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AUTHOR’S PREFACE
Another reason is that people are really longing for liberation and are secretly tired of endless spiritual practice. They just want to wake up right now.
This doha, or song of realization, is regarded as one of the sacred texts in the Nyingma tradition. Usually one would not casually write a commentary on this doha unless there was a very compelling reason, because it is so sacred. Not to write a commentary on it is a way of respecting it and treating it as sacred.
He was known for being very mindful of whatever he said. He was famous for saying things with great carefulness. He came to the West only one time.
Dzogchen is a system that emphasizes the direct awakening to nature of mind, or rigpa (W. rig pa). It is not any kind of creed or some particular doctrine that we can hold onto or define. Rigpa, or awareness, is the most important theme in all of Dzogchen. Rigpa is described as the unconditioned, the buddha mind, or the highest state of awakening.
They may have a sense that the journey itself has become the very realm from which they want to be free. They want to drop the inner burdens completely, to drop anything that binds them, and to experience the highest freedom, a freedom that was tasted by all the great beings, such as Buddha. They might want to experience the profound awakening that Siddhartha experienced under the bodhi tree.
There were many people who felt they were not good enough, not ready to practice Dzogchen, because it requires a kind of divine chutzpah to drop all the struggles on the spiritual journey and experience the highest freedom here and now.
there is “me,” the seeker; enlightenment is over there; there is the path that “I” am going to travel; and “I” will go through karmic purification using various means to reach enlightenment. Paths other than Dzogchen often try to capture the ultimate truth in logic, theories, and concepts, yet the ultimate transcends everything. The ultimate truth can never be fully captured in words and concepts. Dzogchen transcends all the doctrines, spiritual practices, and disciplines.
The three conditions are meeting with an awakened master, a lineage with a blessing, and a disciple with devotion. It is like having the ideal conditions. Imagine that such awakening is like a beautiful flower. With the right temperature, soil, water, and so on, the flower can blossom.
Most of the disciples felt that they had realized awareness, buddha mind, rigpa. But there was one student who didn’t get it, no matter how much his master tried to point it out to him. He didn’t give up, because he was sincere and full of devotion. One day, the lama said, “Pick up a bag of barley from my house and run to the top of the mountain without looking back or taking a break.” The student was so respectful to his master that he was willing to do this. No doubt he was very intelligent, so he knew his master was trustworthy. He didn’t have blind faith. He listened to his master’s advice, even though it was totally weird. He picked up a bag of barley from his master’s house and started running at the fastest speed. At one point running up
AI Summary
The Citadel of Awareness by Anam Thubten presents key insights from the Dzogchen tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.