Introduction to Trekchö

Vast Openness Free from Extremes

An Introduction to Trekchö

from the Khandro Nyingtik

Homage to the ultimate expanse of the all-pervasive essence!

The crucial advice taught to fortunate individuals setting out upon the path is divided into two: 1) Trekchö and 2) Tögal.

1. Trekchö

All phenomena, however they might appear and exist, are not subject to restriction or confinement; in essence, they have always been unfabricated, beyond effort or attainment. This is the meaning of primordial purity. Unless we gain the confidence of realization within our mindstreams, it is irrelevant. As the Luminous Expanse says:

All dharmas of the vehicles are complete in the essence.
The essence is the point of all the teachings.
Without this, words and so forth become pointless.

In this regard, the introduction to the basic meaning of Trekchö, just as it is, holds major importance.

Probing to the Root of Thought

It is through a failure to recognize the subtlety of the radiance that arises in various ways from the empty essence of mind, which has never existed as anything whatsoever, as emptiness and clarity that we fixate on an independent self and consequently wander in saṃsāra. Liberation through Wearing says:

The root of existence, self-grasping itself...

The way to probe to the root of this is as follows. There is nothing aside from the trio of body, speech and mind that could precede any activity of a single individual. Therefore, we investigate by asking: Which is it—body, speech or mind—that wanders in saṃsāra below? Which is it that seeks the attainment of buddhahood above? Which is it that creates all the supports for happiness and suffering? Do body, speech and mind operate individually or collectively? Through this, we determine that mind is the root of agency. The Luminous Expanse says:

The sole basis of all saṃsāra and nirvāṇa…

Searching for Hidden Flaws

Investigate along the following lines. If mind is the agent, what is the original basis of mind, the one that first wanders into saṃsāra following the period in which there is no separation into saṃsāra and nirvāṇa? Who created this? How did such wandering come about? In this way, you will not find anything anywhere. The Pearl Necklace says:

In the primordial purity of the very beginning,
There is nothing that we could call "delusion".
Likewise, what could be called "non-delusion"?
Delusion, therefore, is pure from the beginning.

Investigating Coming, Staying and Going

Although we do not find any hidden flaw in the basis, as long as the root of clinging endures, we investigate: From what source does it originate? From the outer environment or the bodies of inhabitants? Inside or outside? Head or tail? From which root does it arise? Where does it now remain? How is it supported? Where does it depart from? And where does it go in the end? Has it ceased? Through this, we understand that it does not originate from anywhere, does not abide anywhere, and does not go anywhere. And we understand the meaning of rootless changelessness. Liberation through Wearing says:

Conceptualizations, outer and inner, are primordially empty and freed.

Even as we examine the very mind that investigates and deconstructs in this way, we do not find so much as an atom’s worth of true reality. However it is viewed,[1] it is naturally empty and rootless, so self-grasping is freed there and then. When self-grasping is freed there and then, the dualistic thoughts that are the root of conditioned existence are freed there and then, in the same way that the foliage of a tree that has been cut down at its roots will automatically wither. A scripture says:

If you understand the utter purity of the ground of all,
The manifest objects of the ground are freed there and then.

Introducing Thoughts as Mind

What we call 'mind' is thinking about everything imaginable, the natural expression of awareness. All types of thought—coarse, subtle or indeterminate—are included among the many ways in which naturally manifest awareness unfolds. Moreover, they are not beyond the essence, aware and empty, in which haziness vanishes without trace and whatever arises by itself is freed by itself. Their relationship to the clear, empty essence is like that of waves emerging from the ocean or a breeze emerging from the air. The Luminous Expanse says:

Mind’s thoughts and impressions, expressions of awareness—
All that is within the realm of perceptions and consciousness—
Are none other than awareness itself.

Introducing Mind as Empty

The mind that projects in this way does not exist at all. Even if you investigate, you won’t find anything that you could point to as its essential nature. It appears as basic cognizance or basic awareness, but there is nothing about it that could be indicated through example. There is nothing to show directly, nothing to reveal through words, saying, "It is this." The nature of the awakened mind is like uncompounded space, which cannot be illustrated by anything else. As a tantra says:

By looking within at the stirring mind itself,
It is not rejected but naturally freed, like a breeze.

And Without Letters says:

In the view of naturally occurring primordial wisdom, there is no object of analysis. There is nothing that was there in the past, nothing that will arise in the future, and nothing that is there right now. There is no karma. There are no habitual tendencies. There is no ignorance. There is no mind. There is no insight. There is no saṃsāra. There is no nirvāṇa. There is not even any awareness itself. There is nothing whatsoever that appears as primordial wisdom. They all arise from what is ungraspable.

Introducing Emptiness as Appearance

While non-existent in this way, the expressive potential of appearance manifests as anything at all. As it is therefore all-pervasive; it is unchanging, without limitations, and not subject to extremes. There is nothing that does not partake of the essence of dharmakāya, appearing as anything at all. A tantra says:

Unimpeded expressivity may arise as anything.
Empty clarity is aware and unchanging.

Introducing Appearance and Emptiness as Non-Dual

Even when we seek to identify the particular causes and conditions of everything that appears in this way, we do not find any. There is no separate thing that appears; all is evenly present within the expanse of the nature of mind. No matter how things appear, they are empty of their own essence, like stars and planets reflected upon the ocean. They have always been non-dual appearance and emptiness. The Self-Arisen says:

Environment and inhabitants have always been emptiness,
The ultimate in the form of the relative.

The Union of the Sun and Moon says:

For whoever realizes that apparent objects
Lack true reality,
Appearance and emptiness are non-dual.

Introducing the Non-Dual as Self-Liberated

Self-arisen awareness, in which clarity and emptiness are non-dual, is self-liberated. It is introduced as enlightened intent. This awareness of ours, which has no concrete character or identity, and which is essentially empty and unidentifiable, is the dharmakāya Samantabhadrī. The fact that this emptiness is not a blank voidness but a vividly clear presence is the dharmakāya Samantabhadra.

Recognizing this naturally arising wisdom, in which clarity and emptiness are non-dual, brings liberation as the dharmakāya of self-awareness free from elaboration. The unimpeded expressivity of awareness brings liberation as the sambhogakāya. Recognition of whatever appears as self-arising and self-liberated brings liberation as the nirmāṇakāya.

The Array of Studded Jewels says:

The perfect buddha is one’s very own rigpa,
Unchanging in essence throughout the three times.

The Word-Transcending says:

What is called liberation of one’s own mind
Is not a passage from one phase to another.
The unliberated mind is fundamentally perfect,
So there is no process or development.
It is not discoverable through analysis, has no cause,
No basis or origin, and thus abides as empty clarity.

Introducing the Five Poisons as Self-Liberated

The introduction of discursive thoughts associated with the five poisons as the play of self-liberated wisdom involves looking undistractedly into the mind that harbours the five poisons, so the afflictions are not rejected but naturally purified and released into the wisdom experience.

• Confusion involves non-conceptualization. By not wavering from the empty essence, which is not concrete in any way, there is self-liberation into the wisdom of dharmadhātu.
• Anger involves clarity and is therefore self-liberated into mirror-like wisdom.
• Pride involves a sense of superiority to all, and is therefore self-liberated into the clear and empty equalizing wisdom.
• Attachment has an element of unconstraint and is self-liberated into bliss and emptiness, the wisdom of discernment.
• Jealousy has an element of unobstructiveness, so it is self-liberated as all-accomplishing wisdom.

As with these five root afflictions, the 84000 afflictions and so on are all liberated into one’s own awareness. From these five primary forms of wisdom, the 84000 gateways to the Dharma and such like unfold, as knowing one means becoming adept at all, and knowing all brings singular self-liberation. The Luminous Expanse says:

The sole ground of all saṃsāra and nirvāṇa
Is self-occurring wisdom arising from oneself.
Knowing that is called primordial wisdom.

And:

As variety is the expressive play of rigpa,
It is liberated within the emptiness of rigpa,
In a manner akin to subjects and sovereign.

Introducing the Six Sensory Perceptions as Self-Liberated

As we look at the objects and subjective experiences of the six sensory perceptions and at subtle and coarse conceptuality, we see that they lack true reality, and they are liberated like rainbows vanishing in the sky. They arise unceasingly in separate forms from a single source, but they do not stray from the space-like essence, naturally arisen wisdom, and movement is purified and liberated there and then. The Union of the Sun and Moon says:

For whoever realizes that apparent phenomena
Lack true reality,
Appearance and emptiness are non-dual.
Sixfold perception is free and unconstrained.

With an undistracted view from this state, which is inconceivable and inexpressible, we are liberated from all grasping at phenomena. There is self-liberation in the original ground of primordial purity. Since the mind is directed towards the point of realization in this way, there is nothing to meditate on. There is spontaneous freedom from any clinging to meditation or non-meditation. Without separating from the point of non-meditation, there is confidence. Since the essence is itself naturally luminous, it is unsullied by discursive thought, and everything is spontaneously freed as the display of great primordial wisdom. Beyond any distinction between outer and inner, there is a spontaneous dawning of the great light of pristine wisdom, and beyond mindfulness or distraction, there is confidence and decisiveness. Without Letters says:

Since there is no view, nothing is viewable.
Understand this in the state of non-viewing.

And:

When you understand this point of the unviewable,
You do not leave behind the point of the view.
The view is automatically absent; it does not exist.
You abide within that state.

With such recognition, the point is naturally present, elaboration is naturally cut, and concepts are naturally released. Comprehending this, rigpa has cut through resistance, the fruition has been spontaneously perfected, and understanding one has liberated all. The Word-Transcending says:

Since one’s own rigpa is free of all thought,
It is endowed with four major forms of freedom:
Since it is originally free, there is no basis for repetition.
Since it is spontaneously free, there is no remedy.
Since it is directly free, it has vanished at the point of sight.
Since it entirely free, there is no application of effort.

And the same text says:

When one’s mind is freed in this way,
There is awakening without the bardo.

Such recognition is of great importance.

2. Tögal

This can be understood from other guidebooks.

This advice on introduction was imparted to the ḍākinī Yeshe Tsogyal. May it meet with future individuals who possess the requisite fortune! Samaya. Gya. Gya. Gya. Ithi.

| Translated by Adam Pearcey with the generous support of the Tsadra Foundation, 2024.

Bibliography

Tibetan Editions

"khregs chod ngo sprod mtha' grol klong yangs" In snying thig ya bzhi. 13 vols. Delhi: Sherab Gyaltsen Lama, 1975. Vol. 11: 256–266 (5 folios)

"khregs chod ngo sprod mtha' grol klong yangs" In kun mkhyen klong chen rab 'byams kyi gsung 'bum. 13 vols. Pe cin : Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang, 2009. Vol. 6: 40–46

Secondary Sources

Fry-Miller, Eric. The Vast Limitless Expanse: An Introduction to Cutting Through. Portland, OR: Buddha Visions Press, 2015.

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

Smith, Malcolm. Buddhahood in This Life: The Great Commentary by Vimalamitra. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2016.

Version: 1.0-20240812