Practice Library

Embodying the Great Perfection

Four seminars with Ian Baker on the history and practices of Dzogchen through body, breath and mind, following the typology of View, Meditation, Action and Fruition.

Four seminars with Ian Baker on the history and practices of Dzogchen, the culmination of the tantric Buddhist tradition, taken here in the context of skilful means for realising the innate freedom of the human condition through practices of body, breath and mind. Drawing on oral Tibetan Buddhist teachings as well as current science concerning bioelectricity and subtle energy, the series follows the Dzogchen typology of View, Meditation, Action and Fruition. Part I: Refining the View traces how Dzogchen developed, from early formulations close to Chan through to their absorption into mainstream Tibetan Buddhism, reads the view from images of Samantabhadra and Padmasambhava, and reaches back past Dzogchen to Sahajayana, Saraha's innate bliss. Part II: Perfecting the Path turns from view to practice, with Dudjom Rinpoche's instructions for mountain retreat on how thoughts liberate themselves, and korde rushen, the Dzogchen preliminaries, as the longest stretch. Trekcho, togal and dark retreat are described. Part III: Unifying Insight and Action carries the view into conduct, around Chatral Rinpoche's instruction that action should not be lost in the view, nor the view lost when ac

What this course covers

• How Dzogchen developed, from early formulations close to Chan onwards
• View, Meditation, Action and Fruition as the shape of the path
• Korde rushen and the Dzogchen preliminaries, described at length
• Trekcho, togal and dark retreat set out in their context
• Tummo and the inner fire as the foundation of the six yogas
• Bioelectricity and subtle energy in contemporary research
• Chatral Rinpoche on not losing the view when acting

Sessions

1. Part I: Refining the View 158 minutes
2. Part II: Perfecting the Path 150 minutes
3. Part III: Unifying Insight and Action 152 minutes
4. Part IV: Realising Spontaneous Fruition 151 minutes