Forgetting = Karma = Ego = Teacher
We are born with certain individual tendencies/karma, because we forgot our true essence of pure consciousness.
Our maintenance of those tendencies/karma is ego. Ego is consciousness clinging to thoughts and concepts.
These two principles of karma and ego govern and colour everything that we encounter, and are the reason we react in the way we do.
When consciousness is aware of this combination of karmic tendencies and clinging, these become our teacher, showing us our habitual reactions and behaviour. In doing so, they become purified.
This personal teaching is our path to enlightenment.
The following is a more formal description:
There are two kinds of ignorance – co-emergent and conceptual. The presence of pure consciousness is in the moment now, but it almost immediately slips away. Co-emergent ignorance is simply to forget. Conceptual ignorance comes in the moment after forgetting, forming thought after thought and getting distracted by starting to think of something.
Forgetting is co-emergent ignorance. Thinking is conceptual ignorance. If these two were purified, we would be buddhas. As long as the co-emergent and conceptual aspects of ignorance are not purified, we remain sentient beings.
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. In this way, Dzogchen is practical - no bells and whistles required. 
The above stated are all correct and logic.
My lack of awareness is proving me that logic is not enough to deal with problems of the mind… (my overfilled mind).
Perhaps the only way out is the Prajna paramita mantra if digested deep inside.
I don’t mean the blind repetition, but the (non-self) realisation that we want to go beyond, further beyond, further than further beyond.
Hello,
I understand what you are saying.
‘Going beyond’ can be a misnomer.
We/pure consciousness are already present. We don’t have to do anything, merely recognise.
We go beyond intellectualisation. I have notes and mantras up to my eyeballs, and I just had to let them all go.
Our pure essence is quite ordinary and delightfully boring. 🙂
Tony
The Dharma can be presented in complex manner, and make the teachings sound a mystery. But, they are all about OUR essence, beyond words. We are the living Dharma.
There is a magic ,but this comes from spontaneous happening, or direct experience before our doubts set in.
The senses and emotions are our teacher and, wisdom.
Tony