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Dzokchen: A Commentary on Dudjom Rinpoché's "Illumination of Primordial Wisdom"
Pith Instructions for Realizing the Great Perfection, from One of the Greatest Tibetan Yogis of the Twentieth Century.
In the concise yet comprehensive practice manual entitled The Illumination of Primordial Consciousness, the great twentieth-century Tibetan Nyingma master Dudjom Rinpoche lays out a sequential path to spiritual freedom according to the teachings of the Great Perfection (Dzokchen): First, we refine our awareness by training in meditative quiescence (shamatha) and then proceed to the cultivation of contemplative insight (vipashyana), by which our mind’s basic nature of luminosity and emptiness is revealed. Then, having recognized that the ordinary, deluded mind is actually without any intrinsic essence, we are primed to cut through this conditioned mind into unborn, timeless pristine awareness, which has never been contaminated by mental afflictions or other obscurations. Finally, we realize that our own awareness has never been other than the dharmakaya, the mind of a buddha, and perfect enlightenment is realized spontaneously and effortlessly.
In this book, beloved teacher and renowned scholar Lama B. Alan Wallace shares insights gained over years of study, providing a line-by-line explanation interspersed with background teachings from revered Dzokchen scriptures written by Padmasambhava, Dudjom Lingpa, and others. Also included are a set of fifteen guided meditations given by Lama Alan, along with links to audio tracks of Lama Alan giving the instructions himself. Through the practices he describes, the mystery of the mind—its origin and what happens to it at death–is thus illuminated through one’s own meditative experience.
In the concise yet comprehensive practice manual entitled The Illumination of Primordial Consciousness, the great twentieth-century Tibetan Nyingma master Dudjom Rinpoche lays out a sequential path to spiritual freedom according to the teachings of the Great Perfection (Dzokchen): First, we refine our awareness by training in meditative quiescence (shamatha) and then proceed to the cultivation of contemplative insight (vipashyana), by which our mind’s basic nature of luminosity and emptiness is revealed. Then, having recognized that the ordinary, deluded mind is actually without any intrinsic essence, we are primed to cut through this conditioned mind into unborn, timeless pristine awareness, which has never been contaminated by mental afflictions or other obscurations. Finally, we realize that our own awareness has never been other than the dharmakaya, the mind of a buddha, and perfect enlightenment is realized spontaneously and effortlessly.
In this book, beloved teacher and renowned scholar Lama B. Alan Wallace shares insights gained over years of study, providing a line-by-line explanation interspersed with background teachings from revered Dzokchen scriptures written by Padmasambhava, Dudjom Lingpa, and others. Also included are a set of fifteen guided meditations given by Lama Alan, along with links to audio tracks of Lama Alan giving the instructions himself. Through the practices he describes, the mystery of the mind—its origin and what happens to it at death–is thus illuminated through one’s own meditative experience.
- GenresBuddhism
435 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2024
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December 14, 2024
Alan Wallace is on a mission to not only spread the Buddhadharma but to present it in a way that sticks in the West. It’s an experiential based traditional orthodox approach (unlike the more modern, secular, synthetic and radical approaches), and in this way may feel a bit restrictive to someone who wants to adapt the dharma to their life, but at the same time can be a touchstone to the authentic source (especially for those who really want to integrate it into their life, in other words, adapt their life to the dharma!).
This book is the latest in a whole line of such publications (by Wallace and many others) to use the touchstone of a simple and concise root text (in this case a Dzokrim - completion stage - one by the 20th century Tibetan master Dudjom Rinpoche) as the basis for a much expanded lam rim - gradual stages - teaching.
As such the material isn’t unique, but how it is presented is the next level of refinement of skill, by both the author/translator as well as the publishing house; in other words it’s a quality production, and in that way it’s a pleasure to read even if you’re already familiar with the material, and will be a wonderful introduction for those new to it.
Overall this is a very thorough and focused and encouraging presentation on doing what it takes to gain and stabilize a recognition of pristine awareness (rikpa).
For a taste of Wallace’s precise and thorough approach:
“Note that in Dzokchen practice, there are many preliminaries, and these preliminaries are not finished until you are perfectly enlightened. As you devote yourself to and immerse yourself in this straight, unelaborated path of samatha, vipasyana, and tekcho, there is one utterly indispensable and complimentary practice that will enrich, adorn, support, sustain and empower your practice: guru yoga. This is the relationship with a guru that is indispensably rooted in a clear understanding, and preferably some realization, of the emptiness of inherent nature of yourself. You are not intrinsically a sentient being and never actually came into existence as a sentient being - it is all delusive appearance.” (p. 36)
This book is the latest in a whole line of such publications (by Wallace and many others) to use the touchstone of a simple and concise root text (in this case a Dzokrim - completion stage - one by the 20th century Tibetan master Dudjom Rinpoche) as the basis for a much expanded lam rim - gradual stages - teaching.
As such the material isn’t unique, but how it is presented is the next level of refinement of skill, by both the author/translator as well as the publishing house; in other words it’s a quality production, and in that way it’s a pleasure to read even if you’re already familiar with the material, and will be a wonderful introduction for those new to it.
Overall this is a very thorough and focused and encouraging presentation on doing what it takes to gain and stabilize a recognition of pristine awareness (rikpa).
For a taste of Wallace’s precise and thorough approach:
“Note that in Dzokchen practice, there are many preliminaries, and these preliminaries are not finished until you are perfectly enlightened. As you devote yourself to and immerse yourself in this straight, unelaborated path of samatha, vipasyana, and tekcho, there is one utterly indispensable and complimentary practice that will enrich, adorn, support, sustain and empower your practice: guru yoga. This is the relationship with a guru that is indispensably rooted in a clear understanding, and preferably some realization, of the emptiness of inherent nature of yourself. You are not intrinsically a sentient being and never actually came into existence as a sentient being - it is all delusive appearance.” (p. 36)
Displaying 1 of 1 review