Attainment of Rainbow Body
The rainbow body is the physical mastery state of Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of every sentient being, including every human being. Dzogchen, or 'Great Perfection' is the central teaching of the Nyingma school The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins back to the Indian master Padmasambhava (Sanskrit for "lotus-born"; Tibetan. Guru Rinpoche, "precious teacher"), the legendary founder of Tibetan Buddhism-and is considered by them to be the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment--of
The corporeal body of the realised which is now hallowed, returns to the pure primordial energetic essence-quality of the Five Pure Lights of the five elemental processes of which it is constituted through phowa and the Bardo of samadhi or Parinirvana. This is then projected as the mindstream through the process of phowa. The realiser of Jalus resides in the 'once upon a time' time out of time, timeless eternal state that is considered a mystery.
“The realised practitioner, no longer deluded by apparent substantiality or dualism such as mind and matter, releases the energy of the elements that compose the physical body at the time of death”, rainbow body," a phenomenon in which the corpses of highly developed spiritual individuals reputedly vanish within days of death,"And I was told that after several days their bodies disappeared. Sometimes fingernails and hair were left. Sometimes nothing was left."
More specifically, the rainbow body is constituted by the Five Pure Lights.
The Five Pure Lights (Tibetan: 'od lnga) are a conceptual mystery in the Dzogchen tradition of Bön and Nyingma and are aspects of non-dual clarity and primordial luminosity of dharmakaya, Kunzhi and/or the Void. It is important to emphasize from the outset that their light-like essence-quality and their associated colours are oft-described according to the five coloured Himalayan Rainbow.[1] The Five Pure Lights are the Yoga of Clear Light (Od-gsal) are entwined.
The Five Pure Lights are the most sublime essence-quality of the mahābhūta or classical elements ; namely: Space, Air, Water, Fire, Earth and constitute the Rainbow Body . The Five Pure Lights are essentially the Five Wisdoms (Sanskrit: ]
In the rite of the Ganachakra, all that is offered or within the chakra or mandala is augmented and purified by the Five Pure Lights of which it is constituted. There is understood to be a sanctification comparable to transignification and/or transubstantiation which instead of adding anything new to the substances, returns them to their primordial purity.
Trikaya is realised prior to the death-Bardo (Skt. antarabhava), the bodymind of the Nirmanakaya (Tib. sprul sku) Dzogchenpa enters samadhi (Tib. ting nge ‘dzin)[1] and commences Phowa or the ‘transferral of consciousness’ into the constituent Five Pure Lights of the Sambhogakaya (Tib. longs sku)[2] to the Dharmakaya, sometimes leaving the non-living faecal elements of the bodymind such as hair and nails.
There have been a number of documented sightings of the Jalus process through the Bardo of death which may take a number of days to complete. The bodymind of the Nirmanakaya in samadhi, all the time decreasing its dimentionality as the constituent Five Pure Lights of the mindstream are transmuted into the 'glorious body' of Sambhogakaya.
Phowa (Wylie: 'pho ba; also spelled Powa or Poa phonetically) is a Tibetan term for a Buddhist meditation practice that may be translated as the "practice of conscious dying", "transference of consciousness at the time of death" or "mindstream transference". The chöd subsumes within its auspices aspects of phowa sadhana.
The main form is one of the six yogas of Naropa, although other transmissions also exist. Through this Phowa practice, one learns to transfer one's consciousness through the top of the head directly into a pure realm, buddha-field dimension, field, kshetra or loka, and in so doing, by-pass some of the typical experiences that are said to occur after death.
Some lineages of Phowa are also practiced which include a rite of incision, or opening of the sahasrara (see Artificial cranial deformation) at the cranial zenith, to assist with transferral.[citation needed]
Professor Pema Gyalpo, a Tibetan Buddhist scholar in Japan, says that phowa is the act of sending the spirit of a person on his deathbed to the Pure Land.
"One concept in Tantra Vajrayana is that referred to by Asahara as poa, in which the spirits of the dead are transferred to a higher status through secret rites based on the power of the guru. "Poa is a Tibetan meditative technique used near death to provide good karma in the cycle of reincarnation." poa meditation transfers consciousness from the mundane world of existence to a transfigured world of post-existence. This meditation is undertaken with the intention of attaining a higher state of consciousness in the next rebirth."
rainbow body," a phenomenon in which the corpses of highly developed spiritual individuals reputedly vanish within days of death,"And I was told that after several days their bodies disappeared. Sometimes fingernails and hair were left. Sometimes nothing was left."
Those who have realised the rainbow body according to tradition
Togden Ugyen Tendzin
Khenpo A-chos
In 1953 Ayu Khandro realised the rainbow body.
Through his Swiss contact, Tiso received the name of the monk whose body had vanished after his death: Khenpo A-chos, a Gelugpa monk from Kham, Tibet, who died in 1998. Tiso was able to locate the village, situated in a remote area where Khenpo A-chos had his hermitage. He then went to the village and conducted taped interviews with eyewitnesses to Khenpo A-chos' death. He also spoke to many people who had known him.
"This was a very interesting man, aside from the way he died," observes Tiso. "Everyone mentioned his faithfulness to his vows, his purity of life, and how he often spoke of the importance of cultivating compassion. He had the ability to teach even the roughest and toughest of types how to be a little gentler, a little more mindful. To be in the man's presence changed people."
Tiso interviewed Lama Norta, a nephew of Khenpo Achos; Lama Sonam Gyamtso, a young disciple; and Lama A-chos, a dharma friend of the late Khenpo A-chos. They described the following:
A few days before Khenpo A-chos died, a rainbow appeared directly above his hut. After he died, there were dozens of rainbows in the sky. Khenpo A-chos died lying on his right side. He wasn't sick; there appeared to be nothing wrong with him, and he was reciting the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM over and over. According to the eyewitnesses, after his breath stopped his flesh became kind of pinkish. One person said it turned brilliant white. All said it started to shine.
Lama A-chos suggested wrapping his friend's body in a yellow robe, the type all Gelug monks wear. As the days passed, they maintained they could see, through the robe, that his bones and his body were shrinking. They also heard beautiful, mysterious music coming from the sky, and they smelled perfume.
After seven days, they removed the yellow cloth, and no body remained. Lama Norta and a few other individuals claimed that after his death Khenpo A-chos appeared to them in visions and dreams.
Other Rainbow Body Manifestations
Francis Tiso remarks that one of is most intriguing interviews was with Lama A-chos. He told Tiso that when he died he too would manifest the rainbow body. "He showed us two photographs taken of him in the dark, and in these photographs his body radiated rays of light."
Because Lama A-chos emphasized that it was possible to manifest the rainbow body while still alive, not just in death, Tiso plans to return to Tibet with professional camera equipment to try to photograph this radiating light.
Other incidents of metanormal occurrences upon death are also being studied. For instance, two of Tiso's colleagues, were present for the postmortem process of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who died eight years ago. "This man was a very large-boned individual," says Tiso, "and it was reported that seven weeks after his death the flesh was reduced. That could have been done by chemical substances, however, the bones also shrank."
Shrinkage of the body occurred with another guru, Lama Thubten. His miniature-sized frame is now kept in a monastery in Manali, India. Tiso has ascertained that incidents of bodies shrinking or disappearing shortly after death were documented centuries ago, such as in the classic story of Milarepa, a Buddhist saint from Tibet who lived in the 11th century. Milarepa's biography was translated into French by Jacques Bacot in 1912, and into English by Walter Evans-Wentz in the 1920s.
"In the ninth chapter of this literary classic," explains Tiso, who wrote a dissertation about the Buddhist saint, "It states that his body completely disappeared shortly after his death."
Even the earliest biographies of Milarepa, says Tiso, attest to this phenomenon. In addition, accounts exist about the great eighth-century tantric master Padmasambhava and how his body vanished.
This opportunity is present in the Nyarong region in Tibet, where several incidences of the rainbow body are said to have occurred. The research team is now studying their way of life, especially their spiritual practices.
Tiso has also obtained copies of spiritual retreat manuals, which have been particularly helpful.
Lama A-chos told Tiso that it takes sixty years of intensive practice to achieve the rainbow body. "Whether it always takes that long, I don't know," acknowledges Tiso, "but we would like to be able to incorporate, in a respectful way, some of these practices into our own Western philosophical and religious traditions."
bodily ascensions are mentioned in the Bible and other traditional texts for Enoch, Mary, Elijah, and possibly Moses. And there are numerous stories of saints materializing after their death, similar to the widespread phenomenon known as the "light-body."
Attainment of Rainbow Body
In Tibetan Buddhism there are teachings such as in the Bon tradition where the five elements of the body are being used to refine the physical body to support the state of clear awareness or meditation. Those teachings say that in turn the meditation practice transforms the physical body into the pure body. It is my understanding that when we use the body and its five elements in accord with the soul's intent of being of service and to learn the laws of creation such as the law of compassion and love, the physical body transforms to the degree that the very smell of the body becomes a fragrance. This is not to be confused with the magical appearance of beautiful fragrances which come and go and which would be called a Siddhi. What I am referring to is the result of true transmutation into pure love or compassion.
When I was traveling in India I visited several temples, which were built for enlightened Masters. What I liked about those places is the fact that they all had the peaceful vibration of enlightenment, but each of the temples had a different feeling like different fragrances. I am reminded of reading in the book "Love without End, Jesus speaks" (Ref.2) where Jesus says "Who you are is love" and "only you can love the way you love."
I have been drawn to the Tibetan Buddhist teaching of attaining Rainbow Body and truly believe that this is not only possible for select Tibetan Masters but it is the evolutionary potential of human beings as we grow into the love that we are. There is a study being conducted by the Institute of Noetic Sciences (Ref 3) by David Steindl-Rast and Father Tiso. The story is covered by the Snow Lion Newsletter (Ref 4) and it describes how at the time of death of certain highly evolved Tibetan Masters rainbows appear in the sky and that the body of the Master disappears into radiating light, often releasing a beautiful fragrance and sometimes accompanied by beautiful celestial music. Both Tiso and Steindl-Rast emphasize that these experiences are said to occur only in highly evolved individuals who are the embodiment of compassion and love. They speculate these qualities- conscience and consciousness- are a driving force of evolution.
It is my hope that the healing modalities of Sacred Transformation may be of help to those who wish to embody those qualities of conscience and compassion and want to live the purpose of the soul through their sacred embodiment.
by Sogyal Rinpoche
Throughout the advanced practices of Dzogchen, accomplished practitioners can bring their lives to an extraordinary and triumphant end. As they die, they enable their body to be reabsorbed back into the light essence of the elements that created it, and consequently their material body dissolves into light and disappears completely. {as typing this I hear the words 'dancing on the rainbow' on TV 00:41.G.}
This process is known as the "rainbow body" or "body of light", because the dissolution is often accompanied by spontaneous manifestations of light and rainbows. The ancient Tantras of Dzogchen, and the writings of the great masters, distinguish different categories of this amazing, otherworldly phenomenon, for at one time, if at least not normal, it was reasonably frequent.
.....This may be very difficult for us now to believe, but the factual history of Dzogchen lineage is full of examples of individuals who attained rainbow light body, and as Dudjom Rinpoche often used to point out, this is not just ancient history. Of the many examples, I would like to choose one of the most recent, and one of with which I have a personal connection. In 1952 there was a famous instance of the rainbow body in the East of Tibet, witnessed by many people. The man who attained it, Sonam Namgyal, was the father of my tutor and the beginning of this book.
He was a very simple, humble person, who made his way as an itinerant stone carver, carving mantras and sacred texts. Some say he had been a hunter in his youth, and had received a teaching from a great master. No one really knew he was a practitioner; he was truly called a "hidden yogin."
....he then fell ill, or seemed to, but became strangely, increasingly happy. When he illness got worse, his family called in masters and doctors. His son told him he should remember, 'Everything is illusion, but I am confident that all is well."
Just before his death at seventy-nine, he said " All I ask is that when I die, don't move my body for a week." When he died his family wrapped his body and invited Lamas and monks to come and practice for him. They placed the body in a small room in the house, and they could not help noticing that although he had been a tall person, they had no trouble getting it in, as if he were becoming smaller. At the same time, an extraodinary display of rainbow-coloured light was seen all around the house. When they looked into the room on the sixth day, they saw that the body was getting smaller and smaller. On the eight day after his death, the morning in which the funeral had been arranged, the undertakers arrived to collect the body. When they undid its coverings, they found nothing inside but his nails and hair.
My masters Jamyang Khyentse asked for these be brought to him, and verified that this was a case of the rainbow body.
Tibetan Book of Living & Dying, Rider Pub., Sogyal Rinpoche Ch.10 -p167-169
Excerpt from Golden Letters: The Three Statements of Garab Dorje
p140-141 -
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. And then, in response to the distress and lamentations of their respective chief discilples, each master remanifested himself in a sphere of rainbow light (thig-le) suspended in the sky, whereupon he delivered his last testament to his astonished disciple. Here in the 'Das-rjes collection are found the posthumous teachings, delivered in the form of a last testament, of the following masters:
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)
more from 'The Golden Letters' The Three Statements of Garab Dorje:
Rigpa integrates into the pure vision before one in space and becomes that vision. One becomes a Rainbow Body, light without shadow. This despite Jung's protestations to the contrary, occurs because the obscurations or shadow (sgrib-pa), inherited from an immemorial past, have become exhausted in the process of purification by way of practicing contemplation. The causes for obscuration have been eliminated, so no more obscurations need arise to limit awareness - this is what "omniscience" means.
The Body of Light represents a complete and total and radical transformation of one's status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself (rig-pa nyid) and is dependent on nothing else. This may be compared to the various Christian notions of transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension; but in the case of Dzogchen, the methodology of how this is accomplished, namely the realizing of the Body of Light, is presented in precise terms.
There exist in history many examples of the successful completion of this process. Even in recent years there have been a number of Tibetan Lamas, both Buddhist and Bonpo, who attained realization of the Rainbow Body ('ja-lus-pa) at the end of their lives and some of these occurences were witnessed by Chinese Communist officials.
Generally, there are three different ways in which this process may occur
1. Rainbow Body of Light ('ja'lus) is attained at the time of death by means of Trekchod practice. One's physical body is dissolved into its subatomic constituents and becomes pure radiant energy, leaving behind only hair and nails. The process generally takes seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size.
2. The Body of Light ('od-lus) is realized at the time of death by means of practice of Thodgal, as was the case with Garab Dorje.
3. The Great Transfer ('pho-ba chen po) is accomplished also by way of Thodgal, but there is no necessity of going through the process of dying. Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and the Bonpo master Taphihritsa are all examples according to tradition, of individual masters who realized the Great Transfer.
But 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) (co.uk / com
Miraculous event - 16th Karmapa
For several years, those thought to be responsible for finding the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa were apparently left without instructions. Over time this led to turmoil within the Kagyu lineage. It was assumed that those believed to be holding the mantle of Karmapa's spiritual power, Shamar Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, and Gyaltsap Rinpoche, all renowned Kagyu lamas, would shoulder the task of finding and recognizing his reincarnation. However, trouble was brewing even before the funeral of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa was over. During the cremation at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, a miraculous event occurred which is common only to the very highest of accomplished Buddhist yogis. Under a cloudless blue sky bearing a circular rainbow around the sun, Karmapa's heart rolled from the flames to the edge of the cremation stupa. It appeared as a fiery ball of electric blue-black material where, upon the advice of Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, it was retrieved. Karmapa's eyes and tongue were also found unburned by the flames and they too were saved. Traditionally, such an occurrence indicates that body, speech and mind aspects have come together to be preserved as timeless relics, imparting intense enlightened transmission and blessing to all beings in the future. Such an event also occurred during the funeral of Gampopa and the 2nd Karmapa.
Those who witnessed the 16th Karmapa's cremation, saw the heart come out to the spot where Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, Drongu Nondrub, Namkai Dorje, Kurt Nubling and Khenpo Chodrak Rinpoche, among others, were stationed. Many people were therefore quite surprised that Tai Situ Rinpoche proclaimed at a meeting after the cremation, that the heart had "fallen in his lap." Later, in 1992, such a claim became the basis Situ Rinpoche gave as to why he was the one person with the authority to recognize the reincarnation of the 17th Karmapa. Situ Rinpoche had in fact taken the heart from those who had retrieved it and took it to his own room after the cremation. Later, many gold and silver pearls, Buddha images and other precious substances were also found among Karmapa's relics. Since then a fantastic golden stupa has been built to contain Karmapa's heart, which is kept at Rumtek monastery.
1981 Taking Leave of Karmapa In July 1981 Karmapa began the reconstruction of temples and meditation centers. He had thousands of Dharma texts printed and distributed, among these 500 copies of the Dege-edition of the Kanjur. Even during the last months of his life he worked hard to spread the Dharma. He died in the USA in a hospital in Zion near Chicago on November 5th, 1981, at 8:30 p.m. local time. His death was a last teaching on impermanence for everybody present, and indeed for all of us. As death approached, he had taken a half-dozen deadly diseases upon himself. Using his yogic power, he removed much of their harmfulness, at least for those in his powerfield. He also allowed the physicians to test their medicines on him. Some of their findings were amazing: even the highest doses of sedatives had absolutely no effect on him. He cared for their well-being and never talked about himself. On the evening of November 5th, the day of Liberatrice, the doctors had routinely entered his room. Seeing that his machines had apparently turned themselves off, all had the same thought, "He's playing a joke on us." At the very moment, they started up again, worked for five minutes and then stopped completely.
The next morning, when the staff wanted to remove his body from the bed, the lineage holders asked if all signs of death were present. They were not. Karmapa's body was still warm and supple, and especially his heart center was so hot that one could feel it at a good distance. This is how he stayed. On November 9th, a helicopter landed at the military airport, on the other side from Rumtek of the large Sikkim valley. A line of cars left the airport, and about an hour later Karmapa arrived at Rumtek on a Mercedes truck. All four lineage holders sat next to the driver on its narrow seat. Karmapa's body was put into a concentric structure - a mandala - in the upstairs hall in the Rumtek monastery. The cremation took place one and a half months later. Instead of falling apart during the forty-five days, Karmapa had shrunk and was now sitting in a two-foot high box, which had a window so one could see inside. A thin veil covered his face, which was of a deep grey hue and somewhat shrunken. The rest of the formerly powerful man was the size of a small child. After the "Diamond Songs of the Kagyu Masters" was read, and a meditation on the eight Karmapa, the box was carried outside and inserted into a recently built clay stupa on the monastery's roof terrace. Then a monk who had never had any contact with this Karmapa and was called upon to light the masses of dry sandalwood underneath the stupa.
Yin/Yang Balance and Cellular consciousness
The balance between Yin and Yang can be observed on many levels. The body needs to be understood as a holographic reality as opposed to a chemical matter based object as it is most often viewed by allopathic medicine. Modern researchers have confirmed the holographic nature of the body. Prof. Fritz Albert Popp, a german Nobel Prize winner in physics, investigated the relationship between coherence and the biophoton energy in our cells. He was able to prove that living cells emit and absorb light. A healthy cell emits coherent light and an unhealthy cell emits chaotic light. He also observed that the storage time of light is relative to the quality of the cell. He also discovered that the dying process of a cell is identical to that of a star. Shortly before its death, it will turn into a supernova, whereby its radiation increases a thousand-fold. According to Popp the most basic sub-molecular component of our body is made up of particles of light called biophotons. These biophotons make up the electromagnetic frequency patterns that are found in all living organisms. This matrix or field of frequency oscillations provides the energetics behind all cellular function, including DNA/RNA interaction. Cell membranes scan and convert signals into electromagnetic information as proteins within the cell's bi-layer change shape to vibrations of specific resonant frequencies.
A lack of coherency of the body's electromagnetic energy system leads to a breakdown in the body's self-healing mechanisms. Our thoughts and emotions are also frequency patterns and have a direct relationship on our energy field, health and our physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Dzogchen, sanskrit: Mahasanti, translated as the great perfection is a teaching originated from India, by a mahasiddha named Prahevajra (tib. Garab Dorje) who received it through visionary clarity from the sambogakaya (Vajrasattva). Dzogchen is a condition of knowledge, not a religion which is based on human tradition. Dzogchen can be adapted to any religion, as it is the summit of all knowledge, and goal of all yana (vehicles) and religions.
According to Professor Namkhai Norbu:
"...Dzogchen cannot be regarded as a religion, and does not ask anyone to believe in anything. Rather, it suggests that the individual observe him or herself, and discover what their actual condition is...Our minds are generally very complicated and confused, and even when we want to stay calm, we may find we can't, because our nervous and agitated energy won't allow us to. So to deal with these problems of body, voice and mind, the Dzogchen teachings present practices that work with each of these three levels of the individual, practices that can be integrated with the individual's daily life and which can thus change our whole life experience from one of tension and confusion to one of wisdom and true freedom." (Namkhai Norbu, The Crystal and the Way of Light : Sutra Tantra and Dzogchen, pp11-12)
"The Dzogchen teachings are neither philosophy, nor a religious doctrine, nor a cultural tradition. Understanding the message of the teachings means discovering one's own true condition..." (Chogyal Namkhai Norbu)
Dzogchen is an ancient Buddhist spiritual tradition developed in India and Tibet. In Dzogchen, the primordial enlightened state of being is seen not as something to be constructed or gained, but rather as our inherent nature and potential. A teacher of sufficient capacity is needed to explain, introduce and transmit the Dzogchen teachings. Practitioners of Dzogchen endeavor to develop awareness and integrate the teachings into their daily lives by discovering through practice their own inherent Primordial State.
Dzogchen cannot be counted as a religious or philosophical tradition, but is a non-intellectual knowledge, which the masters have transmitted beyond any limitations of school or sect. Because its meaning does not depend on cultural specifics, it can be understood and practiced in any spiritual context.
In Tibet, Dzogchen has existed and still lives in both the Buddhist tradition and that of Bön, the indigenous pre- Buddhist religion. In the Buddhist tradition, the origins of the Dzogchen teaching is attributed to twelve primordial masters who lived in ancient times. The Dzogchen teachings of our era that are associated with Tibetan Buddhism were first expounded more than two thousand years ago by master Garab Dorje. He was born in the land of Oddiyana, an ancient kingdom sometimes identified with the valley of Swat in Pakistan.
In the eighth century of our era, great masters such as Vairochana, Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava brought the Teaching transmitted by Garab Dorje to Tibet. The first diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet occurred in that period. There was a large-scale translation of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan as well as the text of Dzogchen from the language of Oddiyana.
In Bön, the introduction of Dzogchen is ascribed to the great master Shenrab Miwoche, who transmitted this knowledge as part of a tradition widespread in the ancient Shang Shung realm, located in what is now western Tibet.
Today Dzogchen is taught in the Nyungmapa lineage of Tibetan Dzogchen Buddhism and in the Bön tradition. Now thanks to the tireless efforts of Tibetan masters such as Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, the precious Dzogchen teachings are spreading throughout the world.
The teachings of the pinnacle of the enlightenment paths of the Nyingma is the Great Perfection. Dzogchen is also universal, transcending any religion or philosophy, including Buddhism. Until recently the teachings were kept secret, and not discussed with students who had not completed their Foundational Practices and some practice of the Indestructible Way. The great masters of the lineage have decided that since the Great Perfection is particularly well suited to the needs of people today, they can be more open about the Dzogchen view. Lama Tharchin Rinpoche said recently that, after a great deal of thought about it, he has decided that since Dzogchen is entirely positive, talking about it can be only positive as well.
The view of the Great Perfection is that everything has as its fundamental nature primordial purity. This primordial base of all, is completely empty and has three aspects; essence, nature and movement/energy. There are many subtle and profound Dzogchen meditations, which are not a dull kind of tranquility meditation, but do involve resting the mind. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche writes "by distinguishing the intrinsic awareness, the Buddha essence, from the mind, one remains in the openess of self-arisen intrinsic awareness itself, without mental fabrication or elaborations." Most Dzogchen spiritual mentors believe that people need to practice the Foundational Practices and tantra in order to prepare their mind from the subtle instructions and transmissions of Dzogchen, but that we can benefit from learning about it's vast view from the start.
There many books and web pages on the Great Perfection available publicly today by such notable lamas as Nyoshul Khenpo, H.H. the Dalai Lama, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, and even the classical core texts of the ancient Dzogchen tantras, and the commentaries on those tantras by Longchen Rabjam, the greatest Great Perfection scholar. That being so, the sublime practice of the genuine Great Perfection must be practiced in the context of an established relationship with a spiritual mentor that one completely trusts for it to accomplish the goal of Buddhahood.
Samadhi may refer to any one of a number of meditative states or trance.
^ Sambhogakaya or “enjoyment body” is constituted entirely of light. The sambhogakaya manifestation of various buddha is often visualized in tantric and sutric sadhana. In Dzogchen, the mystery of the dharmakaya manifestation is visualised such as Yab-yum Samantabadra~Samantabadri.
[edit] References
Mahayana Secret Sublime Sutra (大乘密嚴經, Taisho Tripitaka 0681, 0682)
The Scripture of Forty-nine Chapters, by Ultra Supreme Emptiness Emperor, the Heavenly Lord (太上虛皇天尊四十九章經), in the "Orthodox Tao Store" (正統道藏) compiled during Ming Dynasty (AD 1368 – 1644)
A Poem that Enlightens Those Who Get Lost and Rectifies the Way to Tao (破迷正道歌) by Taoist master Tzong Ley Kyun during Torng Dynasty (AD 617 – 960)
"The Great Dictionary of Taoism"(道教大辭典), by Chinese Taoism Association, published in China in 1994, ISBN 7-5080-0112-5/B.054
Norbu, Chögyal Namkhai Rinpoche (Edited by John Shane) (1988). The Crystal and the Way of Light.. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0140190848
Norbu, Chögyal Namkhai (1999). The Crystal and The Way of Light: Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-135-9
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (2002). Healing with Form, Energy, and Light. Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1559391766
Rinpoche, Sogyal; Harvey, Andrew (Editor) & Gaffney, Patrick (Editor)(1993). Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. (Rev and Updated ed.). HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 9780062508348 ISBN 0062508342
Reynolds, John Myrdhin (1996). The Golden Letters. (1st ed edition). Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1559390506 ISBN 978-1559390507
Blackman, Sushila (Compiled and edited) (1997). Graceful Exits: How Great Beings Die: Death Stories Of Tibetan, Hindu & Zen Masters. New York, US: Weatherhill, Inc. ISBN 0 8348 0391 7
