Introduction to Dzogchen

What is Dzogchen? Truly speaking, Dzogchen is our condition. When we get together to do a retreat, what I explain throughout is the understanding of our own condition. Even if I explain it in different ways, that which we call Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, is our own condition. If you understand this, then there is a real basis for development. When we lack this knowledge, it is called marigba (ma.rig.pa.), 'ignorance.'

In Dzogchen, ignorance is not what we normally mean by ignorance. Ignorance generally implies a poor education. In the Dzogchen teaching, a well educated person can be ignorant, whereas a person with no education need not be ignorant. We are not denying the value of education, or implying that it is the basis of ignorance. If we know how to use education, it can be very useful. But usually it is an obstacle.

Take a person who is rather single minded about oriental philosophy, for example. Why is he so fixed о n it? It is b е cause western philosophy does not quite relate to his situation and has not satisfied him. А s а result, he wants to go deeper into something else even though this still involves study and mental analysis. This person m ау say that he agrees with what Buddha or Nagarjuna said, or he m ау say that things seem to make more sense than in western philosophy. But that is just а mental decision to believe in а certain way of seeing. This kind of people want to get into Buddhism, Hinduism or Confucian thought, already convinced about what they have to study in oriental philosophy. Day b у day they develop and deepen this conviction, and feel "rich in knowledge," but in fact they have conditioned themselves with their ideology. If а person is convinced b у everything Nagarjuna said in Buddhist philosophy, then that person actually has become а perfect slave to Nagarjuna's ideology. It means he will disagree with other Buddhist schools, or with Hindu philosophy. It might seem marvelous, but it is false because any view constructed through study and ideology can just collapse.

In Dzogchen you should not construct anything false. You have to understand the real condition and what you are doing. If we speak of dava, the way of seeing, we mean discovering what really is. Generally, dava is referred to b у various schools as the way the philosophy of their particular school is explained. For example, in the Mahayana the way of seeing of Nagarjuna is considered perfect. Someone who has learnt it will tend to criticize the views which disagree with what Nagarjuna taught. If someone is more inclined towards the Ninma (Nyingma, rNying.ma.) tradition, he will try to learn what Lonchenpa taught. If people criticize Ninmapa, he will use the text b у Lonchenpa to defend it. That is what is normally meant b у dava, the way of seeing.

The way of seeing in Dzogchen, however, is not about looking outside and judging. What is involved in Dzogchen is to find one-self in the state of knowledge. Above а all we use the example of а mirror and glasses. Glasses are for looking outwards at external objects, an example of dualism. The principle in Dzogchen is the mirror: we should look at it to discover ourselves.

When you decide to follow а master, you should not blindly believe everything he says. А master is not а special commander whose every word you jump to, saying, "Yes sir!" Nor should you go to а master simply to argue. It is а mistake to enter into discussion with а master for the sake of discussion because it is just another mental reasoning. We have been using the intellect since time immemorial and have resolved nothing. We are not going to stop the process of transmigration b у further reasoning. The point is that you have to try to understand what the master is trying to explain. The master is not making more mental construction for you. Не is simply trying to give you а method to discover yourself. It is then up to you to try to understand and apply the method. Naturally, а master can give many different kinds of advice, methods and practices to help you to arrive at the knowledge, but he definitely cannot do а miracle to change you and give you instant enlightenment. Many people feel that they have been following different kinds of teachers for years and have not resolved anything. They hear of another master, so they rush there, hoping that they can now finally b е enlightened. But n о master can ever do this. The power of а master lies in his ability to explain the teachings. When а person has received the method, applied it, and truly entered into the state of knowledge, then the master has really performed а miracle.

Sometimes, however, it is difficult for the master to do this, because а disciple also has to have а certain capacity. For example, when I was in Nepal , many sherpas came to m е to offer rice, money and white scarves called gadag (kh а .bt а gs.). They received some blessings and left without asking for any teaching. I knew that they could benefit from understanding some teachings, but what could I do if they were not interested? People со m е passively, thinking, "Wow, this master is а great reincarnation, I should create а good cause and а good relationship b у offering some rice or money. I shall go to get some blessing and everything will b е alright." Certainly one сап establish а good cause b у making an offering, but а good cause сап also b е made b у а dog or а cat. When а human being, who сап speak, сап reason, and has higher capacity than а dog, comes only for that, it is very sad. You must not b е passive in this way. You must know that what а master teaches is for one to understand and apply in practice. There is а very famous saying of Buddha Sakyamuni, "I give you the way, but realization depends о n you." Even the Buddha, who is fully enlightened with all possible е capacities, omniscient and possessing infinite compassion for the suffering of all beings, could not illuminate us. If he could only give the teaching and practice, how сап anyone else do any better?

Generally the teaching is summed up in terms of the three principles: the base, the path and the fruit. This is characteristic not only of the Dzogchen teaching, but also of the Buddhist Sutra and Tantra. In the Buddhist Sutra, it is said that the base is the understanding of the two truths: the absolute truth and the relative truth. With this base it is said that there are two accumulations, the accumulation of merit and the accumulation of wisdom on the path. The accumulation of merit is related to the relative truth о n the relative level of our body, speech and mind. For the body, this means doing positive actions such as prostrations; for the voice, reciting mantra, praying and avoiding negative actions like insulting and provoking people; and for the mind, cultivating compassion and avoiding negative thoughts such as hatred. In this way, we accumulate merit linked to the three aspects of our existence. The result of doing this is the elimination of obstacles and it helps one оп the path of wisdom. That is also why, in the Tantric practice, one does the nondro (sngon.'gro.), or 'preliminary practices,' in order to overcome obstacles and to purify oneself. One сап then enter into the practice of meditation and contemplation, the path of wisdom: In the Sutra, the main method is to follow the path of accumulation of good actions and purification, before arriving at the path of wisdom. However, the Sutra does not consider the accumulation of merit the more important of the two. It only implies that, without the accumulation of merit, it is not easy for а person to enter into the path of wisdom and progress in it. Buddha said in the Sutra, "I have found а luminous path which is beyond explanation and concept. When I try to explain it, nobody understands." Why did nobody understand it? Because, the experience of the path of wisdom is beyond explanation. In despair the Buddha said, "I а m going into the forest to meditate."

In the Dzogchen teaching, there is an invocation in which it says that to explain this meaning, even the Buddha's tongue is very weak. It does not mean that the Buddha did not have а perfect way of communication because the Sutra mentions that the Buddha possesses Sixty qualifications of voice. Rather, it means that this experience is beyond the relative level, and even the Buddha does not have а way of explaining it.

When it comes to the absolute truth in the Sutra, the way of application is called the way of wisdom. For example, in the Chinese Chan or the Japanese Zen Buddhism, the emphasis is less о n the accumulation of merit, but more о n going directly to the path of wisdom, of understanding the absolute truth. That is why there are the so-called gradual path and the non-gradual path. We can enter the path of wisdom either gradually b у first of а all accumulating merit and doing purification practice, or non-gradually, directly entering the path of wisdom.

Whether one follows the gradual or non-gradual path, one always talks about the fruit, the result of the practice. The fruit in both cases is total realization and illumination. In Buddhism, we often refer to the dimensions of enlightenment as kaya. Кауа means 'dimension,' the condition that is, all of existence. It is not 'body' as is usually understood. We often talk about the two or three 'bodies,' as if there are different Buddhas who gained enlightenment in different ways. The fact is that each one of us has the essence of the Buddha, the different kaya, or dimensions, within ourselves. It is because of our ignorance that we fail to understand this. That is why we need the explanation of the b а s е and the path.

In the Sutra we usually talk about two dimensions, or the two manifestations. In Sanskrit they are called the Dharmakaya and the Rupakaya. Dharma means existence, the knowledge and the understanding of existence, and it is also the path. If there is something to be understood, then there is а way of understanding and that is the path. Buddha enabled people to understand what existence is. We ourselves are existence. This is the knowledge Buddha, taught. That is what Dharma refers to, and it is not some kind of limited religion. Dharmakaya, therefore, refers to the dimension of the understanding of existence.

Rupa means form, and Rupakaya refers to the enlightened dimension of form. In Tantrism, Rupakaya is subdivided into Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya, because there can b е two kinds of form, pure and impure. Enlightened beings who manifest through light are said to b е а pure vision. Ordinary beings manifest as human, dog, cat ant and so о n physically as а result of karma and are considered to b е an impure vision. When we talk about Rupakaya, there is n о such distinction. It can b е the first or the second kind of vision.

What does it mean that an enlightened being has the form of а human or an animal? There are two very distinct principles here: а being who freely chooses to take а physical form, such as а human being, and а being who takes it о n account of karma. If Buddha manifests as an elephant in order to teach elephants, then that elephant and the normal elephant are very different, because Buddha was not obliged to take that form as а result of his past karma. Nonetheless he manifests that way through his own will, whereas other beings take the form of an elephant and that becomes а karmic vision just like any other beings. Buddha voluntarily takes о n this form that is why an enlightened being can appear о n the level of impure vision of Rupakaya. In the Sutra because the base is explained in terms of the two truths,

there are the two accumulations о n the path, and in the fruit there are the manifestation of Dharmakaya and Rupakaya the two dimensions.

Likewise in Tantrism, there is also the b а s е , the path and the fruit. The principle of Tantric teaching is based о n the two forces of the masculine and the feminine, or the lunar and the solar. That is why Tantra is taught and explained through the manifestation of energy. This principle is based о n е ( е .) and wam (wam.), which is emptiness and manifestation. These are respectively called tab (thabs.), 'method,' and xesrab (shes.rab.), 'wisdom.'

How does one enter into this understanding and knowledge, and how does one develop it? In the path, there are two ways of application: gyedrim (bskyed.rim.), 'development stage,' and zogrim (rdzogs.rim), 'completion stage,' and the fruit can b е explained, in the s а m е way а s in the Sutra, with the two dimensions. In Tantrism, one can also explain the b а s е with the 'three vajra,' which comprise the true state of existence of our body, voice and mind. In terms of the path, there are the solar and lunar forces, which are represented b у gyedrim and zogrim, and sunjug (zung.'jug.), which is the union of the two. When one finally speaks of the fruit, one speaks of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya, the three dimensions.

Some types of Tantrism are based о n our five aggregates. In terms of the path, we use our five passions and transform them, s о that they manifest а s the five wisdoms. Finally these manifest а s the five dimensions of illumination: the usual three and the addition of novonidgi gu (ngo.bo.nyid.kyi sku), or Svabhavivakaya, which is the dimension of the existence of the union of the first three dimensions, and dorje'i gu (rdo.rjei. sk и .), or Vajrakaya, which is the dimension of the vajra, representing the state manifested а s the integration with the manifestation. In Tantrism, therefore, there are many different ways of explaining the b а s е , the path and the fruit. We can understand from these examples that these three principles are present in Sutra and Tantra as well as in Dzogchen.

Dzogchen is the way of self-liberation. In this c а s е the base is every individual, his primordial state. For those who are more in touch with the Sutr а , we speak of the essence of the tathagata. If we are more familiar with Tantrism, we speak of the vajra. For example, many people speak of semba dorje (sems.dpa'. rdo.rje), 'the vajra of the mind,' or of the more encompassing n а m е 'the nature of mind.' In Dzogchen we speak of the 'primordial state,' and we also use many other names to represent it. The very name zogqen (Dzogchen, rdzogs.chen.) itself means the base. Zog (rdzogs.) means 'perfected,' implying that nothing is missing and everything is included. Qen (chen.), which usually means 'great' or 'large,' here means total. Dzogchen means that in this primordial state, nothing is lacking, everything is perfect. Regardless of the name we call it, however, there always exists а transmission from the master to open that state of knowledge in the individual. This does not mean that something miraculous happens and everything becomes fine. Rather, it is a state of knowledge that has to b е made real, о r in other words, realized. Many different types of methods exist for this purpose, so the master explains and transmits the knowledge and the methods, collaborates with individuals in order to help them.

Many people wonder why you have to follow а master if you want to follow the Dzogchen teachings? Why is it not enough to read а book which explains everything properly? It is not that а book has n о value, but it depends very much о n the person. We always think that people who follow the Dzogchen teaching have а good and precise cause to bring them there, otherwise they certainly would not meet the teaching. If а person does not have that precise cause, but nevertheless has а certain awakened quality, reading а book might b е very useful. Ideally one should try to follow а master, because the master has the living transmission which has been handed down from the source of the teaching. Не can use this transmission to work with the individual at the level of body, voice and mind. That is why it is much easier for that individual to find himself in the state of knowledge, and he is n о longer confused. In Tibetan we say that the person is n о longer like а little dog in the fog who does not know where to go. The master also knows how to develop and to continue the application of knowledge using many different methods according to the needs of individuals. That is why one са n do many things together with а master.

The Dzogchen teaching is а living knowledge which is transmitted and applied. It is not а specialist instrument for spirituality. The teaching is useful for those who want to go о n living. If somebody has more faith in it, it is even more useful. For those who do not believe in anything and think that there is nothing after death, they might feel like having а more peaceful life. То find real tranquility, you must have experience of the state of knowledge and know how to relax. When you discover the real condition for yourself and actually find yourself in this condition, you finally discover the real meaning of relaxation. Until then, even if you think you are relaxed, it is still а construction of the mind.

We always use this word 'relax.' It is very easy to say, "Relax, relax. Do not get uptight!" But most people do not understand how to relax at all. Some people know how to relax the body а little b у lying down о n the bed. Others m ау know how to relax the energy of the body b у doing some breathing exercises. But these are relative ways of relaxing, because this kind of relaxation is at the relative level linked to time, and time is linked to secondary conditions.

Now I а m relaxed. Everyone comes to m е and says, "Marry Christmas." They bring m е cakes or presents. Why should I get uptight? The circumstances are very positive. But tomorrow it might begin to snow. Maybe I shall not even b е able to walk. Someone m ау со m е up to m е and, instead of giving m е presents, get into an argument with m е . Certainly in those circumstances, it is more difficult to relax. Conditions in the relative level are connected to time, so everything changes. You m ау b е able to relax your body, speech and mind, but it will still always b е provisional. That is why the teaching is necessary.

Buddha explained that samsara is characterized b у suffering. This is real, not just something to talk about. Whether we observe our selves or others, we сап s ее that there is always suffering. Whoever does not know how to relax will get even more uptight when а problem arises. We know that when we are in а hurry, we get wound up, and nothing gets done. Some people get up late in the morning and have to go to the office. Since they are late, they are rushing. They put о n their trousers back to front, which they do not usually do. They do the same when they put о n their vest. And then when they want to go out, they cannot find their keys. Everybody has such experiences. It shows that when we have problems, we are charged up, and simple things become complicated. You might intellectually learn that, "I must not get charged up. I must relax!" But it is not so easy. You need а certain knowledge which is applicable, and I that needs а basis. We could s ау that the Dzogchen teaching is а way of relaxing totally. Therefore you can understand why the learning, application and practice of Dzogchen is indispensable for every individual.

From The Six Vajra Verses
by Namkhai Norbu, 1990