Dzogchen
Also known as Mahsandhi or Atiyoga, Dzogchen—the ‘Great Perfection’, or ‘Great Completeness’—is an abbreviation of the Tibetan words Dzogpa Chenpo.
‘Dzogpa’ means ‘complete’, or ‘the end’; ‘chenpo’ means ‘great’. Dzogchen is both the final and ultimate teaching, and the heart of the teachings of all the Buddhas.
Dzogchen is generally associated with the Nyingma of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Guru Rinpoché, although it has been practised throughout the centuries by masters of all the different schools as their innermost practice. Its origins reach back to before human history, and neither is it limited to Buddhism, nor to Tibet, nor indeed even to this world of ours, as it is recorded that it has existed in thirteen different world systems.
It is widely translated as “Great Perfection”, but this may imply a perfection that we strive to attain, a journey towards a goal of Great Perfection, and this is not the meaning of Dzogchen. Dzogchen is explained as Ground, Path and Fruition, and from the point of view of the Ground of Dzogpachenpo, it is the already self-perfected state of our primordial nature, which needs no ‘perfecting’, for it has always been perfect from the very beginning, just like the sky. It is uncreated, yet spontaneously accomplished.
The practice of Dzogchen is the most ancient and direct stream of wisdom within the Buddhist tradition of Tibet.
As a way in which to realize the innermost nature of mind, Dzogchen is the clearest, most effective, and most relevant to the modern world.
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
