Product Description

From Wisdom's acclaimed Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism series, researcher and scholar Sam van Schaik introduces the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, looking closely at its practice of Dzogchen—and one of Dzogchen's seminal figures, Jigme Lingpa—to make an extensive analysis of a core tension within Buddhism: does enlightenment develop gradually, or does it come all at once?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #621574 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Customer Reviews

Fine analysis; great translations of Lingpa's Termas/works
This is a wonderful (fairly advanced) book, on Dzogchen with considerable material on Mahamudra woven in (see below). It addresses Jigme Lingpa's "Longchen Nyingtig" cycle of Termas (Treasure Texts) including discovered texts, texts resulting from "pure visions" of 14th century Dzogchen master Longchenpa while Jigme Lingpa (18th century) was in retreat, and supporting texts authored by Jigme Lingpa. All but one of these texts has been included in both English and Tibetan. Van Schaik's introductory material focuses upon certain main themes: simultaneous vs. gradual approaches to Dzogchen (the Treasure Texts focus mostly on the former and the Supporting Texts mainly on the latter), the relationship of Jigme Lingpa to his contemporaries and with Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism) vs. Dzogchen vs. Mahamudra. His emphasis on gradualist approaches is explained as a practical approach and he attempts to reconcile the two. I don't think Lingpa totally succeeds in this, however. By taking a gradualist approach, he incorporates much basic Vajrayana material (including extensive preliminary practices) which are, at least on the surface, antithetical to the Dzogchen view (being dualistic, for example). He also uses the Mahamudra 12 stage descriptive process and provides parallels with other systems (e.g. the Prajnaparamita or Perfection of Wisdom sutras). The dichotomy between simultaneous and gradual parallels that between immanence (Buddha nature) & distinction (transcendence)-a situation not unlike that of the theistic Western religions. While Jigme Lingpa relies considerably upon his discarnate master Longchenpa (many quotes are provided), his emphasis upon Vajrayana practices goes way beyond, IMHO, that of Longchenpa (Longchen Rabjam)-as discussed by van Schaik.

Van Schaik has done us a great service in providing translations of these texts. The Termas include discussions of the mind vs. mind itself, wisdom/gnosis vs. emptiness (not the same), and use of symbols (p. 137: "the host of male and female bodhisattvas who are the pure senses, sense objects, and times"). The pure visions somewhat parallel the Termas (p. 168: "The original general ground is a state like the sky; the ground's manifestation, gnosis, is like clouds dispersing in the sky"). The supporting texts include a number of wonderful quotes for my collection such as:
pp. 209-10: "having distinguished between reflexive awareness (which is all-penetrating primordial wisdom) and mind (which is nescient conceptualization and delusive forms), you should maintain freedom from limits in the state of the vast spacious expanse of gnosis, without following after it. Through this, the imprints of the conceptual mind are purified, and errors and straying are cut off."
p. 236: "The agent of the recognition of thoughts and emotions should be put to one side without giving him any importance like the unconcerned disinterest of an old man watching a child at play."
p. 237: "Appearances, emptiness, and union are just words, names, and terms."
p. 238: "Even this Vajra song is like the play of optical illusions."

In summary, this is a book for the serious Dzogchen student to keep as reference.

A must have
This book is a miles stone for the western understanding of the Longchen Nyingtig. The collection translated here is the entire Trechod section from the Longchen Nyingtig, though it does not include the Yeshe Lama which is the instruction manual for the Dzochen section. The Yeshe Lama has been translated as a restricted text and those who are seious about practice can find that translation else where.
What we have here is really a great first translation of very profound texts, truely heartdrops. My only problem with the traslations them selves is that tibetan words that have been standard for the seious student has been given western terms which I feel add confusion and is some cases become a distraction, for example the use of the word Gnosis over the term Rigpa.
Overall though this is really something amazing and should be purchased by anybody who is seious about the Nyingma trandition or Dzogchen. There is alot to work with in these translations!