ATIYOGA & DZOGCHEN
The traditional view is that Atiyoga was transmitted mind to mind at the very beginning of time by Adibuddha, the Primordial Buddha Samantabhadra (Kun tu bzang-po) the Dharmakaya aspect of Buddha, to Vajrasattva (rdo rje sems dpa).
This miraculously caused the
teachings to emerge from the unmanifest Dharmakaya into the Sambhogakaya, but
in a state of total purity unsullied by imperfections and unconstrained from
any limitations.
Vajrasattva communicated the precepts through symbolic means
to human and other beings who were ‘vidyadharas' (rig-‘dzin), "those who
have realised knowledge of the Primordial State".
Among the non-human
Vidyadharas was Garab Dorje in a previous incarnation as a deva. Garab Dorje
was miraculously born to a virgin nun in Öddiyana.
He transmitted these symbolic
teachings to both human and non-human dhakinis but especially to his disciple
Manjushrimitra.
In turn Manjushrimitra transmitted the precepts to Shrisimha
who passed them on to Jnanasutra, Vimalimitra, Padmasambhava and Vairochana,
the translator.
These were the oral transmissions (gang-zag snyan brgyud).
Transmission of Ati Yoga precepts is of three types: direct, symbolic and oral.
Called
dzogchen, ati-yoga yana, upadesha, mahasandhi or shintu-naljor thegpa, this
vehicle has three series of teachings, comprising of Dzogchen sem-dé, Dzogchen
long-dé and Dzogchen men-ngak-dé.
The sem-dé and long-dé series entered Tibet
from India in the tenth century, but neither have been widely taught nor have
they survived as living traditions in the better known Nyingma lineages.
Practice of sem-dé and long-dé declined after the eleventh century.
Men-ngak-dé
was introduced later, from the twelfth century, and flourished to the present
day.
Men-ngak-dé is now the main teaching and practice of Dzogchen taught in
the major Nyingma lineages.
The
three series of Dzogchen equate with the three statements of Garab Dorje, the
Tsig Sum Né-dek - 'Hitting the essence in three points'
These three points are:
direct introduction, remaining without doubt, and continuing in the state.
Sem-dé is related to direct introduction.
Long-dé is related to remaining
without doubt.
Men-ngak-dé is related to continuing in the state.
Sem-dé means the series of the nature of Mind (with a capital 'M').
It is the
series of Dzogchen with the most detailed transmission through explanation.
Sem-dé equates to direct introduction.
It offers explanations as direct
introduction and offers methods in terms of direct introduction.
Long-dé, relates to remaining without doubt, and has much less explanation within it than Sem-dé.
It bases itself on the fact that one has already had
direct introduction and concerns itself with remaining without doubt.
It
concerns methods of returning to the state of rigpa through the felt texture of
subtle sensation, in which one remains without doubt.
Doubt is an experience.
Being free of doubt is also an experience; it's a state in itself.
Long-dé is
concerned with sensation, experiential sensation.
Presence of awareness is
found in the dimension of sensation.
In many different teachings of the Long-dé
there are particular postures using belts and sticks (gom-tag and gom-shing or
gom-ten) and supports of various kinds that have the function of pressing on
certain pressure points.
These pressure points are used to cultivate sensation,
in which one finds the presence of awareness.
sKu-mNyé is another similar
method.
It utilises sensation by stimulating the tsa-lung system.
Men-ngak-dé relates to continuing in the state.
It contains very little
explanation indeed.
There are simply directions for how to continue in the
state.
There are a great variety of methods within the Men-ngak-dé, but their
character is very difficult to discuss outside the level of experience required
to understand their significance.
There
is some disagreement in the Nyingma School, whether Dzogchen is a tantric
vehicle or whether it exists within its own category.
Atiyoga
as it is taught in better known lineages lacks aspects of sem-dé and long-dé.
It is the direct approach to the essential nature of the mind, which is Buddha
nature (De bZhin gshegs pa'i sNying Po) through the recognition of the naked
awareness state of one’s own mind.
These teachings were transmitted by
Vajrasattva (rDorje Sems ba) to the nirmanakaya Prahevajra who in turn
transmitted them to humans teachers including Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra and
Vairocana.
They have three divisions:
Those of Mind, Great Expanse and
Instructions.
The Nying ma gyud bum has 21 texts of Mind and seven of Great
Expanse divisions.
The Division of instructions of the Innermost Essence are
contained in the 17 tantras also in The Nying ma gyud bum.
View
The
view is established that all phenomena are spontaneously enlightened from the
beginning.
Meditation
Through
the teaching of the natural revelation of cutting through all substantial and
insubstantial phenomena (khregs.chod) to realise dharmakaya wisdom.
Use the
spontaneous wisdom of the sambhogakaya and achieve the rainbow body of the
nirmanakaya, which are spontaneous luminosity (Thod.rgyal).
Activity
Without
acceptance or rejection you recognise phenomena as the display of the
dharmakaya.
Fruit
Samsara
is nirvana: The realisation that the spontaneous perfect state of Kuntuzangpo
is ever present and that there is nothing beyond this is enlightenment.
Being
a Nyingmapa, is to be open to the whole stream of practice.
Although the
emphasis is on the three inner tantras one is open to any or all the yanas, and
you practise that under a teacher.
Your teacher might teach from the
perspective of Dzogchen but even so, he or she may give teachings from any of
the vehicles.
He or she will give guidance according to the particular needs
and experience of the practitioner at that time.
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