Alex Wilding

Now, let me not knock it. Getting into a peaceful, open, relaxed and even meditative state while walking the dog in the woods is without question a great thing. I used to do it quite a lot and loved it. And it's probably quite beneficial for the walker's health and their practice. But flaunting the level of one's practice and giving it a high label in public, it's not a good look.

Now, let me not knock it. Getting into a peaceful, open, relaxed and even meditative state while walking the dog in the woods is without question a great thing. I used to do it quite a lot and loved it. And it's probably quite beneficial for the walker's health and their practice. But flaunting the level of one's practice and giving it a high label in public, it's not a good look.

So we've turned our mind to Dzogchen. The preliminaries there may well start with a version of the ordinary preliminaries and special preliminaries that I just mentioned. Poor revolting thoughts. Hundreds of thousands of this and that. Dzogchen does have preliminaries of its own, however. These are largely unique to Dzogchen and include exercises designed

So we've turned our mind to Dzogchen. The preliminaries there may well start with a version of the ordinary preliminaries and special preliminaries that I just mentioned. Poor revolting thoughts. Hundreds of thousands of this and that. Dzogchen does have preliminaries of its own, however. These are largely unique to Dzogchen and include exercises designed

to make the student sharply aware of the sufferings of the six worlds of the cycle of existence, and to train their mind to focus on visualized syllables in a fascinating variety of ways. Again, you can look these up easily enough these days. Ryushin is a word that will tell you that you are in this territory, but there is not much point talking about them except with your personal teacher.

to make the student sharply aware of the sufferings of the six worlds of the cycle of existence, and to train their mind to focus on visualized syllables in a fascinating variety of ways. Again, you can look these up easily enough these days. Ryushin is a word that will tell you that you are in this territory, but there is not much point talking about them except with your personal teacher.

In the next stage, the Dzogchen student undertakes the two main parts of the body, so to speak, of Dzogchen practice. The first, known as treacher, as we just mentioned, or cutting through, is a practice of extremely relaxed attention to the nature of the mind. The instructions for this are couched in a different terminology. They make heavy use of the term Rigpa,

In the next stage, the Dzogchen student undertakes the two main parts of the body, so to speak, of Dzogchen practice. The first, known as treacher, as we just mentioned, or cutting through, is a practice of extremely relaxed attention to the nature of the mind. The instructions for this are couched in a different terminology. They make heavy use of the term Rigpa,

Some say that this term means awareness, some say no, that misses the point. I will say that I have seen some instructions that require a very close reading indeed to detect any difference from the step-by-step instructions for Mahamudra that we spoke about a few minutes ago.

Some say that this term means awareness, some say no, that misses the point. I will say that I have seen some instructions that require a very close reading indeed to detect any difference from the step-by-step instructions for Mahamudra that we spoke about a few minutes ago.

The second part of this body of practice is known as Turgal, variously translated as surpassing the skull, which is a bit literal. Leap over or direct crossing. This practice is either carried out in a dark retreat or by means of sky-gazing practices. It cultivates a range of optic phenomena leading through a series of experiences known as the four visions.

The second part of this body of practice is known as Turgal, variously translated as surpassing the skull, which is a bit literal. Leap over or direct crossing. This practice is either carried out in a dark retreat or by means of sky-gazing practices. It cultivates a range of optic phenomena leading through a series of experiences known as the four visions.

Yet again, sorry about this, nothing that I'm qualified in any way to talk about and nothing that would be useful to talk about outside of the teacher-student relationship. This Turgal practice is without question unique to Dzogchen.

Yet again, sorry about this, nothing that I'm qualified in any way to talk about and nothing that would be useful to talk about outside of the teacher-student relationship. This Turgal practice is without question unique to Dzogchen.

I think all but the most small-minded adherents of either of these schools would agree that they have a lot in common, even though details, liturgy and terminology are different.

I think all but the most small-minded adherents of either of these schools would agree that they have a lot in common, even though details, liturgy and terminology are different.

But if we all were to sit down at a table in the Double Doge restaurant to thrash this out over a bowl of delicious vegetable momos, I can hear the Mahamudra practitioner on my left claiming that Dzogchen is entirely okay, but it does have that weird Turgal stuff at the end. What's that about, then?

But if we all were to sit down at a table in the Double Doge restaurant to thrash this out over a bowl of delicious vegetable momos, I can hear the Mahamudra practitioner on my left claiming that Dzogchen is entirely okay, but it does have that weird Turgal stuff at the end. What's that about, then?

The Dzogchen practitioner on my right, however, is saying that Mahamudra is okay as far as it goes, but it doesn't have the final rocket ship offered by Turgal. As is usual with these things that are beyond words, I've already said an awful lot without hardly beginning.

The Dzogchen practitioner on my right, however, is saying that Mahamudra is okay as far as it goes, but it doesn't have the final rocket ship offered by Turgal. As is usual with these things that are beyond words, I've already said an awful lot without hardly beginning.