Showing posts with label Dzogchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dzogchen. Show all posts
Malcolm Smith: Dzogchen Teacher & Translator on the Somatic Primer Podcast
Soh

New podcast share: Malcolm Smith: Dzogchen Teacher & Translator on the Somatic Primer Podcast. Listen here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6r8XPaqlpYBYlPU3B54iE6?si=RyjVj0GERgGBbp7v711LUg

Update, here’s another chat with Acarya Malcolm:

✨🎥 WISDOM DHARMA CHAT | Ācārya Malcolm Smith Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. EDT Live In-Studio & Online Learn more, get your ticket, or register to join us at https://rebrand.ly/WDCMS0825 Fresh from wrapping up filming on his brand-new Wisdom Academy course, Malcolm will share behind-the-scenes perspectives and personal insights into the profound and transformative path of the great perfection. Together with Daniel, he’ll explore the challenges and blessings of presenting these teachings for a modern audience, and what it means to integrate the view of Dzogchen into everyday life. This conversation will also touch on Malcolm’s upcoming book, Yoga of the Natural State: The Dzogchen Aural Lineage. Whether you’re a longtime student of Dzogchen or newly curious about its radical approach to awakening, this Dharma Chat offers a rare opportunity to connect with one of today’s most respected Western teachers and translators of the great perfection. We hope you’ll join us live—online or in-studio—for this illuminating conversation. #DHARMA #BUDDHISM #WISDOM #WISDOMPUBS #Buddhism #Vipashyana #Shamatha #Wisdom #Meditation #WisdomDharmaChats #WisdomPublications #Dzogchen #DharmaChats #meditation #danielaitken #MalcolmSmith #acaryamalcolmsmith

Update: The date has passed, and a recording is available at https://wisdomexperience.org/wisdom-dharma-chat-acarya-malcolm-smith-08-2025/ .
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Dzogchen & Mahāmudrā Resources (with Links)
Soh

Mr K asked: "Hi, I've enjoyed reading the blog. I was wondering where your course of study has led you to now? I've been exploring Dzogchen lately and plan to do so for the next couple months before digging into Mahamudra, and then seeing what resonates best for me.

I was curious if you've found yourself studying with a particular teacher, or if a particular teacher did the best job of pointing out and confirming the nature of mind for you, and then how to rest in it (or if they were different).

Thanks for sharing your experiences!"


Soh replied:


Hi Mr K,

Thanks so much for reading the blog and for your thoughtful note. I’m glad you’re exploring Dzogchen now and considering Mahāmudrā next—that’s a great way to taste both streams and see what resonates.
Where my study led me (and who pointed out mind’s nature for me)
My main teacher is John Tan. He taught me early on, led to my realization of mind’s nature, and I continue to learn from him. I also have an interest in Dzogchen, and have attended teachings by Ācārya Malcolm Smith in recent years.

Nature of mind is nature of mind—the same recognition in Zen/Chan, Mahāmudrā, or Dzogchen.
To underscore that unity, here are two comments by Ācārya Malcolm Smith (from DharmaWheel) quoted verbatim:
"There really is no difference between perfection of wisdom, mahāmudra, Chan/Zen, etc., and tregchöd. I have heard it said that Tulku Orgyen asserted that trekchöd exists in all yānas, perhaps EPK would be kind enough to confirm this. What separates from trekchöd from these other systems of the method of introduction. Trekchöd, like any secret mantra practice, is based on empowerment/introduction."
"Realization of Chan, Mahāmudra, and Dzogchen are all the same. The length of time it takes to gain that realization is what makes the distinction.
Your concept of ka dag is a bit limited though. Kadag is not simply emptiness, though it has been dumbed down in that way for people like you."
And in response to someone asking whether Dzogchen’s uniqueness is basically tögal:
"There are a number of things which make Dzogchen distinct, thögal is one, but there are others, the explanation of the generic basis is another, the specific preliminary practices related to thögal such as 'khor 'das ru shan and so on are others, and the general requirement for some kind of introduction either through the fourth empowerment of Mahāyoga, the ati yoga empowerment found in Anuyoga or the empowerment of the potentiality of vidyā.
As far as tregchö goes, there is really no difference between tregchö, Kagyu Mahāmudra and the meditation the view of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana — all three have the same point and all three depend on the experiential view imparted during empowerment.
I also want to point out that like the rest of Vajrayāna, Dzogchen practice, path and realization completely depends on the Guru. Guru Yoga is absolutely central to Dzogchen. Without guru yoga and devotion to a realized master, no progress at all is possible in Dzogchen, none whatsoever."
Dzogchen — how to sample it and where to go deeper
Start here (book): Crystal and the Way of Light by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu — a classic overview of Dzogchen.
Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Light-Chogyal-Namkhai-Norbu/dp/1559391359 
Next, register interest and attend live teaching:
• Contact page: https://www.zangthal.com/contact  — register your interest and ask to be notified of the next online teaching with Ācārya Malcolm Smith.
• Important: Dzogchen cannot be learned from books alone. One needs direct introduction (pointing out) and ongoing instructions from a qualified teacher. Make it a priority to receive introduction from Malcolm when a teaching is available.
Discuss & ask questions:
• You can raise practice/view questions directly with Ācārya Malcolm Smith via the contact page above.
• I also personally recommend reaching out to his realized student Kyle Dixon for clarifications and discussion: [facebook link redacted], his clarifications of dharma on Reddit have been helpful to many. (See: https://www.reddit.com/user/krodha/ and https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2025/03/better-document-formatting-and-new.html)
Sangha portals:
• Main site: https://www.zangthal.com/ 
• Forum: https://forum.zangthal.com/   — you may need to request access. In practice, it helps to express interest in attending Malcolm’s teachings first, then request forum access as directed by the sangha guidelines.
 Intro talk (to get a feel for Malcolm’s style):
 Short reading (view clarifications):
Mahāmudrā — my recommended teacher & books
For Mahāmudrā, I’ve long appreciated Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. All of his books are clear, practical, and deeply supportive for Mahāmudrā students.
• AtR: Thrangu Rinpoche attained Buddhahood (rainbow body) — reflections and links:
https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2023/11/thrangu-rinpoche-attained-buddhahood.html 
• AtR: All Thrangu Rinpoche’s 58 books at $35 (links list):
https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2022/01/all-thrangu-rinpoche-58-books-at-35.html 
If you want one place to begin, pick one Mahāmudrā book by Thrangu Rinpoche and work through it slowly while cross-checking view in practice.
Other teachers & sanghas you might appreciate
Finding a good, awakened teacher (why it matters)
In my experience, quality awakened teachers are essential. For background and criteria, see my AtR article “Finding an Awakened Spiritual Teacher and Sangha”:
https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2024/01/finding-awakened-spiritual-teacher-and.html  
If Dzogchen feels like home after a couple of months, contact Zangthal, receive introduction from Malcolm, and practice with guidance. If Mahāmudrā pulls you in, Thrangu Rinpoche’s books remain a superb self-study foundation. (Finding a good and accessible Mahamudra teacher is also important)
Happy to compare the “feel” of Dzogchen vs. Mahāmudrā in practice terms as you go—just let me know what’s landing and what isn’t.

Warmly,
Soh


Update 3rd September:

This is for those interested in Mahāmudrā:

His Eminence Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche - The Wisdom Experience

Why I Recommend H.E. the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche (and a new 5-year course you can join)

A while back I shared how much I enjoyed Mahamudrā: A Practical Guide and recommended its author, H.E. the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche. That post also noted his public transmission of the Concise Commentary on the Ocean of Definitive Meaning—the root text Rinpoche elucidates in the book. (Awakening to Reality)

Who he is (in brief)

Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche is the head of the Zurmang Kagyu school and the supreme lineage holder of its “Whispered Lineage.” He was born into the Sikkimese royal family and was recognized by H.H. the 16th Karmapa as the 12th Gharwang tulku. (The Wisdom Experience)

Why his Mahāmudrā book stands out

Rinpoche’s book is a clear, practice-ready manual that walks you from preliminaries through śamatha and vipaśyanā to the fruition. As H.H. Sakya Trichen notes in the foreword, it’s “a definitive manual” for aspiring Mahāmudrā students. You can find the book via Wisdom/Simon & Schuster or Amazon. (The Wisdom Experience, Simon & Schuster, Amazon)

  • Wisdom listing (with foreword note and description)

  • Simon & Schuster publisher page

  • Amazon product page (print/ebook)

New: Zurmang Kagyu Five-Year Program

I recently discovered that Rinpoche is offering a structured, five-year online curriculum in the Zurmang tradition. It’s designed for serious students who want steady study-and-practice under Rinpoche’s guidance. Access is currently listed at US$21 for 30 days, with free previews available. (Zurmang Kagyu)

What’s inside (snapshot):

  • Three core tracks: Bodhisattva Module, Vajrayāna Module, and Mahāmudrā Module (multi-year progression with teaching videos, readings, and guided sessions). (Zurmang Kagyu)

  • Live components: recurring teaching & meditation Zoom sessions and Monthly Q&A entries (archived by month). (Zurmang Kagyu)

  • Language support: a growing set of Chinese-language lessons alongside the English track. (Zurmang Kagyu)

  • Daily practice resources: a “Zurmang Daily Practices” section and lineage materials. (Zurmang Kagyu)

👉 Enroll or preview here: Zurmang Kagyu Five-Year Program (Thinkific). (Zurmang Kagyu)

How this fits with the book

The curriculum dovetails nicely with the Mahāmudrā manual: study the chapters, then use the course’s stepwise modules and Q&A to clarify view and deepen meditation. For context on the root text transmission I shared previously, see my earlier note on the Concise Commentary on the Ocean of Definitive Meaning. (Awakening to Reality, The Wisdom Experience)

If you’re considering joining

  • Who benefits: practitioners wanting a Kagyu Mahāmudrā path with consistent structure, feedback, and community touchpoints.

  • How to approach: pair reading (Mahamudrā: A Practical Guide) with the corresponding module lessons; keep a practice journal; bring questions to the Q&As. (The Wisdom Experience)

Links & references

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Innate and Imputing Ignorance
Soh
Dzogchen teacher Acarya Malcolm Smith:

“In the basis (Tibetan: གཞི, Wylie: gzhi) there were neutral awarenesses (sh shes pa lung ma bstan) that did not recognize themselves. (Dzogchen texts actually do not distinguish whether this neutral awareness is one or multiple.) This non-recognition was the innate ignorance. Due to traces of action and affliction from a previous universe, the basis became stirred and the Five Pure Lights shone out. When a neutral awareness recognized the lights as its own display, that was Samantabhadra (immediate liberation without the performance of virtue). Other neutral awarenesses did not recognize the lights as their own display, and thus imputed “other” onto the lights. This imputation of “self” and “other” was the imputing ignorance. This ignorance started sentient beings and samsara (even without non-virtue having been committed). Yet everything is illusory, since the basis never displays as anything other than the five lights.”

"Dualistic vision arises from the second ignorance, the imputing ignorance; not from the first ignorance, innate ignorance."

"First one has to recognize there are two kinds of ignorance (āvidya): afflictive ignorance and non-afflictive ignorance.

Afflictive ignorance is the first segment of the twelve segments of dependent origination.

Within non-afflictive ignorance there are also two kinds: the the ignorance of the absence of omniscience, for example, in Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas, and the knowledge obscuration from which innate self-grasping arises, which in turn is the cause for the three poisons. This knowledge obscuration is only eradicated in full buddhahood."


Kyle Dixon:

“I’m obviously preferable to the Dzogchen system because I started there and although branching out, my primary interest has remained there. But I do appreciate the run-down of avidyā or ignorance in the Dzogchen system because it is tiered and accounts for this disparity I am addressing. 

There are two or three levels of ignorance which are more like aspects of our delusion regarding the nature of phenomena. The point of interest in that is the separation of what is called “innate” (or “connate”) ignorance, from what is called “imputing ignorance.”

The imputing ignorance is the designating of various entities, dimension of experience and so on. And one’s identity results from that activity. 

The connate ignorance is the failure to correctly apprehend the nature of phenomena. The very non-recognition of the way things really are. 

This is important because you can have the connate ignorance remain in tact without the presence of the imputing ignorance. 

This separation is not even apparent through the stilling of imputation like in śamatha. But it can be made readily apparent in instances where you awaken from sleep, perhaps in a strange location, on vacation etc., or even just awakening from a deep sleep. There can be a period of moments where you do not realize where you are right yet, and then suddenly it all comes back, where you are, what you have planned for the day, where you need to be, etc., 

In those initial moments you are still conscious and perceiving appearances, and there is still an innate experience of the room being external and objects being something over-there, separate from oneself. That is because this fundamental error in recognition of the nature of phenomena is a deep conditioning that creates the artificial bifurcation of inner and outer experiential dimensions, even without the activity of imputation.”


u/krodha avatar
•

What happens if the mind stops declaring?

Nothing, you still possess a cognitive obscuration that conceives of existent entities.

Emptiness is not just about imputation, it is about how cognition is influenced by ignorance fundamentally. If emptiness only required a cessation of designation then we would all be Buddhas by virtue of stopping thought so we don’t assign characteristics and so on. However that isn’t the case, we still perceive objects even if we stop imputing.

This is why in some traditions the schema of ignorance (avidyā) is layered. There is the imputing ignorance, but beneath that is the connate ignorance, and so on.

Empty doesn't mean it doesn't exist, physically (or otherwise).

While we don’t have to define emptiness as a lack of existence (although most sūtras do), at base it is imperative to understand that perception of the rūpaskandha, or physical matter (the four material elements that comprise “form”), that is endowed with “substance” (dravya) is considered a cognitive error.

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