The Double Dorje: Looking at Modern Vajrayana Buddhism.
Ultimate Practices? Mahamudra and Dzogchen
Wed, 01 Jan 2025
Mahamudra and dzogchen are often spoken of as the “highest” practices of Tibetan Buddhism. How very exciting! Are they really? What does “highest” mean anyway? And what is the difference between mahamudra and dzogchen? Milarepa, who received Mahamudra teachings from Marpa the Translator Words or phrases you might want to look up: Dzogchen Mahamudra Chagchen Arhat Naropa Marpa the Translator Maitripa, Maitripada Rushen Sakya Pandita, Sapan Gampopa Trekchod (many spellings!) Togyal (also many spellings) David Jackson, “Enlightenment by a Single Means” #Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Dzogchen #Mahamudra
Full Episode
Hello, and a warm welcome to my good listeners, students of the Dharma, and those who are just interested. I'm Alex Wilding, this is the Double Doge Podcast, and today we're going to take a look at the super peak, pinnacle teachings of Mahamudra and Dzogchen.
To be cautious, I will say again that I am not your teacher, let alone for teachings as high as this, but perhaps we can get some sort of handle on what they are about, what difference there may be between them, and how they fit with other parts of Tibetan Buddhism, other streams of Buddhism as a whole, and indeed the spiritual life in general.
That's a ridiculously big ask, but we can have a nibble at it. Both the Mahamudra and Dzogchen systems present themselves as having the utter simplicity of direct realization at their heart. Both claim that the whole elaborate tantric system and procedure is not strictly necessary, that it's all a skillful means that might help us not to lose our way in the trackless vastness of the clear light.
In practice, serious practitioners of either of these systems are very likely to do at least some, and probably quite a lot, of the more conventional types of practice, but the teaching that these elaborate means are not necessarily or strictly required changes the perspective really quite a lot.
It does, on the other hand, open the door to people who fancy their chances by dropping study, dropping ethics, dropping preparation and just sitting around claiming to meditate on the true nature of the mind. Now if I had a penny for every random internet sage who became enlightened or realised just like that, I would be a rich man.
The temptation is obvious, but avoiding the trap can actually be a little bit tricky. Only today I saw on the internet, well, I mean, where else, a quote from Garabdorje, that is to say, the 7th century Garabdorje, who is credited with bringing the Dzogchen teachings to the human world, not the living one who is an important holder of the Dzogchen Tersar lineage and who lives in Bhutan.
The quote refers, amongst other things, to there being no commitments to keep, no empowerment to receive, and no particular conduct to adopt or reject. Sharp-eared or sharp-minded listeners will perhaps have already noticed that there being no particular conduct to reject is a particularly dangerous or pernicious idea if understood wrongly.
The point is, and it must be said, that there are also plenty of Internet people who will point this out themselves. They're not all daffodils. The statement starts from the point of view of perfect realization. When you are there, there is nothing else to do. If we are so proud as to think that we are already there and that we have no use for the path, then we are in slippery territory.
I think that's pretty obvious. Regular listeners might already be wondering why I haven't yet got to what I'm just about to say, so here goes. Please, if you possibly can, press whatever like or subscribe button that you have sharing with friends or on your social media timelines is particularly helpful.
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