Approaching the Great Perfection... | Buy

Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, is the highest meditative practice of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Approaching the Great Perfection looks at a seminal figure of this lineage, Jigme Lingpa, an eighteenth-century scholar and meditation master whose cycle of teachings, the Longchen Nyingtig, has been handed down through generations as a complete path to enlightenment. Ten of Jigme Lingpa's texts are presented here, along with extensive analysis by van Schaik of a core tension within Buddhism: Does enlightenment develop gradually, or does it come all at once? Though these two positions are often portrayed by modern scholars as entrenched polemical views, van Schaik explains that both tendencies are present within each of the Tibetan Buddhist schools. He demonstrates how Jigme Lingpa is a great illustration of this balancing act, using the rhetoric of both sides to propel his students along the path of the Great Perfection.

Sam van Schaik received his Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhist Literature from the University of Manchester, England. He currently works at the British Library's International Dunhuang Project in London, researching early Tibetan manuscripts

Preface

xi

List of Abbreviations

xv

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1

(48)

Chapter One: Approaches to Enlightenment

3

(18)

1. The Great Perfection

3

(8)

2. Simultaneous and Gradual

11

(10)

Chapter Two: Jigme Lingpa

21

(10)

1. The Life and Education of Jigme Lingpa

21

(4)

2. Jigme Lingpa's Works

25

(6)

Chapter Three: The Longchen Nyingtig

31

(18)

1. Treasure Texts

31

(3)

2. Revelation, Writing, and Publishing

34

(6)

3. The Contents of the Longchen Nyingtig

40

(9)

PART II: SIMULTANEOUS AND GRADUAL

49

(84)

Chapter Four: Immanence and Distinction

51

(20)

1. Key Concepts of the Seminal Heart

51

(3)

2. Immanence

54

(2)

3. Distinction

56

(7)

4. Reconciling Immanence with Distinction: The Buddha Nature

63

(8)

Chapter Five: The Simultaneous Approach

71

(22)

1. Criticism of Causal Practice

71

(5)

2. Criticism of Inferior Approaches

76

(15)

3. The Rejection of Stages in Realization

91

(2)

Chapter Six: The Gradual Approach

93

(22)

1. Graduated Practice within the Longchen Nyingtig

93

(13)

2. Levels of Realization

106

(9)

Chapter Seven: Interpretation and Reconciliation

115

(14)

1. Simultaneous and Gradual Realization: The Levels of Ability

115

(9)

2. The Manifestation of Enlightenment: The Khyung Bird

124

(5)

Chapter Eight: Conclusions

129

(4)

PART III: TRANSLATIONS

133

(106)

Technical note on the translations

135

(2)

Treasure Texts

1. The Great Perfection Tantra of the Expanse of Samantabhadra's Wisdom (YLG)

137

(11)

2. The Subsequent Tantra of Great Perfection Instruction (GP)

148

(7)

3. Experiencing the Enlightened Mind of Samantabhadra (KGN)

155

(7)

4. Distinguishing the Three Essential Points of the Great Perfection (NSB)

162

(5)

Pure Visions

5. An Aspirational Prayer for the Ground, Path, and Result (ML)

167

(3)

6. Vajra Verses on the Natural State (DTK)

170

(3)

Supporting Texts

7. The White Lotus (PK)

173

(35)

8. The Words of the Omniscient One (KZL)

208

(17)

9. The Lion's Roar That Destroys the Deviations of Renunciants Meditating on the Seminal Heart (SN)

225

(10)

10. Seeing Nakedly the Natural State of the Great Perfection (NCT)

235

(4)

PART IV: CRITICAL EDITIONS

239

(72)

Technical note on the critical editions

241

(70)

1. rDzogs pa chen po kun tu bzang po ye shes klong gi rgyud

243

(8)

2. Man ngag rdzogs pa chen po rgyud phyi ma

251

(4)

3. Kun tu bzang po'i dgongs nyams

255

(4)

4. rDzogs pa chen po'i gnad gsum shah byed

259

(2)

5. gZhi lam bras bu'i smon lam

261

(2)

6. gNas lugs rdo rje tshig rkang

263

(1)

7. rGyab brten padma dkar po

264

(24)

8. Kun mkhyen zhal lung

288

(12)

9. Gol shot tshar gcod seng ge ngar ro

300

(7)

10. rDzogs pa chen po gnas lugs cer mthong

307

(4)

APPENDIX I: The Structure of the Yeshe Lama (YL)

311

(8)

APPENDIX II: Concordance of Common Words Relating to Mind and Mental Events

319

(2)

APPENDIX III: List of Tibetan Proper Names

321

(4)

Notes

325

(42)

Bibliography

367

(16)

Index

383

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