What is Rigpa

An Eternal Now SG

The most important word in the intimate instruction section (man ngag sde) of the teaching of the great perfection is "rig pa". It is a word that has no effective equivalence in English, and within the last few years many translators have ceased to try and translate it at all when it is used as a noun in great perfection teachings and not as a verb (where it means "to know").

Today while translating a section from the Self-originated Self-arisen Original Purity revelations of Rigzin Godem (1337-1409), I came across a definition given by Padmasambhava that I feel is instructive for those with some doubts as to what "rig pa" is. He states:

“Rig pa” does not follow delusion after deluded appearances are consciously known (shes par rig) to be false

The operative term here is "consciously known" or "shes par rig". Rig pa is in fact a specific type of knowledge. Nevertheless, the word "knowledge", like the word "awareness", is a word too fraught with other connotations to be used to accurately translate the term "rig pa" in this context.

These days there is a real danger of people conflating Dzogchen teachings with the teachings of other so-called "non-dual" traditions such as Advaita, Kashmir Shaivism and so on. It is important to understand that "rig pa" is not some sort of over-arching uber-consciousness like the cit of sat cit ananda in Vedantic teachings.

Instead, rigpa is just the accurate knowledge of our own state, that deepens as we become more accustomed to the Dzogchen view.

I'm defining rigpa as consciousness without dualistic thought.

...acute because of moving, subtle, and apparent, vidyā is knowing, clear and unchanging

The nature of the mind is not free from traces, so it is called “mind”. That knowledge of the dharmakāya as empty is called “vidyā". That also gives rise to recognition of great clear emptiness. Remaining in that stage is called “wisdom”. Remaining without concepts, free from the errors of lethargy, agitation and so on, is called “dharmakāya”.

Posted by Malcolm Smith at 9:58 AM

An Eternal Now SG

In http://www.atikosha.org/2010/11/rigpa-ii.html

I asked Loppon Namdrol:

"Hi Namdrol,

As you mentioned about Hindu Vedanta... a question came to mind.

I was just reading someone's post half an hour ago in another forum ( http://collectionofthoughts.com/bbpress/topic/1499/page/7?replies=200 ). He/she ('star') states that according to Dzogchen view, everything is Consciousness, and therefore everything is real.

What is your comment on this?

Also, he/she states 'The Supreme Source' as a reference... in which I also personally have some questions regarding this book: in certain parts of the book, Consciousness is described as an all-creating agent, which sounds like God to me. How does Dependent Origination apply here?"

To which he replied that the view 'Consciousness is all and all is real' is a non-Buddhist view of Kashmir Shaivism:

"This person has confused the Trika non-dual view with Dzogchen.

The mind that is the all-creating king, as Norbu Rinpoche makes clear, is the mind that does not recognize itself, and so enters into samsara, creating its own experience of samsara.

All conditioned phenomena are a product of ignorance, according to Dzogchen view, and so therefore, everything is not real. The basis of that ignorance is the basis, which is also not established as real.

In Dzogchen, everything is unreal, from top to bottom. The basis, in Dzogchen, is described as being "empty not established in any way at all". If the basis is not real, then whatever arises from that basis is not real.

In Dzoghen, dependent origination begins from the non-recognition of the state of the basis, when this happens, one enters into grasping self and other, and then the chain of dependent origination begins. "

An Eternal Now SG

Reminds me of this article:

http://www.humanbliss.com.sg/article_f.asp?id=C164

什么是“心源”?

Someone asked my Master what is the Mind Source. Is it Buddha-Nature? (This is the common understanding in Zen)

My Master's answer which shocked them is this: The Mind Source, the Mind that is the Source of all phenomena, is ignorance.

This is the meaning of "when mind arises, all dharmas arise, when mind ceases, all dharmas cease".

simpo_ SG

Ha ha... i am currently re-reading the Supreme Source.

IMO, the part about the 'All Creating King/Source' addressing the assembly of disciples/Bodhisatvas/Teachers should not be taken figuratively. It is using a question-answer way of teaching for correcting problems and misunderstanding along the path.

I find it a very profound and deep book.. Every time i read it, the insight deepens a little.

An Eternal Now SG

Ha ha... i am currently re-reading the Supreme Source.

I find it a very profound and deep book.. Every time i read it, the insight deepens a little.

I see... thanks for sharing. I should re-read it some time when I'm free... think I'll have a new understanding of it now.