An Introduction to the Tibetan Dzogchen (Great Perfection) Philosophy of Mind
Religion Compass October 1, 2012 David Higgins 8 citations
Between the 8th and 14th centuries CE, the rDzogs chen (Great Perfection) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism developed a distinctive philosophy of mind centered on a crucial distinction between dualistic mind (sems) and primordial knowing (ye shes). This distinction allowed adepts to precisely describe, based on careful first-personal observation, what occurs when a human being becomes a buddha, and to articulate a disclosive model of goal-realization. The article traces the evolution of this distinction within its historical and doctrinal contexts, examines its subsequent clarifications as a soteriological model, and summarizes the tradition's reinterpretations of 'mind' and 'primordial knowing', concluding with an assessment of contemporary relevance to consciousness studies.