Answers on Dzogchen

Answers to Questions on the Great Perfection

by Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima

Namo guru!

Although it is difficult for the likes of me, so deficient in intellect, to respond accurately to the several questions on the Great Perfection that you, noble lord, recently wrote and passed on to me, still I offer the following hasty, partial answers.

1. We can understand from the works of the Great Perfection that there is a ground of liberation—one of two aspects of the ground itself, which is divided into a ground of delusion and a ground of liberation. To claim that the ground of delusion is spontaneously present in the ground of liberation would be tantamount to asserting that the ground is flawed. So, is the ground of delusion temporary or not?

The great Brahmin Saraha said,

Mind-as-such alone is the seed of all,
Wherein conditioned existence and nirvāṇa arise.

As this indicates, if the genuine mind of clear light alone is not recognized, then it is the ground of delusion; whereas if it is recognized and stability is attained, it becomes the source of liberation. As the former corresponds to the phase of the ground and the latter to the phase of fruition, the great omniscient one refuted claims that these two are identical. At the ground stage, every time we die, the clear light dawns in its entirety, but, through our failure to recognize it, we revert to the flow of deluded, dualistic grasping. By contrast, when we arrive at the state of liberation, there can be no turning back, because the stronghold has been seized directly. This is the difference.

At the ground stage, we do not recognize our own essence, so the ground of delusion is set in place through speculation about the spontaneous expressions arising through confusion. We can see that this is not the inherent condition of the genuine nature of clear light itself. If it were, then the more we recognized the essence or perfected its strength, the more the deluded experiences of saṃsāric existence would increase. We do not assert, therefore, that the basis of delusion and the ground of liberation are the same, nor do we accept that the clear light of the ground, which is believed to be the basis for delusion, is a temporary phenomenon. It seems to me that such views would be like attempts to draw a sharp distinction between primordial purity and spontaneous presence.

2. If delusion is not present in the ground itself but involves clinging to its expressions—the manifestations of the ground—as good or bad, does the combination of wind energy and mind, which is the one who is deluded, exist separately?

The clear light of the ground never develops into the essence of delusion; it could not possibly do so, which is why it is described as primordially liberated, utterly pure from the beginning, alpha pure, and so on. But then we cannot say that the wind energy and mind, which has begun to cling to ground appearances, is undeluded. Therefore, we must say that these two are not identical and are distinct. Still, as was said by the awareness holders of the past, although delusion is not clear light, there would be no delusion were it not for clear light. In view of this, I wonder if we should not assert that delusion is of the same nature or essence as clear light but differs in substance.

3. When there is delusion about dharmakāya, primordial wisdom, and pure awareness, they turn into the ground-of-all, ordinary consciousness, and ordinary mind. The former three are said to be beyond bondage and liberation and lacking in any concrete identity—being limitless and free from partiality or bias—yet capable of taking on any form, as shown through the analogy of a mirror in which various reflections can arise. So, what is the key to the arising of sentient beings for whom saṃsāra does not merely appear, but who are bound through deluded attachment?

When we speak of “the stirring of ground appearance from the ground,” ground appearance does not refer only to visionary appearances such as buddha forms, lights, and light spheres. It also refers to all that unfolds through the outward radiance of compassionate energy’s awareness. Through this expression or force, just as tarnish appears on gold or algae develops in water, an adventitious form of consciousness develops in which objects appear to be distinct from the perceiving subject. When this first develops in a subtle form, it is termed ground-of-all. Then, as wind energy and mind become more coarse, the six senses and the defiled mind emerge. The major works of the Great Perfection discuss this process in detail when describing how sentient beings fail to realize the ground and become deluded.

Therefore, since actual pure awareness is primordially pure, it does not develop the features of reifying attachment. Rather, it is the coarser states of mind, which arise out of this pure awareness, that develop into the reifying attachment of ordinary beings. From this, it is easy to understand the subsequent stages of the process and the development of compositional karma, sentient beings, and the various realms of sentient beings.

4. Do the dissolution phases of appearance, increase, and attainment arise during the first bardo of dying for those who are strong in the practices of “blending the three spaces” and transference?

I think the phases of dissolution must arise in any such instance. Liberation through entering the sphere of clear light is for those who attain stability during the clear light of death, and that clear light must be preceded by the occurrence of the dissolution phase. Then there are those who are liberated through the ejection and transference of consciousness and who are transported to a pure realm once consciousness has left the body. In such cases, the departure of consciousness occurs only after the clear light of death, which itself occurs after the dissolution process.

5. What is the difference between the phase of consciousness dissolving into appearance (and the rest) and the phase of consciousness dissolving into space?

If the dissolution of consciousness into space is further subdivided, it consists of the dissolution of consciousness into appearance, then of appearance into increase, and so on, so they are essentially the same.

6. Is there any instruction on the hidden significance of forcefully interrupting the phase of the dissolution of sperm, egg, and wind energy?

The dissolution phases of appearance, increase, and attainment all relate exclusively to the phase of the dissolution of wind energy. Apparently, there are different explanations for the phases of dissolution relating to sperm, egg, and wind energy. In any case, those who attain enlightenment in this lifetime are far beyond the conventions of birth, death, and the bardo state. This is indicated by the way in which all the ordinary aggregates and elements—of which sperm, egg, and wind energy are most important—dissolve into the natural radiance of the sphere of clear light, the youthful vase body. For others, there is no bardo unless the aggregates and elements of this life, whether gross or subtle, dissolve entirely within the sphere of clear light. The visions of whiteness, redness, and blackness and so on are also signs of the dissolution of the subtle elements. We might indeed wonder then whether there is not a separate instruction. There is seemingly a variation in the degree to which the signs of dissolution are apparent based on differences in the individual.

7. Do the eight modes of arising and eight modes of dissolution occur for those liberated during the bardo of dying?

No, they do not. These modes of arising occur after the bardo of dying: they are modes of arising during the bardo of dharmatā and take place only after the earlier state has concluded.

8. Why is it said that in the bardo of dharmatā the peaceful forms do not act directly for the welfare of others, while the wrathful forms do?

This means that if we recognize the radiance of awareness when it arises as the peaceful forms from its base in our hearts, then, without any opportunity for acting directly to benefit others, they are absorbed directly into all-pervading space. Then, when the wrathful ones appear from the skull palace, they remain for several instants, acting for the welfare of others. Here, the “others” referred to in the phrase “acting for the welfare of others” does not signify separate beings to be trained, distinct from our own continuum. Rather, it means that these forms act on behalf of the dreamlike beings of the six classes who are spontaneously present, empty forms. This is explained in more detail in the section on the bardos in The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle.

9. It is said that “directing awareness toward three thousand sentient beings causes them to be liberated.” Does this refer to beings in the intermediate state or those in the natural bardo of this life? Would they all have previously trained in the Great Perfection? And is there any hidden significance to the figure of three thousand?

This question seems to be a reference to the following statement about the attainment of power over animation (of the two forms of power): “Directing pure awareness causes three thousand beings to be liberated.”[1] Some say that sentient beings of the bardo can mean beings of the natural bardo of this life. Although it is not clear whether they are sentient beings who have trained previously in the Great Perfection, I think they must have some past connection. There appears to be no hidden significance to the figure of three thousand. Although such statements appear in the texts, we can only take them literally; we cannot explain the reason behind the numbers that are given—just as with statements about the bodhisattvas gaining twelve sets of one hundred qualities upon reaching the first bodhisattva stage, and so on.

10. Is it true that for those who are liberated in the bardo through the three crucial points, the eight modes of dissolution occur all at once, whereas for those who are deluded through lack of recognition, delusion continues because although the ground appearances could dissolve into inner space through the eight modes of dissolution, the habitual tendency for dissolution into saṃsāra is much stronger?

Dissolution can occur either through the strength of the liberation of the ground appearances or on the strength of delusion. Taking the second option, ordinary sentient beings will experience the arising of the ground appearances during the bardo of dharmatā for no longer than the duration of a shooting star. They will not recognize either their arising or their dissolution. Nevertheless, it is still true that through their habitual tendencies, the “arising as the impure saṃsāric gateway” has left the strongest impression, as a result of which saṃsāra continues to unfold with the bardos and with taking birth.

11. When there is fourfold wisdom, is there a disparity in enlightened qualities because liberation in the path experience of threefold wisdom does not perfect the strength of activity? Or is the strength of activity perfected in the path experience of the dissolution within the precious sphere of spontaneously present wisdom?

In fact, we must refer to an experience of fourfold wisdom (meaning the wisdom of dharmadhātu, mirrorlike wisdom, wisdom of equality, and wisdom of discernment), so it is slightly incorrect to refer to threefold wisdom. The perfection of the strength of all-accomplishing wisdom is said to occur only at the occasion of liberation into primordial purity. When this happens, the strength is already perfected, so it is meaningless to speak of this bringing about an emergence of greater or lesser qualities.

12. It is said that to accomplish the concentrations and formless absorptions we should meditate on the four tiered A syllables and so on, but how is the meditation done?

The gaze should be as in tögal practice. Hold some gentle breathing for a while. Then, since A signifies the unborn, recognize that the unborn is the great all-pervading sphere of your own mind, and direct your gaze into space. There, visualize five red A syllables, one on top of another. And, by focusing your awareness undistractedly, allow it to transcend any referential focus, then settle evenly into that experience. The same applies for the remaining practices: the one with a stack of four white A syllables, and so on.

13. Is the hollow crystal light channel of wisdom the ultimate form of the central channel (avadhūti) in the Dzogchen tradition? Is it split in two as it extends to the two eyes?

I have the impression that it is just like that, but I recommend that you consult The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle, as I cannot look at the text myself.

14. It is said that at death three drops of blood from the vital channel gather in the heart, causing a separation of mind and pure awareness, after which awareness departs through the eyes. Is this referring to the coarse visual faculty?

This refers not to the coarse faculty support but to the light channel—the far-reaching lasso of the water lamp—which is connected to the eyes. It is this interdependent circumstance that allows the visions of the bardo of dharmatā to arise.

15. In the pith instructions of the Ancient Translations, it is said that the right channel (rasana) is white and the left channel (lalanā) is red. Can we say that the right is the potential for the grasped (or perceived) and the left is the potential for the grasper (or perceiver)?

Yes, I think that would be fine.

16. What is the significance of the explanation in the bardo aspiration prayer of the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse that the experience of redness arises before the experience of whiteness?

It does indeed appear as if the sequence of the three symbolic experiences as redness, whiteness, and blackness is the vision of The Aspiration Prayer for Purifying the Realms of the Three Kāyas. Still, in other works, such as the bardo aspiration prayer Ocean of Single Intent, Yogic Exercises of the Awareness Holders Involving Channels and Wind Energies, and the earlier and later sections of The Chariot to Omniscience, the omniscient Jigme Lingpa describes the usual sequence of whiteness, redness, and blackness. I wonder, therefore, whether we can be certain that the earlier text is not corrupted by scribal error.

17. In the method for bringing the chains of awareness within the enclosure of the lamp of empty spheres, are there any other instructions besides training with diligence and applying the three crucial points, the gazes and so on, having gained stability in trekchö, so that awareness is not disrupted by wind energy and mind?

The most crucial point for meditation is to gradually bring the chains of awareness that arise outside the empty lamps into the center of those empty lamps by means of the gaze, and then not to allow that awareness to stray elsewhere but to plant it like a spear. As a support for this, you also need to apply the crucial points of body and speech, and so on.

18. Is what we call genuine or ordinary consciousness the nature of the mind, the self-arising primordial wisdom that is untainted by thoughts associated with the past, present, and future? In any case, what is meant by “ordinary” and “consciousness” here?

The term genuine mind refers to exactly what you have written. Yet, as this is the most important point among all the ocean-like statements in Highest Yoga Tantra, it is, like the ocean itself, decidedly vast and profound. Terms such as vajra of the mind, clear light, and natural and coemergent are more common in the Highest Yoga class, while ordinary consciousness appears to be particularly prevalent in Dzogchen.

The section on general conduct in the Moonlight commentary[2] on medicine states that the force of a yawn, a sneeze, and so on, should not be blocked, and that to remain ordinary, in this way, prevents ill health. The text uses the expression “remain ordinary” in the sense of remaining naturally. In a similar way, the word ordinary can refer to the genuine state, left naturally as it is, without any contrivance or adjustment through abandoning or adopting, elimination or cultivation. The reason the term is used so frequently in a Dzogchen context is that this differs from other means of bringing about the dawn of wisdom. Other perfection-stage systems employ various methods to generate a feeling of bliss or an experience of nonconceptuality, such as focusing the mind on the channels, wind energies, and drops. But here, by contrast, the introduction and meditation are effected directly upon our everyday state of conceptualization, by leaving the mind as it is, in a state of naked, all-penetrating awareness, primordially free and beyond any notion of anything to be eliminated or preserved. This is also the key to why this approach is praised so extensively as the effortless vehicle. The sense of consciousness here is that the essence of awareness is unlike inanimate matter or some lifeless vacuity, insofar as it has a quality of cognizance or awareness. This is easy to understand.

19. When we sustain the nonconceptual practice of the union of awareness and emptiness, any rising thoughts are freed upon arising, impartially. And yet, with all three modes of liberation, distraction can still occur, undetected, through our innumerable extremely subtle “undercurrent” thoughts. Can we put a stop to this diffuse form of delusive thought through continual reliance upon the flow of natural, self-arisen mindfulness as we abide in an experience of the natural state?

Even though we might settle evenly in what we take to be a state of awareness, at some point we will be deceived by the indeterminate ground-of-all. When this happens, we will find ourselves in a stagnant state of mental stillness, a blankness or oblivion, in which we do not notice the undercurrent of thoughts. At this stage, meditative equipoise is not yet secure, so no matter how familiar we are with the practice, we are unable to counteract the habitual tendencies of delusive thought. Rather than trying to control all the various good and bad thoughts as they arise, we should hold to the very essence of unimpeded awareness, which is the basis of such arising. We must sharpen and intensify this quality of awareness, again and again. By laying bare this awareness and sustaining it and it alone, we will not be tempted to evaluate any subtle or coarse thoughts that may arise. This does not mean that we are distracted and fail to notice what arises, but that we are no longer captivated by or distracted by expressive thoughts. This corresponds to the third mode of liberation, which is compared to a thief entering an empty house. The more familiar we become with this experience, the more the expressive power or strength of ordinary conceptual thoughts will be cut through and the strength of nonconceptual awareness perfected. And with this, as it is said, the spear of awareness will circle within the sphere of emptiness. Actual self-arising, natural mindfulness is nothing other than the capacity for remembrance that is a timeless quality of genuine mind itself. It should be clear from what has just been said that the mindfulness that maintains a boundary between distraction and nondistraction while remaining in the expressive power of awareness is merely an approximation of true, natural mindfulness.

20. Are cognitive experiences the same as “complete experiences”? Is the distinction between visionary and cognitive experiences a matter of whether there is stability? If so, then if the empty forms described in other Highest Yoga tantras were stable, how would they differ from the visionary experiences spoken of in Dzogchen?

When we speak of the three types of experience—cognitive, visionary, and complete—the first refers to experiences of bliss, clarity, and absence of thought and so on. The second type includes the lamp of absolute space, which is compared to the fan of a peacock’s feathers, and the lamp of empty spheres, which are like the rippling circles from a stone cast into a pond. The third type includes experiences that are signs of wind energy, such as those compared to the sun, the moon, and a rainbow, which appear to be distinct from the radiance of awareness. Therefore, we cannot claim that these various experiences are the same.

The empty forms described in other classes of tantra are like the visionary experiences of the Dzogchen practice of tögal only in the sense that both are empty forms. It is true, however, that they are also similar in that both grow progressively clearer and more stable with increased familiarity. But, as The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle explains, there is a great difference in their aspects of brightness or their aspects of clarity and stability. While one is a manifestation of wind energy, the other is a manifestation of awareness. Molasses, milk, and sugarcane are similar in having a sweet taste, but there is still a great difference among them. And although we can experience this difference with our tongue, even Sarasvatī herself is unable to express it in words, as the master Daṇḍin observed.

21. There is a union of clarity and emptiness in the ordinary mind, and there are meditative experiences of bliss, clarity, and absence of thought, which derive from this union. Then there is the union of clarity and emptiness in the pure awareness beyond mind, together with its bliss, clarity, and absence of thought. Can we say that the difference between these two sets is a difference between the Pith Instruction category of the Great Perfection and what lies below it?

The union of clarity and emptiness in the ordinary mind, and the bliss, clarity, and absence of thought that are its qualities, cannot be classified above even the calm abiding that is common to both non-Buddhist outsiders and Buddhist insiders. Any of the three Dzogchen categories, whether Mind, Expanse, or Pith Instructions, is generally more profound than even the perfection phase of Highest Yoga Tantra, which in turn belongs to the Secret Mantra that is superior to the general Mahāyāna. I think that to make such an assertion is therefore inappropriate.

22. When dividing the Great Perfection into three categories, can we relate the Mind category to Mahāyoga, the Expanse category to Anuyoga, and the Pith Instruction category to Atiyoga?

I do not see anything too inappropriate about such a proposition. It even resembles what the Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten Directions commentary says about how the gradual path of the Illusory Secret Essence and the Dzogchen practices of trekchö and tögal relate to the three of Ati, Mahā, and so on.[3] Still, the matter requires further investigation.

23. Is it correct to say that when yogis who meditate on the Great Perfection are liberated in any of the three earlier bardos, they awaken at that very moment in the primordial sphere; whereas if they are liberated in the bardo of becoming, they are reborn in a natural nirmāṇakāya pure realm and awakened there?

Yes, it is just as you have written.

24. When speaking of the indivisibility of the two higher truths, can we say that the relative is embraced by a special motivation and conduct of the indivisible two truths, so that we view everything as the pure maṇḍala of the vajra sphere, while recognizing that the seven riches of the absolute are always spontaneously present?[4] And that the indivisibility of these two truths, which are greater than the two common forms of equality, is great dharmakāya?[5]

It is indeed so. Still, you must understand higher relative truth in more detail from the explanations of how appearances are established as divine. Although the fundamental point of the seven riches of the absolute depends on fully ascertaining the genuine nature of mind, it is also worth consulting the tantra commentaries. Yet for fear that this might become too verbose, I shall not elaborate further here.

This concludes my rough answers to your questions.

These days, we have reached the end of a degenerate age, in which the teachings of Buddha are on the wane and people have little faith in the sacred Dharma. The teaching and practice of the supreme vehicle, the vajra pinnacle, are barely alive, and what remains is due to merit and fortune. At such a time, knowing that even finding the opportunity for discussion is a sign of good fortune, I am like a mere child imitating an adult. For how could I ever explain such profound vajra topics? To judge from your questions, you are studying and contemplating the Heart Essence of the Great Perfection a great deal—in this, I greatly and sincerely rejoice.

The following topics are clearly and incisively resolved in The Treasury of Scriptural Authority, the commentary to The Treasury of the Dharmadhātu, which is just like the omniscient king of Dharma, Drimé Özer, in person:

• the general understanding of the distinction between mind and pure awareness
• the means of directly recognizing pure awareness
• how this alone eliminates all the potential dangers of sidetracks, pitfalls, and errors
• how to pursue pure awareness alone, without spoiling it through superfluous instructions
• how all the crucial points of the path taught in the sūtras and lower tantras are included within this approach, and not only that, how it is unlike any lower vehicle and superior to them

You should therefore consult the text repeatedly. If you read it again and again, your understanding will grow in precision and certainty, and you will develop an insatiable, heartfelt wish to study further. But consulting it only once or twice will not take you beyond a vague, superficial understanding.

The Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle brings about a vast, decisive understanding of both trekchö and tögal, so it is vital that you study that too. I also believe that the Great Chariot commentary to Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind and the root text and commentaries of The Treasury of Qualities[6] are extremely important, as they are indispensable for gaining an understanding of the general structure of the teachings.

I respectfully submit this direct and familiar, if perhaps inelegant, response.

This was offered by the old beggar Tenpe Nyima, the lowest servant of the Jamyang Guru, the great Vajradhara. May virtue abound!

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2018. First published on Lotsawa House, 2025.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

’Jigs med bstan pa'i nyi ma. “rDzogs chen dris lan” In rDo grub chen ’jigs med bstan pa’i nyi ma’i gsung ’bum. 7 vols. Chengdu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003. Vol. 2, 117–135.

Secondary Sources

Pearcey, Adam. A Greater Perfection? Scholasticism, Comparativism and Issues of Sectarian Identity in Early 20th Century Writings on rDzogs-chen. Unpublished PhD thesis. SOAS, University of London. 2018.

______. Beyond the Ordinary Mind: Dzogchen, Rimé, and the Path of Perfect Wisdom. Boulder: Snow Lion, 2018.

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