Dzogchen pointing out instruction

Jeremy, modified 4 Years ago at 12/24/19 6:20 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/24/19 6:20 AM

Dzogchen pointing out instruction

Posts: 8 Join Date: 10/30/18 Recent Posts
Hi there, 

I'm just wondering whether anyone has advice on where or how to receive the pointing out instruction central to Dzogchen. I'm really just trying to get practical advice as opposed to debate the merit of this technique. Perhaps if people are keen to debate we can start a separate thread. 

From a quick look, it appears as though Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's sons provide the instruction, but I'm not sure how easy it is to catch them at their respective monasteries, and how many other preliminary practices are first required. 

Thanks in advance !
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Bardo, modified 4 Years ago at 12/24/19 7:06 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 12/24/19 7:06 AM

RE: Dzogchen pointing out instruction

Posts: 263 Join Date: 9/14/19 Recent Posts
There is this on the Wiki site:

Nyoshul Lungtok, who later became one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of recent times, followed his teacher Patrul Rinpoche for about eighteen years. During all that time, they were almost inseparable. Nyoshul Lungtok studied and practiced extremely diligently, and accumulated a wealth of purification, merit, and practice; he was ready to recognize the Rigpa, but had not yet had the final introduction. Then, one famous evening, Patrul Rinpoche gave him the introduction. It happened when they were staying together in one of the hermitages high up in the mountains above Dzogchen Monastery. It was a very beautiful night. The dark blue sky was clear and the stars shone brilliantly. The sound of their solitude was heightened by the distant barking of a dog from the monastery below. Patrul Rinpoche was lying stretched out on the ground, doing a special Dzogchen practice. He called Nyoshul Lungtok over to him, saying: "Did you say you do not know the essence of Mind?" Nyoshul Lungtok guessed from his tone that this was a special moment and nodded expectantly.

"There's nothing to it really," Patrul Rinpoche said casually, and added, "My son, come and lie down over here: be like your old father." Nyoshul Lungtok stretched out by his side. Then Patrul Rinpoche asked him, "Do you see the stars up there in the sky?"

"Yes."

"Do you hear the dogs barking in Dzogchen Monastery?"

"Yes."

"Do you hear what I'm saying to you?"

"Yes."

"Well, the nature of Dzogchen is this: simply this.

"Nyoshul Lungtok tells us what happened then: "At that instant, I arrived at a certainty of realization from within. I had been liberated from the fetters of 'it is' and 'it is not.' I had realized the primordial wisdom, the naked union of emptiness and intrinsic awareness. I was introduced to this realization by his blessing, as the great Indian master Saraha said: He in whose heart the words of the master have entered, Sees the truth like a treasure in his own palm."

Which is a variation of what the Buddha does very often as we can see in the Bahiya Sutta thus:

"Then, Bāhiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bāhiya, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."

Through hearing this brief explanation of the Dhamma from the Blessed One, the mind of Bāhiya of the Bark-cloth right then and there was released from effluents through lack of clinging/sustenance. Having exhorted Bāhiya of the Bark-cloth with this brief explanation of the Dhamma, the Blessed One left.


There are many interesting ways one can use words to initiate some sort of awakening. This happened for me while reading and contemplating suttas but this seems unrealistic or lazy for some people. You are asking specifically for Dzogchen style pointing out and here I'm not quite satisfying your curiosity, instead casting a larger net across the rugged contours of the spiritual lands. In that case I'd be happy to delete this comment to help tidy the thread.

The senses are the prelude to the unknown. 

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