovered from the tenth century onwards are (1) the system of the
Southern Treasures {lho gter lugs), chiefly the discoveries of Shenchen
Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga') in 1017 in southern Tibet, and (2) the
system of the Central Treasures (dhus gter lugs), so-called from their
discovery at Samye Monastery and other locations in central Tibet. In
both cases, these discoveries consisted of actual physical texts from an
earlier era. They are said to have been con-cealed by Dranpa Namkha,
Lishu Tagring, and other Bonpo mas-ters during the persecution of Bon
in the eighth century. The de-scription of the Nine Successive Ways of
Bon (bon theg-pa rim dgu) differs in these two systems. A translation of
the description of these Nine Ways found in the gZi-brjid will be found
in Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon (1967). The Nine Ways in the
system of the Central Treasures is more similar to the Nyingmapa
system of Nine Ways.
4. On Tapihritsa and Gyerpungpa, see Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from

Zhang-zhung (2005), Chapters Five through Seven.
5. The designations of these three classes of Dzogchen teachings prop-erly
belong to the Nyingmapa system. See Reynolds, The Golden Letters
(1996). The principal Bonpo traditions of Dzogchen, includ-ing the
Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, represent Dzogchen Upadesha (man-ngag gi
sde). However, according to the Lopon, some of the texts among the
Central Treasures, such as the Nam-mkha' 'phrul mdzod of Dranpa
Namkha, could be classified as Dzogchen Semde (sems-sde). The class
Dzogchen Longde (klong-sde) is not extant in Bon.
6. The Lopon later explained that this matter was discussed much more
elaborately in the text known as the Gal mdo.
Notes- 249
Notes to Chapter Seven: The Practice of Dzogchen

1. Tazik (stag-gzig) was the name in Tibetan for Ancient Central Asia, the
region now known as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and northern Af-
ghanistan. Uddiyana (o-rgyan) may also be identified with eastern
Afghanistan. It was not simply the tiny Swat valley in modern day
Pakistan. See Upasak, History of Buddhism in Afghanistan (1990).
2. Lung-ston (var. Lung-bon) Lh2-gnyan, b. 1088, is said to have met in
person the sage Tsewang Rigdzin (Tshe-dbang reg-'dzin), who was
disguised as a Hindu sadhu. Tsewang Rigdzin was the son of Dranpa
Namkha (eighth century) and he was said to have realized the power of
long life (tshe dbang) through his yoga practice and so he was still alive
in the eleventh century. The cycle of Dzogchen teachings he transmitted
to Lung-ton Lha-nyen is known as the Ye-khri mtha' sel, the removing of
extreme (views) with regard to the Primordial State.
3. For the Ngondro (sngon-'gro) and the 'Bum-dgu associated with the
Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud found in the practice manual entitled the
rGyal-ba phyag-khrid, composed by Druchen Gyalwa Yungdrung (Bru-
chen rgyal-ba g.yung-drung, 1242-1290), see Appendix Two in Reynolds,
The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005).
4. On the relationship of this method, the system of the ascetics (ku-su-li-
pa'i lugs), to the three statements of Garab Dorje, see Rey-nolds, The
Golden Letters (1996).
5. The scholastic approach to Dzogchen is known as the system of the
learned scholars (mkhas-pa pandita'i lugs). The Bonpo educational
program developed by Lopon Tenzin Namdak for the Dialectics School
at Menri Monastery differs from that of the Nyingmapa and Sarmapa
schools in that the academic study of the views of Tantra and Dzogchen
are included together with Sutra system studies. In this way, the Bonpos
bring Dzogchen out into the philosophical marketplace, so to speak,
entering into a dialogue with Madhya-maka, Chittamatra, and other
systems regarding philosophical views, rather than keeping Dzogchen
strictly as a system of private meditation instruction.
6. Dzogchen may use various terms taken from the Sutra system, such as
shamatha (zhi-gnas) and vipashyana (lhag-mthong), but the meanings in
each case are not necessarily the same.
250- Notes
7. Semdzin (sems-'dzin) exercises are employed for fixating ('dzin) the

mind (sems) on a single object of meditation, such as the white Ti-betan
letter A.
8. On Guru Yoga practice combined with Dzogchen, see Appendix One in
Reynolds, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung (2005).
9. See Reynolds, Selections from the Bonpo Book of the Dead (1997). Also
see Reynolds, The Path of the Clear Light, forthcoming.
10. The higher attainments known as the dhyanas (bsam-gtan) are achieved
through concentrated meditation upon forms (dmigs-bcas, mtshan-bcas)
and the samapattis (snyoms-'jug) are achieved through concentrated
meditation without forms (dmigs-med, mtshan-med), that is, simply
fixation on a location in empty space.
11. On the distinction between Ch'an and Zen on the one hand and
Dzogchen on the other, see the Appendix in Reynolds, The Golden
Letters (1996). Also, for a Tibetan understanding of the issue, see
Namkhai Norbu, Zen and Dzogchen (1984).
12. This represents the explanation of the cause for the realization of the
Dharmakaya and of the Rupakaya according to Dzogchen. This differs
from the Sutra system where the cause for realizing the Dharmakaya is
the accumulation of wisdom (ye-shes kyi tshogs) and the cause for
realizing the Rupakaya is the accumulation of merit (bsod-nams kyi
tshogs) by virtue of the practice of the Paramitas. According to the
Higher Tantras, the Rupakaya is realized by means of the meditation
practices of Kyerim and Dzogrim, the generation and perfection
processes, where the practitioner constructs a Gyulu (sgyu-lus), or
illusion body, composed of prana or psychic energy and subtle mind.
13. The process of dissolving the gross material elements of the physical
human body back into the subtle elements in their pure form of ra-diant
light in their respective colours is known as ru-log, or reversal. This
reversal occurs on the occasion of realization of the Rainbow Body ('ja'-
lus) at the time of death. Only the clothing, hair and nails are left behind
because they are not suffused with the consciousness of the individual.
14. As the Lopon has said elsewhere, all of our life is but a preparation for
death and what comes afterwards. Regarding the Bardo prac-tices and
Phowa, the transference of consciousness, as preparations for death and
the Bardo experience in the context of the Bonpo tradition, see
Reynolds, Selections from the Bonpo Beak of the
Notes- 251
Dead (1997). Also see Reynolds, The Path of the Clear Light, forth-
commg.
Notes to Chapter Eight: Rushans: The Preliminary

Practices of Dzogchen
1. For the Ngondro and preliminary practices in relation to the Zhang-
zhung Nyan-gyud, see Appendix Two in Reynolds, The Oral Tradition
from Zhang-zhung (2005).
2. All of these different states of higher consciousness, the dhyanas and the
samapattis, are elaborately described in the Abhidharma lit-erature
(mdzod). Among Tibetan Buddhists, the principal text for cosmological
studies is the Abhidharmakosha of Vasubandhu (fourth century),
whereas for Bonpos, it is the Srid-pa'i mdzod-phug, the root text being
attributed to T onpa Shenrab and the commentary to Dranpa Namkha
(eighth century).
3. When one practices meditation for some time and becomes deeply
relaxed, this is said to release the energies of the material elements of
one's body and one has certain visions and experiences.
Notes to Chapter Nine: Introduction to Thekchod and

Thodgal
1. All of the individual's tensions, rigidities and obscurations are com-
pared to a bundle of sticks (khregs-pa) tied together with a cord or rope.
When one cuts (chod) this cord, all of the sticks immediately fall to the
ground. Therefore, the term Thekchod means the releas-ing of all one's
tensions and rigidities in a totally relaxed state {lhod-pa chen-po). The
latter term is also a synonym for Dzogchen.
2. Tsewang Rigdzin revealed these Dzogchen teachings, which he had
received from his father Dranpa Namkha, to Lung-ton Lha-nyen in the
eleventh century.
3. These four yogas or contemplations are also found in the Maha-mudra
of Gampopa, which he learned from his master Milarepa, who was a
colleague and friend of Lung-ton Lha-nyen.
252- Notes
Notes to the Appendix

1. The personal name Tenzin Namdak means in Tibetan the com-pletely
pure (rnam-dag) holder of the teachings (bstan 'dzin). In general, the title
Lopon (slob-dpon, Skt. acharya) designates the head teacher or professor
in a monastic institution. A Lopon is principally in charge of educating
the new monks both in terms of the Dharma and the Vinaya, whereas the
Abbot or Khenpo (mkhan-po, Skt. upadhyaya) is, in general, the chief
religious administrator of the monastery and the senior monk who
administers the monas-tic vows to the novices and other monks. The
honorific title Yong-dzin (yongs 'dzin) usually designates the tutor and
philosophy in-structor superintending the education of high incarnate
Lamas. Rinpoche (rin-po-che) does not necessarily mean a Tulku (sprul-
sku) or recognized reincarnate Lama; it is the honorific term mean-ing
"the most precious one" extended to religious personages wor-thy of
great respect for their extensive learning and/or accomplish-ments in
meditation practice. The Lopon belongs to the tradition of Menri
Monastery, the Abbots of which, known as Menri Trizin (sman-ri khri-
'dzin) or the throne-holders of Menri, are selected by lot, rather than by
reincarnation. Thus, the institution of Tulkus is not very prevalent in the
tradition of Old Bon, although there are some Bonpo T ulkus or
recognized reincarnations in this school.
2. According to Tibetan convention, an individual is one year old at birth

and so in the view of the Lopon and his family, he was eight years old
when he entered Tengchen Monastery, the legal age for doing so as a
novice.
3. Bonpo monasteries and practitioners predominate in the Khyungpo
district of eastern Tibet or Kham. The area of Tengchen (steng-chen)
consists of the valleys of the southward flowing Gachu and Ruchu
tributaries of the great Selween river and those of the north-west flowing
feeder rivers known as Dakchu and Kyilkhorchu. In Tibetan the word
chu means "river" as well as "water" in general. The capital of the
district is called Tengchen, also known as Gya-motang. T engchen town
is situated in a wide cultivated valley hemmed in by sandstone hills. The
old Tibetan village of Tengchen-kha and the modern district town of
Tengchen (altitude 3,750m) face each other across the Dakchu river.
When visiting the village of Tengchen-kha, Gyurme Dorje found the
people to be extremely
Notes- 253
hospitable and tolerant. Bonpos, Nyingmapas and Gelugpas all par-

ticipated together in the Tsechu or tenth-day festival for Guru
Padmasambhava. Most of the monasteries in the region are Bonpo rather
than Buddhist. The two most important monasteries are on the northern
ridge that overlooks the river and is across from Teng-chen-kha. They
are Tengchen (steng-chen) Monastery and Ritro Lhakang (ri-khrod lha-
khang). Tengchen Monastery is also called Namdak Perna Long-yang
(rnam-dag padma klong-yangs). It was founded in 1110 by Sherab
Gyaltsan and Monlam Gyaltsan. The third lineage holder after these two
greatly expanded the commu-nity of yogis around Tengchen and
established Ritro Lhakhang hermitage above the temple in 1180. The
two monasteries have close connections with the Bonpo monasteries of
Menri and Yung-drung Ling in central Tibet, as well as with the Ngawa
region and Nangzhik Monastery in particular. Repairs to Tengchen
Monastery were made possible by donations from Lopon Tenzin
Namdak on his visit to Tengchen in 1986. These renovations continue
under the direction of Lama Sherab Gelek, who was enthroned as the ab-
bot of the monastery by the Lopon. Particularly notable at T eng-chen is
Nampar Gyalwa Lhakhang (roam-par rgyal-ba lha-khang) with many
wall-paintings of deities and mandalas. Ritro Lhakhang also has an
abbot's residence (bla-brang) and many notable wall-paintings, including
a chamber containing the reliquary of Monlam Gyaltsan and also other
early lineage holders, namely, Nyima Gyaltsan, Kunga Gyaltsan, Jimpa
Gyaltsan, Tsultrim Gyaltsan, Yungdrung Gyaltsan, and Tsultrim Nyima.
Formerly both monas-teries had about three hundred monks each, but
nowadays (1999) Tengchen has eighty-five and Ritro Lhakhang has only
twenty-three. See Gyurme Dorje, Footprint Tibet Handbook (1999), p.
388-389.
4. As for the distinction between Old and New Bon, New Bon (bon gsar-
ma) arose from the fourteenth century onwards, relying upon the
discoveries of a different Terma system from that of Old Bon. As a
whole, this system is quite similar to the Nyingmapa one and here
Padmasambhava is also regarded as an important figure. In-deed, some
T ertons, such as Dorje Lingpa, discovered both Nying-mapa and Bonpo
Termas. In a text such as the Bon-khrid, rediscov-ered by Tsewang
Gyalpo, it is asserted that Padmasambhava went to Uddiyana and
received the Dzogchen teachings directly from the
254- Notes
Sambhogakaya Shenlha Odkar (gShen-lha 'od-dkar) himself. Later he

transmitted these teachings in Tibet, concealing many of them as Termas
meant for the use of future generations of Bonpos. Accord-ing to
Shardza Rinpoche also, the New Bon Movement began in the fourteenth
century and continues until today. The Termas revealed to such masters
as Lodan Nyingpo, Mizhik Dorje (otherwise known as Dorje Lingpa),
Kundrol Dragpa, Dechen Lingpa, Sang-ngag Lingpa, Khandro Dechen
Wangmo, and so on, are all considered T ersar (gter-gsar) or recent
treasure text discoveries. The New Bon has flourished mainly in eastern
Tibet. The Termas revealed to bLo-ldan snying-po (b. 1360), Mi-zhig
rDo-rje, otherwise known as rDo-rje gling-pa (1346-1405), Kun-grol
grags-pa (b. 1700), bDe-chen gling-pa (b.1833), gSang-sngags gling-pa
(b. 1864), mKha'-'gro bDe-chen dbang-mo (b.1868), etc., are considered
recent treasure text discoveries (gter gsar). Among those listed here,
Dorje Lingpa is also well-known as a Nyingmapa Terton. On Dorje
Lingpa, see Eva Dargyay, The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet
(1977), pp. 139-
143. On the New Bon Termas in general, see Karmay, Treasury (1972),
pp.182-190.
5. The three river valleys of Oyuk, Thobgyal, and Shang in Tsang province
are now known as Namling (rnam-gling) district. Through these valleys
flow the Nam-gung-chu, the Thobpu-chu, and the Shang-chu,
respectively. Their tributaries all rise amid the southern slopes of the
Nyenchen Thanglha mountain range to the north and flow southward to
converge with the Tsangpo or Brahmaputra river. This is an important
region in Bonpo history. Menri Monas-tery lies in the Thobgyal valley
and Yungdrung Ling, founded in 1834 by Dawa Gyaltsan (Zla-ba rgyal-
mthsan), a colleague and friend of the Abbot of Menri, Nyima Tenzin,
lies in the lower Oyuk valley to the east of Thobgyal. See Gyurme
Dorje, Footprint Tibet Handbook (1999), p. 249.
6. For example, the Lopon did all the line drawings in the study of Bon
published by the Tibetologist David Snellgrove. See David Snellgrove,
The Nine Ways of Bon (1967).
7. According to the Nepali Buddhist text, the Svayambhu Purana, seven
Buddhas in succession have visited this hill and graced it with their
presence, namely, Vipashyin, Shikhin, Vishvabhu, Krakuc-chanda,
Kanakamuni, Kashyapa, and the historical Buddha Shakya-
Notes- 255
muni. According to local legend, the great stupa of Baudhanath at the

eastern end of the valley contains the relics of the Buddha Ka-shyapa.
Again, an inscription of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka found on a pillar
in the T arai asserts that he once restored a stupa in this location that was
said to have contained the relics of the Buddha Kanakamuni. It is said
that at the time of the visit of the Buddha Vipashyin, the Kathmandu
Valley was still a large Naga lake, and on a lotus growing from a small
island, he saw a self-originated light (svayamabhu-jyoti). Later,
according to legend, the great Bodhisattva Manjushri came to this lake
from China, and in-trigued by this same self-originated light, he cut a
cleft in the south-ern hills bounding the lake at the Chobar Gorge and
drained the lake. Thus, the hill of Swayambhu became visible. It is said
in the Bonpo tradition that in the same way as these other six prehistoric
Buddhas visited the sacred hill, T onpa Shenrab did so as well.
When one follows the Thobpu-chu river northward upstream from its
confluence with the Tsangpo or Brahmaputra river, one finds that the
valley splits in two and the village of Thobgyal (thob-rgyal) is located
near this dividing of the valley. Then when one continues following the
eastern branch upstream, now known as the Zhung-chu river, by way of
Gangpa one comes to the sites of the Bonpo monasteries of Yeru
Wensakha (g.yas-ru dben-sa-kha), Menri (sman-ri) and Kharna (mkhar-
sna). Yeru Wensakha was founded in 1072 by Druje Yungdrung Lama
(Bru-rje g.yung-drung bla-ma), a follower of the famous Bonpo Terton
Shenchen Luga (gShen-chen klu-dga', 996-1 035), who discovered the
great collection of Bonpo texts known as the Southern Treasures (lho
gter lugs). This master especially entrusted his disciple Druchen
Namkha Yungdrung with the preservation of mtshan-nyid or the
philosophical texts he had recovered. For centuries thereafter this
monastery was closely con-nected with the Dru clan (bru rigs) and many
of its Geshes were sent for their academic studies to the Sakyapa
monastery of Bruyul Kyedtsal (brus-yul skyed-tshal), for at this time
Sakya represented the greatest monastic university in Tibet. Yeru
Wensakha Monas-tery was destroyed in a disastrous flood in 13 86,
leaving little re-maining. However, the ruins of this foundation are still
visible. Ac-cording to local legend, at that time a Sadhu came from India
and felt that he was not treated respectfully at the monastery. There-fore,
he performed some black magic and sent down a flood that
256- Notes
destroyed the monastery entirely. However, the monks were able to save
the library and this was preserved at the later Menri Monas-tery. The
villagers from nearby Thobgyal were also able to save some other things
from the monastery. Rebuilt higher up the slopes of the Zhungchu
valley, Tashi Menri Monastery (bkra-shis sman-ri), "the auspicious
medicine mountain," was founded in 1405 by Nyammed Sherab
Gyaltsan (mNyam-med Shes-rab rgyal-mtshan), the greatest scholar in
the Bonpo tradition, ranking with Longchen Rabjampa among the
Nyingmapas, Sakya Pandita among the Sakyapas, and Je Tsongkhapa
among the Gelugpas. It is said that this event had been predicted by the
Buddha T onpa Shenrab him-self. For centuries Menri Monastery was
the most important Bonpo teaching center for Old Bon in all of Tibet.
Menri would attract monk students, such as the Lopon himself, from
Tengchen, Ngawa, and Gyarong districts in eastern Tibet. Prior to its
destruction in the 1960s in the Cultural Revolution, it housed more than
three hun-dred monks. Now there are only about fifty monks living
among the extensive ruins. Some rebuilding has been carried out. In
former times, there were four colleges, including a dialectics school or
Shedra (bshad-grwa) and a large assembly hall. The oldest extant
building is known as Red Hermitage (grub-khang dmar-po). Fur-ther
upstream are the Kharna caves where Bonpo hermits and yogis practiced
for centuries. A new monastery was founded there in 1838 by Sherab
Yungdrung. See Gyurme Dorgye, Footprint Tibet Handbook (1999), p.
249-250.
9. See David Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon (1967)

10. When the Lopon escaped from Tibet, he was able to bring two valuable
texts with him. The first was an anthology of texts from the Zhang-
zhung snyan-rgyud cycle, printed from blocks carved at Menri
Monastery in Tibet, probably in the 1950s. This block-print edition was
later republished in New Delhi. For the contents of this collection, see
Chapter Ten above. The second was an dbu-med (headless script) hand-
written copy of the Ma rgyud thugs-rje nyi-ma, including the three root
texts or Tantras and their commentar-ies from the cycle of the Bonpo
Mother T antra. These texts were also later reprinted by photo offset in
India.
11. Lokesh Chandra and Lopon Tenzin Namdak, History and Doctrine of
Bon-po Nispanna-Yoga (1968).
Notes- 257
12. The number of Bonpo refugees was small in proportion to the total flood
of Tibetan refugees, according to the official Chinese Gov-ernment
census of Tibet and China; the Tibetan followers of the Gelugpa school
form the largest single group in the ethnic Tibetan population. However,
as the second largest group among the ethnic Tibetans, the Nyingmapas
and the Bonpos are tied. The various Ka-gyudpa groups are smaller and
the Sakyapas constitute the smallest group in the Tibetan population.
(Oral communication from Lopon Tenzin Namdak).
13. See Tadeusz Skorupski, "Tibetan gYung-Drung Bon Monastery in

India" (1981), (1983).
14. Tadeusz Skorupski, "Tibetan gYung-Drung Bon Monastery in In-dia"
(1983). At the time when Skorupski visited the monastery, the monastic
community was comprised of three groups of monks. The first group
consisted of twenty older monks who had come from Tibet. Their main
activities were to perform puja ceremonies at the houses of lay people,
private religious practices, and participate in all the rituals in the temple
at the monastery. The second group consisted of thirty-five young monks
who had taken their monastic vows at the new monastery. They were
being educated by the Lo-pons in traditional Bonpo studies and trained
to live according to the Vinaya. The monastery provided these students
with a mid-day meal of rice and dal, afternoon tea, and soup (thug-pa) in
the eve-ning. As for their clothing and their morning tea and bread, they
had to provide these items for themselves. Their syllabus consisted of
philosophy (mtshan-nyid), epistemology and logic (tshad-ma),
Prajnaparamita (phar-phyin), the paths and stages (sa-lam),
Madhyamaka (du-ma), cosmology (mdzod-phug), monastic disci-pline
('dul-ba), Tantra (rgyud), Dzogchen (rdzogs-chen), religious history
(bon-'byung), poetry (sdeb-sbyor), astrology (rtsis) and grammar (sgra).
The third group consisted of boys between seven and fourteen years of
age. They received a primary education in the Central Government
School in the village near the monastery. The normal school syllabus
included Hindi and English, and in addition they were taught Tibetan
grammar and history. These boys had a separate kitchen and took
responsibility for collecting firewood and preparing their own meals. All
boys, whether orphans or not, were maintained by the monastery.
Parents were not obliged to pay for their sons' upkeep, but contributions
were welcome. When a boy
258- Notes
joins the monastic community, he has his head shaved (symbolic of

renouncing the world) and receives a new name in a short cere-mony
called tshe-ring, "long life." Thereafter he wears monastic robes when
he attends puja ceremonies and ordinary clothes when he attends the
government school. They do not take monk's vows until the age of
eighteen, although they can take them earlier if they wish. At this age, if
they fail to take the full monastic vows, they must leave the monastery
and enter worldly life.
15. On the Mahasiddha and T antric adept Gyerpungpa, see Chapter Five
above and on the empowerment or initiation (dbang bskur) for Zhang-
zhung Meri, see the translation of the Ngondro text in Ap-pendix 2,
Section 2, above. On the meditation deity of Meri in gen-eral, see
Kvaerne, The Bon Religion of Tibet (1995), and Reynolds, The Cult and
Practice of Zhang-zhung Meri (1996).
16. For the curriculum in more detail, see Krystyna Cech, "History,
Teaching, and Practice of Dialectics according to the Bon Tradi-tion"
(1986), pp. 3-28.
17. The original Triten Norbutse (khri-brten nor-bu'i rtse) was founded in
the fourteenth century by the great Bonpo master Shen Nyima Gyaltsan
(gShen Nyi-ma rgyal-mtshan, b.1360), who belonged to the Shen
(gshen) clan which claims descent from Tonpa Shenrab himself, the
founder of the Bon religion. Triten Norbutse became one of the four
principal monastic institutions providing Bonpo education from the
fourteenth century until the Chinese Commu-nist occupation in the later
19 5Os. Known for its rich cultural and academic heritage, the
monastery was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.
It was re-established by Lopon Rinpoche in Kathmandu in 1987, with

the able assistance of Geshe Nyima Wangyal, who became its first
abbot or Khenpo. The monastery is at present headed by Khenpo Tenpa
Yungdrung. At present there are about one hundred and fifteen monks,
both Tibetan refugees and others from the Bonpo areas of Nepal such as
Dolpo and Mustang, residing and re-ceiving their education at the
monastery. The monastery was founded for the purpose of providing a
complete education in Bonpo tradition and practice. This is embodied in
the nine-year program of academic studies for the Geshe degree and the
four-year program of meditation practice in Dzogchen. The monastery
ts,
Notes- 259
therefore, essentially an educational institution, and not a residen-tial

one for monks.
The education at the monastery falls into two principal sections, as was
the case at Menri itself in Tibet:
(1) The first system of education is known as the system of the learned
scholar (mkhas-pa pandita yi lugs). This represents the nine-year
program in academic studies, culminating in the Ge-she (dge-
bshes) degree, and including Sutra, Tantra and Dzog-chen. It entails
a curriculum of Bonpo philosophy (here the emphasis is on
Madhyamaka) and the principal canonical texts, as well as the
secular sciences of astrology, medicine, poetics, grammar, and so
on. There is also the learning of ritual prac-tices, chanting of
various liturgies and the accompanying mu-sic, religious art and
architecture, and so on. But the emphasis is on scholarly academic
studies by way of study and debating, rather than on meditation
practice. Later this knowledge can be applied in practice, including
meditation retreats, as well as in ordinary life outside the
monastery. Ordinarily, unless en-gaged in retreat or further studies,
the monk must leave the monastery after successfully completing
the Geshe degree.
(2) The second system of education is known as the system of the
ascetic yogis (ku-sa-li-pa'i lugs), where a four-year program fo-
cuses on Dzogchen practice in order to realize the Nature of Mind.
The four major traditions of Bonpo Dzogchen texts are studied and
practiced in order to develop experiential under-standing in terms
of meditation practice. In this system, one goes to a qualified Lama,
receives instructions in the prelimi-nary practices and does them
from around three to six months. Then one returns to the Lama,
receives instruction on fixating the mind (sems 'dzin) and thereafter
a direct introduction to the Natural State (rig-pa'i ngo-sprod). This
understanding is then developed with further retreat practices. The
Sanskrit term Pandita means a scholar well-versed in book learning
and intellectual knowledge, whereas a Kushali (v. ku-sa-li, ku-su-li)
indicates a practitioner who has attained high spiritual realiza-
tion by way of meditation practice.

In the year 2001, six students completed their academic studies and
passed the oral examination and were awarded Geshe degrees. To-day
they teach other monks and take part in various monastic and
260- Notes
community activites for the benefit of the Bonpo people of Nepal. This
has included setting up schools in remote regions like Dolpo, and in
2001 a Tibetan medical school was also started in western Nepal under
the guidance of the monastery. Three students from this school have
been awarded medical diplomas.
In central Tibet itself, all wood-blocks and the books printed from them
were destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. The library at the monastery,
built with financial aid from Germany, possesses a com-plete collection
of Bonpo canonical texts, both the Kangyur (bka'-'gyur) and the Katen
(bka'-brten), recently reprinted in Chengdu, China. At present, there is a
program to catalogue and index all these Bonpo texts as well as to put
them on computer diskettes.
18. On the view of Dzogchen, especially with regard to the philosophi-cal
views of Madhyamaka, Chittamatra, and Mahamudra, see Chapter Four
above.
19. Shardza Tashi Gyaltsan (Shar-rdza bkra-shes rgyal-mtshan), was born in
1859 in the village of Da (brda) in the region of Dagang (zla-gang) or
Dzakhog (rdza-khog) between the two rivers of Ngul-chu and Dzachu.
His father belonged to the Hor clan. When he was still a boy of nine, at
the urging of Lama Tenzin Wangyal (rDza-sprul bsTan-'dzin dbang-
rgyal), with great reluctance his parents al-lowed him to become a
monk. The Lama ordained him and gave him the name Tashi Gyaltsan
(bKra-shis rgyal-mtshan). With this Lama, he studied Sutra, Tantra and
Dzogchen, receiving his educa-tion at Dza Tengchen (rdza steng-chen)
Monastery. He took all the Vinaya and Bodhisattva vows as well as T
antric vows from his Root Lama, Dzatrul Tenzin Wangyal. In terms of
Tantra, there are five root vows and twenty-five branch vows for the
visualization process (bskyed-rim), five root vows and one hundred
branch vows for the perfection process (rdzogs-rim) and thirty vows for
Dzogchen. He kept all of these vows carefully. He began his Tantra
studies with the empowerment for the meditation deity Walse Ngampa
(dBal-gsas rngam-pa), and he was introduced to the Nature of Mind. In
total, he had twenty-four masters, among them Tenzin Wangyal, Dechen
Lingpa, Duddul Lingpa, Samten Yeshe, Shengyal Tenzin, and so on.
At the age of thirty-four, he became disgusted with the world, and

having decided to spend the rest of his life in retreat, he went to the
remote site of Yungdrung Lhunpo on the border of his native dis-
Notes- 261
trict of Shardza or Eastern Dza. Here he built a small hut, planning to be

in permanent retreat and live in solitude. In his district, the people
practiced mainly New Bon, but he saw also the value of Old Bon as
preserved by the five clans of Dru (bru), Zhu, Pa (spa), Meu (rme'u) and
Shen (gshen). Personally he mainly followed the system of Dru (bru-
lugs) because this was the lineage of Menri Monastery. He practiced
both Yeshen Tantra and Yeshen Chenpo Tantra, as well as Dzogchen.
He composed commentaries on all the Nine Ways of Bon, as well as
many rituals and prayers.
Among his disciples was Sang-ngak Lingpa (gSang-sngas gling-pa) and
his successor was his nephew Lodro Gyatso bLo-gros rgya-mtsho).
Below his master's meditation hut, Sang-ngak Lingpa built
a meditation center called Gethang (dge-thang) which had a small
temple. Soon this became a major teaching center for Bon in Kham. Here
also wood-blocks were carved for some three hundred and thirty
volumes, including Shardza Rinpoche's own works in thirteen volumes.
Many Bonpo Lamas and also some Buddhist ones such as Changchub
Dorje, the Dzogchen master of Namkhai Norbu Rin-poche, went there to
receive his teachings. When he grew old, he turned over the running of
the center to his nephew. When he was seventy-six, he warned his
disciples that his time had come, and he went to a solitary place called
Rabzhiteng (rab zhi steng) and put up a small tent where he practiced
Thodgal. In the fourth Tibetan month in 1933, he had himself sewn up in
the tent. His successor Lodro Gyatso and his younger brother Tsultrin
saw that his prop-erty was distributed to both Bonpo and Buddhist
monasteries as he had requested. His students, who had assembled
outside, saw rain-bows around the tent and observed other signs such as
earthquakes. Fearing that their master would disappear completely, they
opened the tent and found that his physical body, wrapped in rainbow
lights, had shrunk to the size of one cubit and was suspended in the air.
Many hundreds of people saw this phenomenon. His disciples made a
large stupa of gilded copper and what remained of his body was placed
inside. See Lopon Tenzin Namdak, Heart Drops of Dharmakaya (1993),
pp. 17-29.
20. Lopon Tenzin Namdak, Heart Drops of Dharmakaya (1993). As useful as

this book may be, it is not actually a literal translation of the Tibetan
text, but a paraphrase and explanation by the Lopon given orally, which
was recorded and then transcribed and edited.
262- Notes
The text, 'Od-gsal rdzogs-pa chen-po'i lam gyi rim-pa khrid-yig kun
tu bzang-po'i snying-tig shes bya-ba bzhugs, which belongs to a cy-cle of
teaching and practice by Shardza Rinpoche known as the Kun-bzang
snying-tig, was given the title of "Heart Drops of Dhar-makaya" by the
editor but that is not the actual meaning in Tibetan. The translation "heart
drops" makes no sense in this context. The word thig-pa means "drop," but
snying-thig is an abbreviation for snying-po'i thig-le meaning "the Essence
of the Mind," in this case, of Kuntu Zangpo, who is indeed the Dharmakaya
(bon-sku) in the Bonpo system as in the Nyingmapa. The word thig-le (Skt.
bindu) in Tantra means a tiny sphere of luminous energy resembling a ball
of liquid mercury. It is spherical in shape, not like a raindrop. Guru
Tapihritsa, for example, is visualized sitting within a rainbow thig-le or
sphere of rainbow light. In the context of Dzogchen, however, the term very
often means "essence", as it does here. In its ordinary usage, snying-po
means the physical heart, and by extension the core or essence of something.
But here in the Dzogchen context, snying-po means "Mind", not the thought
process but the Nature of Mind (sems-nyid). In any event, Kuntu Zangpo
does not have a "mind" in the ordinary sense of discursive thoughts (rnam-
rtog) since he is primordially enlightened but, rather, non-dual primal
cognitions of reality or ye-shes. See the discussion of the Primordial Buddha
in Chapter Two above. Therefore, the above title should be translated "Here
is contained the Essence of the Mind of Kuntu Zangpo, being the
explanatory text for the stages of the path of the Clear Light Great
Perfection."
21. The short article "The Condensed Meaning of an Explanation of the

Teachings of Yungdrung Bon" was published as an appendix in John
Myrdhin Reynolds, Yungdrung Bon -The Eternal Tradition (1992). The
article was subsequently reprinted with other material as a booklet with
the same title by the Bonpo Foundation, Kath-mandu (1993).
22. Newly edited and published as this volume.

23. This information comes from Lopon Tenpa Yungdrung in the bro-chure
"Triten Norbutse Bonpo Monastery Monk Sponsorship Proj-ect," n.d.
24. Oral communication, Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung.

Notes- 263
25. Cech calls this section "basic knowledge." See Krystyna Cech, "His-
tory, Teaching, and Practice of Dialectics according to the Bon
Tradition," (1986), p.l5, 25. Her description of the curriculum of studies
concerned that given at Dolanji in 1983 when she did her fieldwork
there.
26. This attribution of the invention of logic to Kuntu Zangpo is found in
the Chapter of the Mother Tantra, entitled Ye-shes thig-le
27. This term rtags-rigs means epistemology according to the Khenpo,
literally rigs, rigs-pa means "reasoning," and also occurs in the phrase
lung rigs, scriptural authority and reasoning. It should not be confused
with the Dzogchen term, rig-pa, "intrinsic awareness," which is beyond
mind and thought. rTags means "sign, indication."
28. The term blo-rigs, cited by Cech (1986) is not used in the syllabus at
Triten Norbutse according to the Khenpo. On logic and debate practiced
among the Tibetans, especially in the Gelugpa tradition see Daniel
Perdue, Debate in Tibetan Buddhist Education, LTWA, Dharamsala 1976.
Selected Bibliography
Beckwith, Christopher, The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia, Princeton

University Press, Princeton NJ 1987.
Bellezza, John Vincent, "High Country Culture: A Civilization flour-ished in
the Himalayas before Buddhism reached Tibet," in Discov-ering
Archaeology, v. 1, n. 3, May-June, 1999, pp.78-83.
Bellezza, John Vincent, "A Preliminary Archaeological Survey of gNam-
mtsho and Dang-ra g.yu-mtsho," in The Tibet journal, v. 21, Dhar-
amsala 1996, pp.58-84.
Burnbaum, Edwin, The Way to Shambhala: A Search for the Mythical
Kingdom beyond the Himalayas, Anchor Press/Doubleday, New
York 1980.
Cech, Krystyna, "History, Teaching, and Practice of Dialectics according to
the Bon Tradition," in The Tibet Journal, v. XI, n. 2, 1986, pp. 3-28.
Corbin, Henry, Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth, Princeton University

Press, Princeton 1977.
Dargyay, Eva, The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet, Motilal Banarsi-dass,
Delhi 1977.
Eliade, Mircea, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion,
Harcourt Brice & World, New York 1957.
Gyurme Dorje, Footprint Tibet Handbook, Footprint Handbooks, Bath 1999.
Haarh, Erik, "The Zhang-zhung Language: A Grammar and Dictionary of the

Unexplored Language of the Tibetan Bonpos," in Acta ]ut-landica XL:
1, Copenhagen 1968, pp. 7-43.
Hoffmann, Helmut, The Religions of Tibet, George Allen and Unwin,
London 1961, pp. 84-98.
Karmay, Samten G., "A General Introduction to the History and Doc-trines of
the Bon," in The Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo
Bunko, n. 33, Tokyo 1975, pp. 171-218.
266 -Selected Bibliography
Karmay, Samten G., The Little Luminous Boy: The Oral Tradition from the
Land of Zhangz:hung depicted in Two Tibetan Paintings, Orchid
Press, Bangkok 1998.
Karmay, Samten G., The Treasury of Good Sayings: A Tibetan History of
Bon, Oxford University Press, London 1972.
Kuznetsov, B.l., "Who was the Founder of the Bon Religion," in The Tibet
journal, Vol. I, No. 1, Dharamsala 1975.
Kvaerne, "Bonpo Studies: The A-khrid System of Meditation," Part One:
"The Transmission of the A-khrid System," in Kailash v. I, n. 1, pp. 19-
50, Part Two: "The Essential Teachings of the A-khrid System, in
Kailash v. I, n. 4, pp. 248-332, Kathmandu 1973.
Kvaerne, Per, "Chronological Table of the Bonpo: The bsTan rcis of Nyi-ma
bstan-'jin," in Acta Orientalia, n. 33, Copenhagen 1971, pp. 205-282.
Kvaerne, Per, The Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living

Tradition, Serindia Publications, London 1995.
Kvaerne, Per, "The Monastery of sNang-zhig of the Bon Religion in the
rNga-ba District of Amdo", in Studi in Onore di Luciano Petech, P.
Daffina (ed), Studi Orientali, vol. 9, Rome 1990, pp.207-222.
Kvaerne, Per, and Thubten Rikey, The Stages of A-khrid Meditation:
Dzogchen Practice of the Bon Tradition, Library of Tibetan Works and
Archives, Dharamsala 1996.
Kvaerne, Per, "The Succession of Lamas at the Monastery of sNang-zhig in
the rNga-ba District of Amdo," in Les Habitants du Toit du Monde:
Tibet et Himalaya, Samten Karmay and Philippe Sagant (eds),
Recherches sur Ia Haute Asie 12, Societe d'ethnologie, Nanaterre 1997,
pp. 155-157.
Lokesh Chandra and Lopon Tenzin Namdak, History and Doctrine of Bon-po
Nispanna- Yoga, International Academy of Indian Culture, New Delhi
1968.
Martin, Dan, Mandala Cosmology: Human Body Good Thought and the
Revelation of the Secret Mother Tantras of Bon, Asiatische For-
schungen Band 124, Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 1994.
Namdak, Lopon Tenzin, Heart Drops of Dharmakaya: Dzogchen Prac-
tice of the Bon Tradition, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca 1993.
Namkhai Norbu, The Crystal and the Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra, and
Dzogchen, Arkana Penguin Books, London 1993.
Selected Bibliography - 267
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guages, and the Bon Tradition of Ancient Tibet, TL WA, Dharamsala
1995.
Namkhai Norbu, The Necklace of gZi: A Cultural History of Tibet, LTWA,
D haramsala 19 81.
Namkhai Norbu, Zen and Dzogchen, Zhang Zhung Editions, Oakland CA
1984.
Perdue, Daniel, Debate in Tibetan Buddhist Education, LTWA, Dharam-sala
1976.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings, Bonpo Transla-tion
Project (privately printed), Freehold and Amsterdam 1992. Reynolds, John
Myrdhin, The Cult and Practice of Zhang-zhung Meri:
The Meditation Deity for the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud Tradition of
Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings, Bonpo Translation Project (privately
printed), San Diego 1996.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, The Golden Letters, Snow Lion Publications,

Ithaca NY 1996.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, The Healing Practice for Sidpa Gyalmo, Bonpo
Translation Project (privately printed), San Diego 1996.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, The Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung, Vajra
Publications, Kathmandu 2005.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, Selections from the Bonpo Book of the Dead,
Bonpo Translation Project (privately printed), San Diego and Co-
penhagen 1997.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, Self-Liberation through Seeing Everything with
Naked Awareness, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca NY 1998.
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, Yungdrung Bon: The Eternal Tradition, Bonpo
Translation Project (privately printed), New York 1991.
Roerich, George, The Blue Annals, Calcutta 1974; reprint Motilal Ba-
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Himalayan Languages 1, Mitral Publications, Delhi 1988.
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Kailash, vol. VIII, nos. 1-2, Kathmandu 1981; reprinted separately by
gYung-Drung Bon Monastic Centre, Solan, India 1983.
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Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1968.
Snellgrove, David, The Nine Ways of Bon, Oxford University Press, London
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Sangye Tandar and Richard Guard, The Twelve Deeds: A Brief Life Story of
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journal of the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, Lhasa 1989, pp.90-
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an Explanation of the Teachings of Yungdrung Bon, Bonpo Foundation,
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Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings

Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings

LOPON TENZIN NAMDAK

Dzogchen Teachings from the Retreats in

Transcribed and edited, together with Introduction and Notes, by John

Photos © 2006 by Elisabeth Egonviebre

Preface to the First Edition lX

Preface to the New Edition Xlll

1. Introduction to the Practice of Dzogchen 25

2. The Attaining of Buddhahood according to Sutra,

3. Four Essential Points for Understanding Dzogchen 49

4. The View of Shunyata found in Madhyamaka,

5. The Views of T antra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen 89

6. The View of Dzogchen 107

7. The Practice of Dzogchen 123

8. Rushans: The Preliminary Practices of Dzogchen 157

Methods of Purification 165

9. Introduction to Thekchod and Thodgal 189

Selected Bibliography 265

During 1991, the Bonpo Dzogchen master, Lopon Tenzin

I have included only transcripts directly related to the Lo-pon's

Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, are found elsewhere in the publications of

John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha),

Even though these teachings on Dzogchen were given by Lo-pon

The educational program at Triten Norbutse includes the thirteen-

degree (dge-bshes), the equivalent of a Western doctorate. Inde-

With Lopon Rinpoche now in retirement at the age of 80, the

Now that Bon is becoming increasingly recognized in the West as

editor of these teachings, go to Vajra Publishing of Kathmandu for

John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha),

Bon and Buddhism in Tibet

If Bonpo practitioners possess institutions, practices, and

The Tibetan term "Yungdrung" means "eternal, everlasting,

Like Buddhists, Bonpo practitioners take refuge in the Triratna, or

omnipresent; its revelation is not dependent upon a single histori-cal

These Nirmanakaya Buddhas, who manifested in time and

Tonpa Shenrab and Olmo Lung-ring

priest or a shaman, but a fully enlightened Buddha (sangs-rgyas).

T onpa Shenrab was said to have already been enlightened in his

According to Bonpo accounts, namely the hagiographies of

northern Afghanistan. In this region, Iranian-speaking people are still

It was in Olmo Lung-ring that Tonpa Shenrab demonstrated the

1. Accomplishing the Deed of Rebirth m a human body (sku bltams-

3. Accomplishing the Deed of Subduing Beings (rnam-par 'dul-ba'i

4. Accomplishing the Deed of Guiding Beings (rnam-par 'dren-pa'i

10. Accomplishing the Deed of Retirement (rnam-par dben-pa'i

11. Accomplishing the Deed of Liberation (rnam-par grol-ba'i

1. Mutsa Trahe (dMu-tsha tra-he) of Tazik

These were the six scholars known as ornaments of the world.

During his career in Olmo Lung-ring, Tonpa Shenrab is said to

The Causal Ways of Bon

Like the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Bonpo

1. the way of the practice of prediction (phywa gshen theg-pa),

3. the way of the practice of magical power ('phrul gshen theg-pa),

The Four Portals and the Treasury

1. The Bon of "the White Waters" containing the Fierce Man-tras

2. The Bon of "the Black Waters" for the continuity of existence

sixteen volumes known as the Khams-chen. This collection

not some artificial creation fabricated by the Bonpos in order to have