Dzogchen

Tibetan Renaissance Seminar > Term Analysis

Definition

Great perfection
Total (natural) perfection
Absolute completeness

Type 4

Method, practice, initiation, exposition

Etymology

rdzogs
- perfect
- complete
- consummated
- be exhausted
- smash
chen
- great
- large
- expansive
- noble
- highest (level)

Analysis of Pattern of Usage in the Blue Annals

The term rdzogs chen is used extensively throughout the Blue Annals. It is rarely used as a proper name or a title (Types 1 &2), and is mostly used to refer to the genre of teachings known as the "Great Perfection" (Type 3). Usually it is qualified as the specific teachings of one lineage or teacher. When it is used to refer to specific texts, the term is part of the title of the text. Also it is discussed frequently in the context of initiations and expositions of the system of the "Great Perfection" (Type 4). There is also one instance in which the term is used to refer to the system amorphously (Type 5). It is characterized according to region (ie: Kham) and teacher, and by such terms as 'early' and 'later' transmission.

This term is often mentioned in conjunction with other systems that disciples are also learning or being initiated into, such as the Kālacakra, Zhiché, Chöd, the "Six Doctrines", Mahāmudrā, the rlung sems gnyis med, Lamdré, Bön, and other Cycles of Yoga. In the context of practice, usually there is a discussion of meditation which results in the attainment of enlightenment and the realization of the nature of the mind. In one instance the practice of the "Great Perfection" is described as resulting in magical powers, and in another instance the curing of disease is mentioned, as well as visions of demons and deities.

Citations in the Blue Annals

Type 1 (proper name)

Number of Occurrences: 1

R 187 - He then spent six summers and winters at gang par at the residence of ācārya zem, who was a follower of rdzogs chen lhun grub, but that teacher did not care for him. As he was unable to remove his doubts concerning the secret precepts, he on three occasions requested 'dzeng at dpal lung (to grant him) the rdo rje zam pa, and having received the teacher's blessing, he practiced meditation.

Type 2 (title)

Number of Occurrences: 2

R 187 - He then spent six summers and winters at gang par at the residence of ācārya zem, who was a follower of rdzogs chen lhun grub, but that teacher did not care for him. As he was unable to remove his doubts concerning the secret precepts, he on three occasions requested 'dzeng at dpal lung (to grant him) the rdo rje zam pa, and having received the teacher's blessing, he practiced meditation. (Note: double listed: unclear whether this is a name or a title)
R 309 - In the following Water Hare (chu yos – 1363 A.D.) (%) the rdzogs chen pa tshul blo (tshul khrims blo gros) died.

Type 3 (text, system, cycle)

Number of Occurrences: 17

R 124 - He also studied the system of the “Great Perfection” (rdzogs chen) according to the method of skor with glan shAkya byang chub. With lha rje shangs pa nag po he studied the Tantra and the precepts of the “Later" Lineage of the “Great Perfection'' (rdzogs chen).
R 128 - From dam pa sbor mang he heard the system of the “Great Perfection" (rdzogs pa chen po) according (to the interpretation) of sbor. From jo mo myang mo he (F:12b) obtained an introduction into the system of the “Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), as taught in khams, which was the essence of the heart of the ācārya a ro. From her also he heard precepts of the system.
R 138 - Among the great treatises on mind concentration according to the method of rong, belonging to the “Great Perfection” (rdzogs chen), he heard the exposition of the rnal 'byor rigs pa’i nyi ma, the bsam gtan mig gi sgron ma, (R:138) (C:176) the bsam gtan snying gi nyi ma, the gdar shar, the gzer bu, the zhus lan khungs kyi gdab pa, the rdo rje sems dpa'i zhus lan, and others.
R 142 - He heard many doctrines of the "Old" Tantras, and especially became learned in the basic text of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen) together with precepts, according to the method of skor.
R 167 - At Idan glong thang sgron ma there appeared an ascetic named a ro ye shes 'byung gnas, who possessed the secret precepts of the seventh link in the chain of the Indian Lineage, as well as those of the seventh link of the Chinese Lineage of hwa shang (ho shang). He preached the system to cog ro zangs dkar mdzod khur and to ya zi bon ston. These two taught it to rong zom. This (Lineage) is called the "(Lineage) of the 'Great Perfection' (rdzogs chen) according to the khams method…Further, (the teachings) which were known by the name of the "Mental" Class (sems sde) of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen): ban de chung ma can (<Dārika), the teacher of the ācārya sangs rgyas ye shes zhabs (Buddha¬jñānapāda), was a manifestation of Mañjuśrī.
R 172 - Among the texts belonging to the klong gi sde of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), the nam mkha'i dang mnyam pa'i rgyud chen po contains nine "spheres" (klong) in regard to its subject-matter and 20,000 paragraphs in regard to its text. The 20,000 bam pos mentioned above, represent books found in the hands of ascetics (siddha-puruṣa), a complete translation of which is not available.
R 448 - He also studied the system of the “Great Perfection” (rdzogs chen) according to the method of skor with glan shAkya byang chub…He listened to the exposition of the nam mkha' che (name of a book on the system of "Mental" Class of the Great Achievement, rdzogs chen sems phyogs) and thus understood the nature of the Mind.
R 477 - From brag dkar mo ba he obtained the "Oral Tradition" of a ro (rdzogs chen gyi chos kyi ming).
R 491 - From gzhon nu 'bum he heard many precepts of the Guardians of the Doctrine (bstan bsrungs kyi bka'), the ro snyoms (samārasa), the thub lnga (name of a system), etc. From Jñānaśrī he heard the 'grel ba mtha' drug (six different ways of explaining a single Tantric text), etc. From rig 'dzin Kumārāja he heard the rdzogs chen snying thig (the doctrine of Mahaśanti according to Vimalamitra) together with its minor texts and the ne gu.
R 529 - He heard the secret part of the "Great Achievement" (rdzogs chen gsang skor) from the vidyādhara Kumārarāja .
R 533 - From the vidyādhara Kumārarāja he obtained the rdzogs chen snying thig.
R 548 - From the bla ma chos bzang he heard the initiation rites and propitiations (sādhanas) of Vajravārahī, rgyal ba rgya mtsho and of ber nag can, as well as 'the Collections of Works' (gsung 'bum) of kar ma pa, rol pa'i rdo rje and mkha' spyod pa, the "Six Doctrines", the Mahāmudrā, the rlung sems gnyis med , the Cycle of the "Great Achievement" (rdzogs chen), the exposition of the Pañcakrama (rim lnga), the Tantric section (rgyud 'bum) of the bka' 'gyur and other texts. He perceived his teacher as a manifestation of rgod tshang pa and composed a stotra (in his honour). From the monk dbon grags pa her heard the seventeen Tantras (i.e. all the rnying ma Tantras) together with the snying thig, as well as numerous instructions (R:548) (gsung chos).
R 665 - From the ācārya 'khor re ba he obtained the rdzogs chen rigs rdzogs.
R 689 - At the age of six, he (yang dgon pa) proceeded to phul dmar ba, and heard from him the sgyu 'phrul initiation, the Tantra of the Great Achievement (rdzogs chen gyi rgyud) together with precepts, the precepts of the bka' gdams pas, the zi byed system, the gcod yul, the essence of the Path & Fruit Doctrine (lam 'bras), together with its precepts and commentaries. He stayed for three years with phul dmar ba. At the age of nine, he became abbot of lha gdon.
R 728 - At the age of 13, he studied with the ācārya gyun drub rgyal ba the Bon doctrine, and preached it to others, and about 700 scholars (possessing manuscripts of the text) attended his class. He then studied extensively the Cycle of the rdzogs chen sems sde with the bla ma 'byung gnas seng ge, and then preached it. During that time also he gathered about 700 disciples.
R 988 - He mastered the spyod yul and rdzogs chen, such as the yan bdag (a rngin ma deity, one of the ba' brgyad), the gab pa (gab pa mnon phyun, name of a ruin ma book), and the Cycle of avalokiteshvara, such as the thugs kyi ngin khu, the gsan Idan ('jim dpal gsan ldan), ārya mangjushrīnāma sangītisādhana and other Cycles of Yoga.
R 1041 - At the age of 35, he took up the final monastic ordination in the presence of the maha-upādhyāya bkra shis seng ge, and listened to about a hundred expositions (of sacred texts), such as the Doctrine of the Great Achievement (rdzogs chen), and others.

Type 4 (practice, ritual, initiation, teaching)

Number of Occurrences: 10

R 131 - After reaching gung thang in mang yul, he sat for seven days in meditation on the impartial "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen).
R 135 - She sent him for study to the residence of his uncle dam pa se brag pa, and he stayed there for three years, during which time he listened to the exposition of the doctrine of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), according to the method of rong.
R 140 - Having developed a mind concentration on the impartial "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), he became able to pass (R:140) unhindered through soil, stones, mountains and rocks. He saw himself surrounded by asuras.
R 150 - He heard many precepts from many teachers. He was a disciple of the Dharmasvāmin rang 'byung rdo rje and bu ston rin po che. He became learned in the Kālacakra, and earnestly practiced the precepts of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), etc.
R 151 - At bye ma seng ge he concentrated his mind steadily on the snying thig of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen). Having transformed (himself) into the image of the Great Sphere (thig le chen po), he acquired a very high degree of concentration which enabled him to penetrate many Paradises of Buddhas, etc.
R 153 - He also bestowed the four initiations of the snying thig, such as the spros bcas and others, a commentary based on the "Explanatory Notes (khrid yig) composed by me long rdo rje, as well as gave instructions in the precepts of a ro, belonging to the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen).
R 181 - To dngul mo rgyal le lcam he explained the yi ge bzhi pa (i.e. the Anuttara), and the secret precepts of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen), and she became one who had abandoned all worldly laws and was beyond the human state.
R 534 - From g.yung ston pa he heard the ye shes gsang rdzogs kyi rgyud together with its precepts, the gsang snying together with its initiation rite, the a ro'i gdams pa (a rdzogs chen method) together with the spungs skor , the initiation rite of mkha' 'gro snying thig , together with an exposition and its permission (lung), the a ro'i rgyud chung gi lung , the permission (to read) the rite of the Kālacakra-Tantra translated by tsa mi together with its initiation rite, the permission of Yamāntaka (gshin rje gshed kyi lung), the mdo dgongs 'dus , the sems sde ma bu bco brgyad and others.
R 665 - At the age of fifteen, he came to the residence of the ācārya mkhar lung pa and attended on him for eight years, and heard from him the exposition of the doctrine of the "Great Achievement" (rdzogs chen), Logic (tshad ma), etc. He suffered formerly from an illness which was cured without his going into seclusion.
R 989 - Ma gcig's disciple khu sgom ghos sen: he was a native of sre mo khu, and listened (to the exposition of the doctrine) of the “Great Achievement” (rdzogs chen), and (R:989) practiced solely meditation.

Type 5 (term)

Number of Occurrences: 1

R 169 - Further, the Caturaṅgasādhana-Samantabhadrī-nāma ṭīkā composed by Jñānapāda also mentions (the term) "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen). Also because in the dngos grub 'byung gter composed by Vitapāda (sman zhabs), the term "Great Pefection" (rdzogs chen) is clearly mentioned. Now here "which is the foundation of the Ocean of Practice of the Pāramitās, of Morality, etc."—this passage rejects the opinion of some of the followers of the "Great Perfection" (rdzogs chen) who refuted the upāya cārya.

NOTE: All references are from the Blue Annals, Roerich page numbers.