“I pray with whatever prayers I know that the great waves of benefit that [Tulku Pema Rigtsal] generates for Buddha’s teaching in general, and particularly the study and practice of the Kama and Terma teachings of the Nyingma and Tersar traditions, from his ancestors up to his holy father, increase like rivers in summertime, and that he has a long life.” —Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche “I strongly recommend this work to all those who meditate. I believe this work will bring benefit to people of both the West and the East who have an interest in Dzogchen, and I urge everyone who wants to practice buddha-dharma to take time to read this book.” —Domang Yangtang Tulku “The fundamental teachings of Mahayana Buddhism in general and of Dzogchen in particular are elucidated in this book in the clearest possible way. For anyone who is open to learning the sacred secret of the mind that we all treasure, this is an eye-opening book to read.” —Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, author of Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth “The Great Secret of Mind is the condensed meaning of buddha-dharma and particularly the Nyingma teachings. I am pleased by his work and pray to the Triple Gem and bodhisattvas that it may benefit all students of Buddhism.” —His Holiness Penor Rinpoche ABOUT THE BOOK Dzogchen (Great Perfection) goes to the heart of our experience by investigating the relationship between mind and world and uncovering the great secret of mind's luminous nature. Weaving in personal stories and everyday examples, Pema Rigtsal leads the reader to see that all phenomena are the spontaneous display of mind, a magical illusion, and yet there is something shining in the midst of experience that is naturally pure and spacious. Not recognizing this natural great perfection is the root cause of suffering and self-centered clinging. After introducing us to this liberating view, Pema Rigtsal explains how it is stabilized and sustained in effortless meditation: without modifying anything, whatever thoughts of happiness or sorrow arise simply dissolve by themselves into the spaciousness of pure presence. The book is divided into chapters on the view, meditation as the path, conduct, the attainment, and the four bardos. Each chapter consists of mini- sections that can be read as stand-alone Dharma talks. Pema Rigtsal has studied and lived with several authentic Dzogchen masters and has surprising stories to tell about their unconventional methods to introduce students to the subtle view of Dzogchen. TULKU PEMA RIGTSAL is one of the last Tibetan tulkus to receive the benefit of a full traditional training with no disruption from political conflict, and one of the last to head a traditional monastery. He lives in Nepal. Sign up to learn more about our books and receive special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. The Great Secret of Mind SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ON THE NONDUALITY OF DZOGCHEN A translation of the Tibetan Sems kyi gsang ba mngon du phyung ba Tulku Pema Rigtsal Translated and edited by Keith Dowman SNOW LION BOSTON AND LONDON 2012 Snow Lion An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2012 by Pema Riksal Lama aka Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche Cover design by Jim Zaccaria All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Padma-rig-rtsal, Sprul-sku, 1963– [Sems kyi gsaṅ ba mṅon du phyuṅ ba. English] The great secret of mind: special instructions on the nonduality of Dzogchen: a translation of the Tibetan Sems kyi gsang ba mngon du phyung ba / Tulku Pema Rigtsal; translated and edited by Keith Dowman. pages cm Translated from Tibetan. Includes bibliographical references. eISBN 978-0-8348-2904-6 ISBN 978-1-55939-401-7 (alk. paper) 1. Rdzogs-chen. I. Dowman, Keith, translator, editor. II. Title. BQ7662.4.P33913 2012 294.3′422—dc23 2012010125 Contents Foreword by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche About the Author by Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche Translator’s Note Preface Translator’s Introduction Introduction The Great Secret of Mind 1. THE VIEW 1.1 The nature of the physical world 1.2 The difference between “insider” and “outsider” meditation 1.3 The fallacy of materialism: how the actuality contradicts our assumption that our happiness and sadness depend upon material things 1.4 The unreality of material things 1.5 All things are figments of the mind 1.6 How this body emerges from the karmically conditioned mind, and how we may anticipate the next life 1.7 Distinguishing between impure outer appearances and the pure nature of reality 1.8 All phenomena are unreal: all is just a delusive display of mind 1.9 The method of eliminating belief in concrete reality, the cause of suffering 1.10 The ways of establishing the unreal world as magical illusion in the different levels of approach 1.11 People ignorant of the illusory nature of their own unreal mind spin around in confusion 1.12 Pure presence itself is buddha 1.13 Illustrating the similarity of the world and magical illusion 1.14 The conviction that all is unreal accords with the sutras 1.15 An introduction to the secret of mind 1.16 The dualistic nature of the intellect illustrated in the question-answer method of the sutras 1.17 Reasonable proof that buddha-nature exists in our mindstream 1.18 When the natural perfection of mind is realized, there is no need to apply an appropriate antidote to each karmic impulse 1.19 Reconciliation of the view that the world is an empty, unreal, subjective delusion with the scientific view that it is composed of atoms 1.20 Sickness and physical pain are relieved by making a habit of recognizing pure empty presence 1.21 Mind is the root of all experience 1.22 Knowing the whole world as figments of mind, undisturbed at the time of death, we are released in the bardo 1.23 The creative and fulfillment phases are complete and perfect in the space of basic empty presence 1.24 Why all beings are continuously bound in samsara 1.25 Delusion dissolves when we look at the essence of mind 1.26 The advantage of perceiving all things as mere conceptual labels 1.27 When pure presence is spontaneously recognized, its veils naturally dissolve 1.28 Creativity is necessarily released in pure presence 1.29 Samsara never existed except as mere creative visions 1.30 In unconditioned pure presence, all buddha-potential is spontaneously manifest 1.31 When we abide in unchangeable mind, there is enormous instant advantage 1.32 Uncontrolled emotion effects severe ecological damage 1.33 The Dzogchen process necessarily and naturally preserves the environment 1.34 Illustrating that all things arise out of the basis of mind 1.35 With a full understanding of the inseparability of appearances and emptiness, vision is naturally suffused by infinite purity 1.36 A finger pointing directly at pure presence 1.37 Reasons for the necessity to seek a rigzin-lama to introduce pure presence 1.38 The potential of pure being and primal awareness is already manifest in basic pure presence 1.39 Dispelling doubt about the unconditioned potentiality of pure presence 1.40 How to make the five poisons into the path itself 1.41 Until discursive thought dissolves in spaciousness, karmic repercussions must be considered 1.42 The benefits of hearing Dzogchen precepts 2. MEDITATION AS THE PATH 2.1 First, conviction in the view is essential 2.2 The reason for meditation 2.3 Disposition of meditation 2.4 Without meditation, even trivial events create severe suffering 2.5 Meditation removes the attachment that is the root of suffering 2.6 The cause of manifest suffering is hope and fear 2.7 A short explanation of how to sustain the primal awareness of intrinsic presence 2.8 The place of meditation 2.9 The disposition of the body 2.10 How to sustain pure presence in brief 2.11 How to sustain pure presence in general 2.12 The five faults that hinder concentration 2.13 The eight volitional antidotes to the five faults 2.14 In unitary shamata and vipasyana, the nine mental states and the five mystical experiences are correlated 2.15 The simple, quintessential disposition 2.16 The method of practicing the essential pure presence in sessions 2.17 The place of deviation into mystical experience 2.18 The distinction between mind and pure presence 2.19 The rigzin-lama’s personal instruction inspires meditation 3. CONDUCT 3.1 An explanation of conduct 3.2 The sin of ignorance of the continuity of reflexively liberating thought 3.3 The preeminence of the mode of simultaneous arising and releasing of thought 3.4 Meditation experience arises naturally in the mindstream 3.5 When conduct consists of simultaneous arising and releasing, it is free of karma and its effects 3.6 A categorical assertion that Dzogchen transcends cause and effect 3.7 So long as dualistic perception obtains, heed karma and its effects 3.8 The evidence of the accomplishment of unchangeable self-beneficial pure presence is equanimity in the face of the eight worldly obsessions 3.9 The evidence of the accomplishment of unchangeable altruistic pure presence is spontaneous compassion and reliance on the laws of karma and their results 3.10 Practitioners of the lower approaches are bound by strenuous effort 3.11 Conduct is characterized by the three modes of release 3.12 The perspectives of both sutra