The Four Themed Precious Garland: An Introduction to Dzog Ch'en, the Great Completeness Review

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(More customer reviews)This book, copyright 1978, 1st printed 1979, reprinted 1985, was authored by p. 39: Kun-ky'ab Ngag-g'i Wang-po, meaning Omniscient Lord of Speech, an alias Longchenpa used for "spiritual approaches & philosophical systems," according to The Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission. It was translated by Alexander Berzin with commentary by Dudjom Rinpoche (DR) on ch. 3 & Beru Khyentze Rinpoche on ch. 4. It's a mostly Dzogchen version of the "Four Themes of Gampopa" which he derived from Kadampa & Kagyu traditions. Longchenpa (1308-63) studied all 4 traditions prior to Rime! He discusses Enlightened Motive (continual tonglen), development/completion stages, & 9 Yanas--esp. Dzogchen (Ati Yoga) though p. 19: DR--"All 3 inner tantras are mutually pervasive, incorporating aspects of one another. A certain practice is classified as maha-, anu-, ati-yoga in reference to what is emphasized or is foremost in it." The root text is very small but the commentaries, esp. DR's, add much meaning & clarity esp. via metaphor:
pp. 22-3: DR--"Samantabhadra is the Dharmakaya personified as the primordial Buddha (Adi-Buddha)...The mind of Samantabhadra...perceives the void nature of all things & recognizes this as its own true nature. It sees its own void nature in all things as if seeing itself in a mirror. Therefore the mind of Samantabhadra is said `to recognize by itself its own face.'
p. 24: DR--Everything of relative reality appears through ever-changing momentary causes like clouds in the sky. When moisture in the air is moved about by the wind, clouds are formed in the sky. But since clouds are the manifestations of the wind & moisture of the sky, it is impossible to conceive of them as being really different or separate from it. They have no other place to go to establish their existence. Clouds can only gather in the sky & then vanish from it...The mind is like the moisture, unawareness like the wind, the various realms & deceptive appearances are like the clouds & the sky is the Buddha-nature. The mind, as a cognitive possibility, is inherent in the Buddha-nature in the same way as moisture is inherent in the atmosphere. Driven by the winds of ignorance, the deceptive appearances of samsara gather as clouds. The force that causes the dissolution of these appearances is awareness, that is awareness that none of these appearances are beyond having Voidness as their nature.
p. 29: DR--Whatever objects appear are to be viewed as mirrors, since their nature is the Clear Light of voidness, they reflect the ultimate, while their conventional appearance is left unimpeded. Whatever thoughts arise are to be recognized as coming from Voidness & naturally dissolving back into it. They are the play of Dharmakaya. Like waves & water, never separate from each other, your rising & ebbing thoughts are one continuum with your Dharmakaya."
NOTE: my version is 44 pp. + 37 p. publications list= 81 pp.

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