Difference between revisions of "Thekchod (khregs-chod)"
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[[khregs-chod]] / [[Thekchod]] - releasing tensions, [[cutting through]] rigidity (a special [[teaching]] of the [[Dzogchen]] [[Upadesha]] Series) | [[khregs-chod]] / [[Thekchod]] - releasing tensions, [[cutting through]] rigidity (a special [[teaching]] of the [[Dzogchen]] [[Upadesha]] Series) | ||
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| − | 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 we just leave them as they are. We just continue in the [[Natural State]]; that is the [[view]] of [[Thekchod]]. | + | "THEKCHOD......The [[principle]] of [[Thekchod]] is the [[primordial purity]] of everything.....From the viewpoint of the [[Nying-thig]] teachings, the original [[state]] of the {{Wiki|individual}}, one's [[inherent]] [[enlightened]] [[nature]], is seen as being [[primordially pure]] and spontaneously self-perfected ([[lhun-grub]]). These two aspects of the [[state]] are [[realized]] in the two divisions of [[Nying-thig]] [[teaching]] and practice, |
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| + | namely, [[Thekchod]] and [[Thodgal]]....The term [[Thekchod]] ([[khregs-chod]]) literally means 'cutting loose ([[chod]]) the bundle ([[khregs]])'....much as a woodman might cut loose the ties binding a bundle of sticks he has brought with him from the {{Wiki|forest}}. In the case of the {{Wiki|individual}}, this bundle is one's [[emotional]] and [[intellectual]] tensions and rigidities that keep one imprisoned in a self-created | ||
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| + | cage and prevent one from [[realizing]] one's intrinsic freedom. The [[principle]] point of [[Thekchod]] is to [[relax]] all these tensions of [[body]], [[speech]], and [[mind]] that obscure our [[inherent]] [[Buddha-nature]], which has been [[primordially]] {{Wiki|present}} as the Base ([[ye gzhi]]). In [[Thekchod]] practice, one settles into a [[state]] of contemplation without being distracted for a [[moment]] from the [[view]] of the | ||
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| + | [[primordial purity]] of our [[inherent]] [[nature]]. As the [[master]] [[Garab Dorje]] said: "Whatever is produced in the [[mind]] is unobstructed like the clouds in the sky. Having understood the meaning of the complete [[Wikipedia:Identity (social science)|identity]] of all [[phenomenon]] (in terms of the [[essence]] of their [[emptiness]]), then when one enters into this ([[state]] of contemplation)without following them, this is the true meditation.".....Through the practice of [[Thekchod]], one comes to understand and be totally familiar with the [[state]] of contemplation."......[[John Myrdhin Reynolds]]....'The [[Oral Traditions]] From [[Zhang-Zhung]]'....Page 33 | ||
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| + | "[[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 {{Wiki|individual}}. Each of these nine successive ways has a different [[view]]. In general, the method of | ||
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| + | [[Sutra]] is the [[path]] of [[renunciation]] ([[spong lam]]), the method of [[Tantra]] 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 [[Wikipedia:Absolute (philosophy)|ultimate]] way. [[Self-liberation]] ([[rang grol]]) is the definitive [[view]] and method of [[Thekchod]] ([[khregs-chod]]). | ||
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| + | 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 we just leave them as they are. We just continue in the [[Natural State]]; that is the [[view]] of [[Thekchod]]. | ||
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"[[Bönpo]] [[Dzogchen]] Teachings" | "[[Bönpo]] [[Dzogchen]] Teachings" | ||
| − | Taught by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]]" | + | |
| + | [[Taught]] by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]]" | ||
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QUOTED TEXTS | QUOTED TEXTS | ||
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The [[Oral Tradition]] from [[Zhang Zhung]]: An Introduction to the [[Bonpo]] [[Dzogchen]] Teachings of the [[Oral Tradition]] from [[Zhang Zhung]] known as the [[Zhang-zhung]] [[snyan rgyud]] | The [[Oral Tradition]] from [[Zhang Zhung]]: An Introduction to the [[Bonpo]] [[Dzogchen]] Teachings of the [[Oral Tradition]] from [[Zhang Zhung]] known as the [[Zhang-zhung]] [[snyan rgyud]] | ||
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Translations, Commentaries, and Annotations by [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]]. | Translations, Commentaries, and Annotations by [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]]. | ||
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Forward by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | Forward by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | ||
| − | This impressive volume includes {{Wiki|biographies}} of the [[principal]] early [[masters]] in the [[lineages]] of [[transmission]] of the [[Zhang-zhung]] snayn rgyud, translations of [[Guru]] [[Yoga]] and [[Dzogchen]] [[preliminary practices]] ([[ngondro]]) from the [[sNyan-brgyud rgyal-ba phyag-khrid]]. These explanations proceed according to the oral instructions of Yongdzin [[Rinpoche]], [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | + | |
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| + | This impressive volume includes {{Wiki|biographies}} of the [[principal]] early [[masters]] in the [[lineages]] of [[transmission]] of the [[Zhang-zhung]] snayn rgyud, translations of [[Guru]] [[Yoga]] and [[Dzogchen]] [[preliminary practices]] ([[ngondro]]) from the [[sNyan-brgyud rgyal-ba phyag-khrid]]. These explanations proceed according to the [[oral instructions]] of [[Yongdzin]] [[Rinpoche]], [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | ||
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Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, [[Myth]], [[Rituals]] and [[Beliefs]] in [[Tibet]] | Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, [[Myth]], [[Rituals]] and [[Beliefs]] in [[Tibet]] | ||
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By [[Samten]] G. [[Karmay]] | By [[Samten]] G. [[Karmay]] | ||
| − | Contains 32 articles written over the span of 20 years, covering aspects of history, [[Dzogchen]] [[philosophy]], the [[Bon religion]], [[myths]] and [[rituals]] including "The [[Soul]] and the {{Wiki|Turquoise}}: a [[Ritual]] for Recalling the bla" and "The [[Local Deities]] and the {{Wiki|Juniper}} [[Tree]]: a [[Ritual]] for [[Purification]] ([[bsang]])", articles on the [[Gesar]] Epic, as well as on the reunification and {{Wiki|disintegration}} of [[Tibet]] | + | |
| + | |||
| + | Contains 32 articles written over the span of 20 years, covering aspects of history, [[Dzogchen]] [[philosophy]], the [[Bon religion]], [[myths]] and [[rituals]] [[including]] "The [[Soul]] and the {{Wiki|Turquoise}}: a [[Ritual]] for Recalling the bla" and "The [[Local Deities]] and the {{Wiki|Juniper}} [[Tree]]: a [[Ritual]] for [[Purification]] ([[bsang]])", articles on the [[Gesar]] Epic, as well as on the reunification and {{Wiki|disintegration}} of [[Tibet]] | ||
[[Drung]], Deu and [[Bon]]: Narrations, [[Symbolic]] [[Languages]] and the [[Bon]] [[Tradition]] in {{Wiki|Ancient}} [[Tibet]] | [[Drung]], Deu and [[Bon]]: Narrations, [[Symbolic]] [[Languages]] and the [[Bon]] [[Tradition]] in {{Wiki|Ancient}} [[Tibet]] | ||
| − | By [[Namkhai Norbu]], translated from [[Tibetan]] into Italian, and edited by Adriano Clemente, | + | By [[Namkhai Norbu]], translated from [[Tibetan]] into {{Wiki|Italian}}, and edited by [[Adriano Clemente]], |
| − | translated from Italian into English by Andrew Lukianowicz Includes chapters on selected narrations, [[symbolic]] [[languages]], and the twelve lores ({{Wiki|sciences}}) of [[Bon]] | + | translated from {{Wiki|Italian}} into English by Andrew Lukianowicz Includes chapters on selected narrations, [[symbolic]] [[languages]], and the twelve lores ({{Wiki|sciences}}) of [[Bon]] |
[[Heart]] [[Drops]] of [[Dharmakaya]]:[[Dzogchen]] Practice of the [[Bon]] Tradtion | [[Heart]] [[Drops]] of [[Dharmakaya]]:[[Dzogchen]] Practice of the [[Bon]] Tradtion | ||
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By [[Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen]], commentary by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | By [[Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen]], commentary by [[Lopon Tenzin Namdak]] | ||
| − | "This is one of the most important [[books]] in [[Dzogchen]] as demonstrated by the author, [[Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen]], who attained the [[Rainbow body]]. My kind [[root master]], Lopon [[Rinpoche]]'s clear and direct commentary elucidates all the major points of this [[essential]] text." --[[Geshe]] [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]] | + | |
| + | "This is one of the most important [[books]] in [[Dzogchen]] as demonstrated by the author, [[Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen]], who [[attained]] the [[Rainbow body]]. My kind [[root master]], Lopon [[Rinpoche]]'s clear and direct commentary elucidates all the major points of this [[essential]] text." --[[Geshe]] [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]] | ||
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Opening the Door to [[Bon]] | Opening the Door to [[Bon]] | ||
By [[Nyima]] [[Dakpa]] [[Rinpoche]] | By [[Nyima]] [[Dakpa]] [[Rinpoche]] | ||
| − | Full of practical and explicit instructions, this handbook for Westerners details the outer and inner fundamental [[Bon]] practices. | + | |
| + | Full of {{Wiki|practical}} and explicit instructions, this handbook for [[Westerners]] details the outer and inner fundamental [[Bon]] practices. | ||
| + | |||
[[Sacred]] [[Tibetan]] Teachings: On [[Death]] and [[Liberation]] | [[Sacred]] [[Tibetan]] Teachings: On [[Death]] and [[Liberation]] | ||
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By Giacomella Orofino, preface by [[Namkhai Norbu]] [[Rinpoche]] | By Giacomella Orofino, preface by [[Namkhai Norbu]] [[Rinpoche]] | ||
| − | These are lightly used copies of the out-of-print and hard-to-find title. Included in these translations, there is one chapter entitled, "The [[Doctrine]] of the Six Lights," a translation of the [[Bonpo]] [[dzogchen]] text from the [[Zhang Zhung]] [[Nyen]] Gyu, The [[Oral Transmission]] of [[Zhang Zhung]]. | + | |
| + | These are lightly used copies of the out-of-print and hard-to-find title. Included in these translations, there is one [[chapter]] entitled, "The [[Doctrine]] of the Six Lights," a translation of the [[Bonpo]] [[dzogchen]] text from the [[Zhang Zhung]] [[Nyen]] Gyu, The [[Oral Transmission]] of [[Zhang Zhung]]. | ||
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Unbounded [[Wholeness]]: [[Dzogchen]], [[Bon]] and the [[Logic]] of the [[Nonconceptual]] | Unbounded [[Wholeness]]: [[Dzogchen]], [[Bon]] and the [[Logic]] of the [[Nonconceptual]] | ||
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by Anne Carolyn Klein and [[Geshe]] [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]] | by Anne Carolyn Klein and [[Geshe]] [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]] | ||
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The long awaited study and translation of the "Authenticity of Open [[Awareness]]", a foundational text of the [[Bon]] [[Dzogchen tradition]]. It includes an extensive commentary and explanatory material. | The long awaited study and translation of the "Authenticity of Open [[Awareness]]", a foundational text of the [[Bon]] [[Dzogchen tradition]]. It includes an extensive commentary and explanatory material. | ||
| + | |||
Wonders of the Natural [[Mind]]: The [[Essence]] of [[Dzogchen]] in the Native [[Bon Tradition]] of [[Tibet]] | Wonders of the Natural [[Mind]]: The [[Essence]] of [[Dzogchen]] in the Native [[Bon Tradition]] of [[Tibet]] | ||
| + | |||
By [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]], edited by Andrew Lukianowicz, with a foreword by H.H. the [[Dalai Lama]] | By [[Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche]], edited by Andrew Lukianowicz, with a foreword by H.H. the [[Dalai Lama]] | ||
| − | Introduction to [[Bon]] [[Dzogchen]], based upon teachings of the [[Zhang Zhung]] Nyan [[Gyud]], the [[Oral Transmission]] of [[Zhang Zhung]]. | + | |
| + | Introduction to [[Bon]] [[Dzogchen]], based upon teachings of the [[Zhang Zhung]] [[Nyan]] [[Gyud]], the [[Oral Transmission]] of [[Zhang Zhung]]. | ||
Excerpt from [[Golden Letters]]: [[The Three Statements of Garab Dorje]] | Excerpt from [[Golden Letters]]: [[The Three Statements of Garab Dorje]] | ||
| − | With regard to the [[Das-rjes]], in each case the [[master]] in question attained the [[Body of Light]] at the [[time]] of his [[death]], when he dissolved his [[physical body]] into the [[dimension]] of the [[space]] of the sky. | + | |
| + | With regard to the [[Das-rjes]], in each case the [[master]] in question [[attained]] the [[Body of Light]] at the [[time]] of his [[death]], when he dissolved his [[physical body]] into the [[dimension]] of the [[space]] of the sky. | ||
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1. [[Tshig gsum gnad du brdreg-pa]], "The Three statements That Strike the [[Essential]] Points, " of [[Prahevajra]] or [[Garab Dorje]]([[dGa'-rad rdorje]]) | 1. [[Tshig gsum gnad du brdreg-pa]], "The Three statements That Strike the [[Essential]] Points, " of [[Prahevajra]] or [[Garab Dorje]]([[dGa'-rad rdorje]]) | ||
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3. [[gZer-bu bdun-pa]], "The Seven Important Points," of [[Shrisimha]] ([[dPal gyi seng-ge mgon-po]]) | 3. [[gZer-bu bdun-pa]], "The Seven Important Points," of [[Shrisimha]] ([[dPal gyi seng-ge mgon-po]]) | ||
| − | 4. [[bZhags-thabs bzhi]], "The Four Methods for Remaining in Contemplation," of [[Jnanasutra]] ([[Ye-shes mdo]]) | + | 4. [[bZhags-thabs bzhi]], "The Four [[Methods]] for Remaining in Contemplation," of [[Jnanasutra]] ([[Ye-shes mdo]]) |
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| + | Before one can practice [[Thodgal]], one must first {{Wiki|purify}} the twofold [[obscurations]] and [[master]] the [[state]] of contemplation throught [[Trekchod]] practice, a releasing or a [[cutting through]] of all one's tensions and rigidities. If one does not first {{Wiki|perfect}} [[Thekchod]] as an absolutely necessary prerequisite, then the [[Thodgal]] practice will be little better than watching a {{Wiki|cinema}} show. Although one practices [[Thodgal]] not in the [[state]] of ordinary [[consciousness]] but in the [[state]] of contemplation, there is nevertheless the ever-present [[danger]] that one will become [[attached]] to the [[visions]] that arise. | ||
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Excerpt from: The [[Golden Letters]] : [[The Three Statements of Garab Dorje]], the First [[Teacher]] of [[Dzogchen]], Together With a Commentary [[Garab Dorje]], [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]] ([[Translator]]) | Excerpt from: The [[Golden Letters]] : [[The Three Statements of Garab Dorje]], the First [[Teacher]] of [[Dzogchen]], Together With a Commentary [[Garab Dorje]], [[John Myrdhin Reynolds]] ([[Translator]]) | ||
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{{R}} | {{R}} | ||
[http://www.angelfire.com/vt/OkarResearch/thekchod.html www.angelfire.com] | [http://www.angelfire.com/vt/OkarResearch/thekchod.html www.angelfire.com] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:13, 15 January 2024
khregs-chod / Thekchod - releasing tensions, cutting through rigidity (a special teaching of the Dzogchen Upadesha Series)
"THEKCHOD......The principle of Thekchod is the primordial purity of everything.....From the viewpoint of the Nying-thig teachings, the original state of the individual, one's inherent enlightened nature, is seen as being primordially pure and spontaneously self-perfected (lhun-grub). These two aspects of the state are realized in the two divisions of Nying-thig teaching and practice,
namely, Thekchod and Thodgal....The term Thekchod (khregs-chod) literally means 'cutting loose (chod) the bundle (khregs)'....much as a woodman might cut loose the ties binding a bundle of sticks he has brought with him from the forest. In the case of the individual, this bundle is one's emotional and intellectual tensions and rigidities that keep one imprisoned in a self-created
cage and prevent one from realizing one's intrinsic freedom. The principle point of Thekchod is to relax all these tensions of body, speech, and mind that obscure our inherent Buddha-nature, which has been primordially present as the Base (ye gzhi). In Thekchod practice, one settles into a state of contemplation without being distracted for a moment from the view of the
primordial purity of our inherent nature. As the master Garab Dorje said: "Whatever is produced in the mind is unobstructed like the clouds in the sky. Having understood the meaning of the complete identity of all phenomenon (in terms of the essence of their emptiness), then when one enters into this (state of contemplation)without following them, this is the true meditation.".....Through the practice of Thekchod, one comes to understand and be totally familiar with the state of contemplation."......John Myrdhin Reynolds....'The Oral Traditions From Zhang-Zhung'....Page 33
"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 general, the method of
Sutra is the path of renunciation (spong lam), the method of Tantra 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).
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 we just leave them as they are. We just continue in the Natural State; that is the view of Thekchod.
Taught by Lopon Tenzin Namdak"
QUOTED TEXTS
The Oral Tradition from Zhang Zhung: An Introduction to the Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings of the Oral Tradition from Zhang Zhung known as the Zhang-zhung snyan rgyud
Translations, Commentaries, and Annotations by John Myrdhin Reynolds.
Forward by Lopon Tenzin Namdak
This impressive volume includes biographies of the principal early masters in the lineages of transmission of the Zhang-zhung snayn rgyud, translations of Guru Yoga and Dzogchen preliminary practices (ngondro) from the sNyan-brgyud rgyal-ba phyag-khrid. These explanations proceed according to the oral instructions of Yongdzin Rinpoche, Lopon Tenzin Namdak
Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, Myth, Rituals and Beliefs in Tibet
Contains 32 articles written over the span of 20 years, covering aspects of history, Dzogchen philosophy, the Bon religion, myths and rituals including "The Soul and the Turquoise: a Ritual for Recalling the bla" and "The Local Deities and the Juniper Tree: a Ritual for Purification (bsang)", articles on the Gesar Epic, as well as on the reunification and disintegration of Tibet
Drung, Deu and Bon: Narrations, Symbolic Languages and the Bon Tradition in Ancient Tibet By Namkhai Norbu, translated from Tibetan into Italian, and edited by Adriano Clemente, translated from Italian into English by Andrew Lukianowicz Includes chapters on selected narrations, symbolic languages, and the twelve lores (sciences) of Bon
Heart Drops of Dharmakaya:Dzogchen Practice of the Bon Tradtion
By Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen, commentary by Lopon Tenzin Namdak
"This is one of the most important books in Dzogchen as demonstrated by the author, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen, who attained the Rainbow body. My kind root master, Lopon Rinpoche's clear and direct commentary elucidates all the major points of this essential text." --Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Opening the Door to Bon
By Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche
Full of practical and explicit instructions, this handbook for Westerners details the outer and inner fundamental Bon practices.
Sacred Tibetan Teachings: On Death and Liberation
By Giacomella Orofino, preface by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
These are lightly used copies of the out-of-print and hard-to-find title. Included in these translations, there is one chapter entitled, "The Doctrine of the Six Lights," a translation of the Bonpo dzogchen text from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu, The Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung.
Unbounded Wholeness: Dzogchen, Bon and the Logic of the Nonconceptual
by Anne Carolyn Klein and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The long awaited study and translation of the "Authenticity of Open Awareness", a foundational text of the Bon Dzogchen tradition. It includes an extensive commentary and explanatory material.
Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of Dzogchen in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet
By Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, edited by Andrew Lukianowicz, with a foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama
Introduction to Bon Dzogchen, based upon teachings of the Zhang Zhung Nyan Gyud, the Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung.
Excerpt from Golden Letters: The Three Statements of Garab Dorje
With regard to the Das-rjes, in each case the master in question attained the Body of Light at the time of his death, when he dissolved his physical body into the dimension of the space of the sky.
1. Tshig gsum gnad du brdreg-pa, "The Three statements That Strike the Essential Points, " of Prahevajra or Garab Dorje(dGa'-rad rdorje)
2. sGom nyams drug-pa,"The Six Meditation Experiences," of Manjushrimitra ('Jam dpal bshes-gnyen)
3. gZer-bu bdun-pa, "The Seven Important Points," of Shrisimha (dPal gyi seng-ge mgon-po)
4. bZhags-thabs bzhi, "The Four Methods for Remaining in Contemplation," of Jnanasutra (Ye-shes mdo)
Before one can practice Thodgal, one must first purify the twofold obscurations and master the state of contemplation throught Trekchod practice, a releasing or a cutting through of all one's tensions and rigidities. If one does not first perfect Thekchod as an absolutely necessary prerequisite, then the Thodgal practice will be little better than watching a cinema show. Although one practices Thodgal not in the state of ordinary consciousness but in the state of contemplation, there is nevertheless the ever-present danger that one will become attached to the visions that arise.
Excerpt from: The Golden Letters : The Three Statements of Garab Dorje, the First Teacher of Dzogchen, Together With a Commentary Garab Dorje, John Myrdhin Reynolds (Translator)
