Dzogchen and Guru Yoga.

 The purpose of this blog is to help others understand the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. So, when you look for a teacher, a spiritual centre, or read a book, you may have an inkling for what is meant – rather like cracking a code!

 Quite often, in centres, we get bound up in procedures and stories. We get a nice feeling, but when we get home, the core essence may seem vague, or even be missed. One can practise for years, and either become adept in a ‘practice,’ or even start making up one’s own dharma. Either way, people get touchy because they can describe what they are doing, but not the meaning behind the actions.

 Why this happens, I’m not sure. In the past, it might have been due to differences in language and culture, and so we just follow along, feeling ‘buddhist’. Maybe we enjoy the exotic more than the esoteric…who knows? I used to go around asking people what does this or that meant: the answers were not at all satisfying. People just seemed to enjoy being there…which is not without merit on their part.

 The Dharma is all about Empty essence, Cognisant nature and unconfined Compassion: these are called the three Kayas. Empty essence is the Dzogchen teachings. There is no practice – it is merely recognising Emptiness. This will include the understanding of awareness and compassionate conduct.

 Everything else is either symbolic of this, or serves to lead up to it. The realisation of the three Kayas is wisdom, and there is also ‘method’ or ‘skilful means’. Basically, we need to warm up a little in order to become healthy human beings, and to be able to open to these more subtle teachings. So, meditating on the breath is important, as is study, loving kindness, and not being subject to emotions such as pride.

 These basics are very important, and we should incorporate them into our daily practices, keeping our heads and hearts on straight!

 This bring us to Guru Yoga. Most modern westerners find this difficult – or even, a big no-no!

 Once one gets a ‘taste’ of the Dharma, appreciating its value, and how it works in all situations, we feel, “Wow! Without this, I was floundering like a fish on hot dried sand!” So we feel grateful to those who are the holders of knowledge – the Sangha – spending their precious time explaining the teaching for our benefit. This is a unbroken lineage by word of mouth from the time of the Buddha.

 This is why, every day until enlightenment, we go for refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

 As the teacher represents the Buddha’s teachings, we start to see the teacher as a symbol of the Buddha, and therefore respect their presence. The principle of Guru Yoga is calling on the lineages, and all those who are enlightened, for blessings.

 At the beginning of the devotional practices we invoke the three Kayas (resting in natural empty awareness). We then go through a very complex visualisation stage, called development stage, ending with the completion stage – back to resting in natural empty awareness, which was actually present throughout. The point of the completion stage is to drop any attachment to the practice, although straight after that, one reunites with that deity and embodies it for the rest of the day and night. Like the compassionate qualities of Avolekishvara (Chenrizig), the lord of compassion…this practice helps us to remember our own compassion.

 So you can see how Dzogchen (in some traditions called Mahamudra, or Vidya) works with devotion. It is all for our benefit, not the benefit of the teacher.

 Yes, in this modern slick world there are many ‘teachers’ that come our way, and we just have to test them to see if they suit us. Maybe we need many teachers, like stepping stones! The search for truth is down to our own intentions. If you want a quick fix, you can get it. If you want a strong foundation, you can get that too.