Dzogchen Primer (eBook)

eBook Download: EPUB

2002 | 1. Auflage
336 Seiten
Shambhala (Verlag)
978-0-8348-2387-7 (ISBN)

Infos

TheTibetan Buddhist meditation practice known as Dzogchen(pronounced ZOG-chen) is a practical method for accessing the pristine, clearawareness that lies beneath the chatter and confusion of our daily thoughts. TheDzogchen Primerprovides the keys for understanding Dzogchen and putting it into practice.

MarciaSchmidt, a long-time Buddhist practitioner, has gathered here the mostaccessible, down-to-earth writings published on this subject and has organizedthem into a study guide for the serious beginner on the Buddhist path. Thecollection includes writings from such well-known and venerable masters asMilarepa, Padmasambhava, Shantideva, Chgyam Trungpa, and Tulku Urgyen.

Theconcept of Dzogchen is said to lie beyond the confines of our beliefs, ourintellectual constructs, our ordinary understanding. A Dzogchen master writes,'We need to dismantle our fixation on the permanence of what weexperience. A normal person clings to his experiences as being 'real,'concrete, and permanent. But if we look closely at what happens, experience issimply experience, and it is not made out of anything. It has no form, nosound, no color, no taste, no texture, it is simply empty cognizance.'

TheDzogchen Primerincludes an informative editor's preface as well as two forewords by prominentTibetan masters that provide fundamental background information that will behelpful to readers new to this subject. The book also includes short,descriptive guiding notes intended to assist both independent students andteachers leading workshops.

---

The Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice known as Dzogchen (pronounced ZOG-chen) is a practical method for accessing the pristine, clear awareness that lies beneath the chatter and confusion of our daily thoughts. The Dzogchen Primer provides the keys for understanding Dzogchen and putting it into practice. Marcia Schmidt, a long-time Buddhist practitioner, has gathered here the most accessible, down-to-earth writings published on this subject and has organized them into a study guide for the serious beginner on the Buddhist path. The collection includes writings from such well-known and venerable masters as Milarepa, Padmasambhava, Shantideva, Chögyam Trungpa, and Tulku Urgyen. The concept of Dzogchen is said to lie beyond the confines of our beliefs, our intellectual constructs, our ordinary understanding. A Dzogchen master writes, "e;We need to dismantle our fixation on the permanence of what we experience. A normal person clings to his experiences as being 'real,' concrete, and permanent. But if we look closely at what happens, experience is simply experience, and it is not made out of anything. It has no form, no sound, no color, no taste, no texture; it is simply empty cognizance."e; The Dzogchen Primer includes an informative editor's preface as well as two forewords by prominent Tibetan masters that provide fundamental background information that will be helpful to readers new to this subject. The book also includes short, descriptive guiding notes intended to assist both independent students and teachers leading workshops.

Textauszug

Fromthe Preface

TheDzogchen Primer offersa joyful way to access the traditional principles of Tibetan Buddhism. It is aguidebook on how to study, contemplate, and meditate in a supportiveenvironment abundant in rich material and practices. Here is a definitive mapshowing where practitioners of this path are going and how to get there. ThePrimer includesthe basics for proper understanding and practice—,a source anyone on this pathcan turn to for guidance.

Thesedays there is a strong interest in the Vajrayana, especially the Dzogchen andMahamudra teachings. As Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche says, 'During this age, theVajrayana teachings blaze like the flames of a wildfire. Just as the flames ofnegative emotions flare up, so do the teachings. During the Age of Strife, itseems as though people are seldom amiable, rather, they are always trying tooutdo one another. This fundamental competitiveness has given rise to the nameAge of Strife. But this is exactly the reason that Vajrayana is so applicableto the present era. The stronger and more forceful the disturbing emotions are,the greater the potential for recognizing our original wakefulness. Thus, thevast amount of conflict in the world today is precisely why the Vajrayanateachings will spread like wildfire.'

The Primer providesa much-needed corrective to the many misconceptions and wrong views beingpromoted about Dzogchen—,and there are many. One of the most serious obstaclesthat can confront practitioners is the entertainment of wrong views. Unless westudy, we will not know how to differentiate between what is correct and whatis incorrect. Study does not have to mean the extensive program of a Tibetan shedra.Here,study is presented in the kusulufashion,the style of a simple meditator.

'Thecausal and resultant vehicles—,Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana—,differ inwhat they regard as path. In particular, to actually apply Vajrayana inpractice, there are three different approaches: taking the ground as path,taking the path as path, and taking the fruition as path. These threeapproaches can be understood by using the analogy of a gardener or farmer.Taking the ground or cause as path is like tilling soil and sowing seeds.Taking the path as path is like weeding, watering, fertilizing, and coaxingcrops forth. Taking the fruition as path is the attitude of simply picking theripened fruit or the fully bloomed flowers. To do this, to take the completeresult, the state of enlightenment itself, as the path, is the approach ofDzogchen. This summarizes the intent of the Great Perfection.'

So,here we are, practitioners in the Age of Strife, replete with inner and outerconflicts, who are described further as being extremely sharp but extremelylazy. It is only natural that we, materialistic seekers of objects of highquality, would be drawn to the pinnacle of vehicles. Lacking in diligence, weare attracted to what is the least complex and most unelaborated.

Unfortunately,gaining the right understanding is not that easy. It is extremely important notto oversimplify and lose sight of the true meaning. Although Padmasambhava gaveus these custom-made teachings, designated for our particular times andtemperament (the beauty of Hidden Treasures), we need the proper conditions toconnect with them. These include the presence of a fully realized teacher andqualified lineage holder, as well as our own circumstances of being born at theright time and place with the right frame of mind.

Theright frame of mind means that we trust and appreciate the teachings and theteachers and have devotion and pure...

Produkt-Details

• Mitarbeit: Zusammenstellung: Marcia Binder Schmidt
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Buddhismus
• ISBN-10: 0-8348-2387-X / 083482387X
• ISBN-13: 978-0-8348-2387-7 / 9780834823877