The Distinctive Mindfulness of Dzogchen: Jigme Lingpa’s Advice on Meta-Awareness and Nondual Meditation
Religions June 21, 2022 Marc-Henri Deroche, Michael R. Sheehy 5 citations
In Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, mindfulness (smṛti/dran pa) is the foundation of the threefold development of wisdom: study, reflection, and cultivation. In Tibet, this model characterized the gradual approach to awakening, while the simultaneous approach emphasized a state beyond ordinary mindfulness. The Nyingma tradition, which holds Dzogchen as the ultimate teaching, sees these approaches as complementary. This paper analyzes two guidance texts on mindfulness by Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), including a first English translation of one. Jigme Lingpa articulates a twofold typology: an effortful, conditioned mindfulness and the distinctive mindfulness of Dzogchen inseparable from pure awareness (rigpa). He uses this framework to integrate Buddhist teachings and clarify alternative modes of practice along the Dzogchen path.