Chapter 10: "The Innermost Essence" Summary

Sogyal stresses the practice of Dzogchen throughout this chapter. He begins by discussing the origins of the practice, and notes Dzogchen is the most ancient form of wisdom within Buddhism, as well as the source of the bardo teachings. Traced back to Samantabhadra, the Primordial Buddha, Dzogchen has been responsible for the enlightenment of hundreds of thousands of individuals over time. Described as the primordial state of total awakening, Dzogchen is the heart essence of all Buddhas, and is the already self-perfected state of the primordial nature. Sogyal notes that all Buddhist teachings are in terms of ground, path, and fruition. In Dzogchen, the ground is the fundamental state of absolute nature. Sogyal notes two paths, those of the enlightened, and the confused unenlightened. The path of the Dzogchen is to uncover the intrinsic nature...