Mahamudra and Dzogchen

General forum on the teachings of all schools of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Topics specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Post by Malcolm »

haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:16 pm
Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:43 pm
haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:12 pm
Agree!

Actually, I have a doubt on this statement:"The basis of purification of Dzogchen is pristine consciousness."

If something that is pure and perfect from very beginning, what is there one purifies?
You can doubt the statement, but it is a statement made by the great Lamdre exegete Dezhung Ajam, who also studied Dzogchen under Adzom Drukpa. To answer your question, temporary afflictions are purified, in the same way impurities in gold ore are separated from the gold. Lamdre by contrast transforms the aggregates into the Buddha families etc., like the example of the philosopher stone transforming base metal into gold.
I cannot tell anything about whom I don’t know, (Dezhung Ajam).

If I remember Lamdre correctly, there are purifications of past, present and future life and intermediate stage in development stage, and one actually understands real lamdre view in completion stage.

In dzogchen, if the student has authentic realization of view, then he stabilizes it instead of purifying anything. There is nothing to purify in pristine awareness. If I am wrong, I will be happy to be corrected.
If what you understand is correct there is no need for thogal and Dzogchen is no different than chan. However, what you say is not true because trekcho is related to the basis, not the path.

Trekco is knowing that there is pure gold in ore, thogal is refining the gold from the ore.
haha
Posts: 562
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 3:30 pm

Re: Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Post by haha »

Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:23 pm
haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:16 pm
Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:43 pm

You can doubt the statement, but it is a statement made by the great Lamdre exegete Dezhung Ajam, who also studied Dzogchen under Adzom Drukpa. To answer your question, temporary afflictions are purified, in the same way impurities in gold ore are separated from the gold. Lamdre by contrast transforms the aggregates into the Buddha families etc., like the example of the philosopher stone transforming base metal into gold.
I cannot tell anything about whom I don’t know, (Dezhung Ajam).

If I remember Lamdre correctly, there are purifications of past, present and future life and intermediate stage in development stage, and one actually understands real lamdre view in completion stage.

In dzogchen, if the student has authentic realization of view, then he stabilizes it instead of purifying anything. There is nothing to purify in pristine awareness. If I am wrong, I will be happy to be corrected.
If what you understand is correct there is no need for thogal and Dzogchen is no different than chan. However, what you say is not true because trekcho is related to the basis, not the path.

Trekco is knowing that there is pure gold in ore, thogal is refining the gold from the ore.
If it is the case, then thogal is like purification. Am I correct?
Malcolm
Posts: 42974
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:19 am

Re: Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Post by Malcolm »

haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:33 pm
Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:23 pm
haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:16 pm

I cannot tell anything about whom I don’t know, (Dezhung Ajam).

If I remember Lamdre correctly, there are purifications of past, present and future life and intermediate stage in development stage, and one actually understands real lamdre view in completion stage.

In dzogchen, if the student has authentic realization of view, then he stabilizes it instead of purifying anything. There is nothing to purify in pristine awareness. If I am wrong, I will be happy to be corrected.
If what you understand is correct there is no need for thogal and Dzogchen is no different than chan. However, what you say is not true because trekcho is related to the basis, not the path.

Trekco is knowing that there is pure gold in ore, thogal is refining the gold from the ore.
If it is the case, then thogal is like purification. Am I correct?
Yes, this why in general it held one cannot attain rainbow from trekco alone
haha
Posts: 562
Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 3:30 pm

Re: Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Post by haha »

Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:46 pm
haha wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:33 pm
Malcolm wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 7:23 pm

If what you understand is correct there is no need for thogal and Dzogchen is no different than chan. However, what you say is not true because trekcho is related to the basis, not the path.

Trekco is knowing that there is pure gold in ore, thogal is refining the gold from the ore.
If it is the case, then thogal is like purification. Am I correct?
Yes, this why in general it held one cannot attain rainbow from trekco alone
Ok, thanks.
Punya
Posts: 1437
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:50 pm

Re: Mahamudra and Dzogchen

Post by Punya »

Matt J wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:12 pm Personally, I find Mahamudra MUCH easier to work with than Dzogchen. Dzogchen is like being thrown into the deep end of the pool. Mahamudra can be much more step-by-step. I also find that a continuing study of Madhyamaka has been extremely useful.
So does anyone else, who has experience of both systems, agree with Matt? I notice that Tergar currently offers both Mahamudra and Dzogchen study and practice programs. Assuming you could meet the entry criteria, what factors would you consider in deciding which program to follow? If you were unsure, would it be useful to do both and see which resonates? I know that this doesn't matter if you have already connected with the teacher in a particular tradition, but what if you had both options?
We abide nowhere. We possess nothing.
~Chatral Rinpoche
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