Happy Dakini Day!

Pema Dragpa June 27, 2019

“Dzogchen is the highest and most profound teaching of all the Buddha’s teachings. There are a total of nine yanas, or levels of study and practice, and the eight lower vehicles are all completed within Dzogchen. When we stand on the mountaintop of Dzogchen and look down at the other eight yanas, we see that their views and philosophies are all mentally constructed. Dzogchen is the only one that leads us to enlightenment by going completely beyond mental construction and fabrication.

Dzogchen is so precious, so sacred, and so important. It is the heart essence of all the enlightened beings that came before, will come in the future, and who are here now. It is the heart drop of the all the dakas, dakinis, and dharmapalas. Since it is so precious, Jigme Lingpa again says, “Please grant me permission and give me the power and blessings to provide these teachings. You are all witness to my intention, my devotion, and my thoughts to present an authentic and pure teaching dear to you all.”

These are the beginning prayers, homage, and general instructions on the importance of the Dzogchen teachings. With these, Jigme Lingpa is reminding us how this teaching is so special. We should try to absorb these teachings into our hearts, and not just intellectually hover over them until we eventually forget about them. In the presence of all the buddhas, dakinis, and dharmapalas, he urges us to let these teachings sink into our hearts with devotion. With this joyful attitude and appreciation of their preciousness, we can receive the teachings.

… Jigme Lingpa then reminds us again that even though Dzogchen is the highest teaching, in order to make it the best teaching for us, we have to be prepared and ready. That means we should have the highest love, compassion, bodhichitta, devotion, pure perception, courage, commitment, and tolerance. All of these are necessary and important in order to fully absorb and benefit from the Dzogchen teachings.”

Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches

Supreme Wisdom: Commentary on Yeshe Lama (pgs 30-32)

Photo of Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches at Padma Samye Ling in the 1990s.