Approaching the Great Perfection (Sam van Schaik)
An Important Read for Students of Togal
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Approaching the Great Perfection: Simultaneoud and gradual Methods of Dzogchen Practice in the Longchen Nyingtig” by Sam van Schaik.]
This book was recommended to me by a fellow reviewer of “Natural Perfection” (a book he gave five stars and I gave two). Given our disparate viewpoints on Dzogchen teachings, I doubted I’d find this text (which he gave five stars) one that I deeply resonated with - and I was right.
First off, the writing of both Sam van Shaik and Jigma Lingpe, the author of “Longchen Nyingtig,” is mediocre. I specialize in composing explicative spiritual literature, and I found myself cringing at the choice of various words and terms. For example, van Shaik uses the term “reflexive awareness” as a synonym for “rigpa,” the nirvanic mode of awareness, and this term is utterly inappropriate. In fact, “rigpa” which I term “plugged-in presence” in my teachings, is non-reflexive, or un-recoiled, or un-retracted, awareness. Van Shaik also uses the term “gnosis” as a synonym for “rigpa,” or “everpresent nondual and nonconceptual awareness,” and again, this is an inappropriate term. Gnosis is what a meditator experiences after his awareness penetrates into Ultimate Reality; it is not the act of penetration itself. Do other Dzogchen authors use the same terms as van Shaik? Yes, and I downgrade them as well for their inappropriate parroting.
In the Introduction, van Shaik writes: “The Instruction Series, on the other hand, gradually increased in popularity from its appearance in the eleventh century and in time supplanted entirely the Mind Series and the Space Series, becoming by the eighteenth century the only form of the Great Perfection still practiced.” This statement contradicts reality. For example, eminent contemporary Dzogchen master Namkhai Norbu received not only the Instruction Series transmission from his gurus, but also the Mind Series and the Space Series transmissions. Moreover, Norbu teaches Space Series Dzogchen, as evidenced by his text “The Cycle of Day and Night,” an elaboration of Garab Dorje’s teachings.
I find the teachings of Jigme Lingpa a mixed bag. I appreciate his spot-on criticisms of Yogacara Madhyamaka, and the Gelug School (see my one-star reviews of Jeffrey Hopkins’ “Meditation on Emptiness and Guy Newland’s “Introduction to Emptiness” for more such criticism), but I don’t find him a particularly clear and cogent exponent of the Great Perfection. And the fact that his own sadhana focused minimally on Atiyoga, as does “Longchen Nyingtik,” further informs me that he was not a reincarnation of Longchen Rabjam. “Longchen Nyingtig” seems to derive heavily from the teachings of Rabjam, Tsele Natsok Rangdrol, Dagpo Tashi Namgyal, and others, and the fact that it integrates various revered Tibetan teachings into a single text, rather than displays unique brilliance a la Rabjam, probably accounts for its becoming a standard Nyingmapa work.
It’s almost a distortion to label Lingpa a champion of Dzogchen. He argues strongly for other levels of practice alongside the Great Perfection, and as van Shaik points out, in “Longchen Nyingtig” only one Great Perfection text, “Yeshe Lama,” sets out the specific instructions for the practice and the levels through which [Dzogchen] is to be approached.”
Lingpa places leapover (togal) over breakthrough (trekcho) as the highest Great Perfection practice, and provides seven reasons for doing so. I find Lingpa’s version of leapover, which doesn’t match the one I teach (channeling Clear-Light Energy, the Sambhogakaya) to be anathema to the ideal of the Great Perfection. Lingpa’s version emphasizes visual phenomena, and any spiritual practice that focuses attention on objective phenomena should not be classified under the rubric of Dzogchen.
I also reject Lingpa’s system of esoteric spiritual anatomy. For example, in his text “The Subsequent Tantra of Great Perfection Instructions,” he says mind is located in in a channel in the lungs, while wisdom is located in the physical heart. What nonsense! And there’s plenty more such nonsense in the text.
I like Lingpa’s text “Vajra Verses on the Natural State,” but he tends to be loose and imprecise with his language and terms. For example, he writes, “Mindfulness arising is the sambhogakaya.” No, it’s not. If such makeshiftness doesn’t bother you, then you will probably enjoy and appreciate his creative Dharma verses.
Lingpa writes: “The heart essence of the teaching is not [given out] at the door. It is necessary that the transmission of the truth descend into one’s heart.” Unfortunately, he never elaborates on this, whereas in Hindu tantra, it is made clear that it is Shakti (the Sambhogakaya in Buddhism) that descends into and cuts the heart-knot, thereby enabling the yogi to awaken as the Self, a Buddha.
In summary, this book is an important and worthwhile read for anyone interested in Jigma Lingpa and/or the “Longchen Nyongtig.” But if you’re simply interested in Great Perfection teachings, I suggest texts by Longchen Rabjam and Norkhai Norbu over this one.
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “Approaching the Great Perfection: Simultaneoud and gradual Methods of Dzogchen Practice in the Longchen Nyingtig” by Sam van Schaik.]
This book was recommended to me by a fellow reviewer of “Natural Perfection” (a book he gave five stars and I gave two). Given our disparate viewpoints on Dzogchen teachings, I doubted I’d find this text (which he gave five stars) one that I deeply resonated with - and I was right.
First off, the writing of both Sam van Shaik and Jigma Lingpe, the author of “Longchen Nyingtig,” is mediocre. I specialize in composing explicative spiritual literature, and I found myself cringing at the choice of various words and terms. For example, van Shaik uses the term “reflexive awareness” as a synonym for “rigpa,” the nirvanic mode of awareness, and this term is utterly inappropriate. In fact, “rigpa” which I term “plugged-in presence” in my teachings, is non-reflexive, or un-recoiled, or un-retracted, awareness. Van Shaik also uses the term “gnosis” as a synonym for “rigpa,” or “everpresent nondual and nonconceptual awareness,” and again, this is an inappropriate term. Gnosis is what a meditator experiences after his awareness penetrates into Ultimate Reality; it is not the act of penetration itself. Do other Dzogchen authors use the same terms as van Shaik? Yes, and I downgrade them as well for their inappropriate parroting.
In the Introduction, van Shaik writes: “The Instruction Series, on the other hand, gradually increased in popularity from its appearance in the eleventh century and in time supplanted entirely the Mind Series and the Space Series, becoming by the eighteenth century the only form of the Great Perfection still practiced.” This statement contradicts reality. For example, eminent contemporary Dzogchen master Namkhai Norbu received not only the Instruction Series transmission from his gurus, but also the Mind Series and the Space Series transmissions. Moreover, Norbu teaches Space Series Dzogchen, as evidenced by his text “The Cycle of Day and Night,” an elaboration of Garab Dorje’s teachings.
I find the teachings of Jigme Lingpa a mixed bag. I appreciate his spot-on criticisms of Yogacara Madhyamaka, and the Gelug School (see my one-star reviews of Jeffrey Hopkins’ “Meditation on Emptiness and Guy Newland’s “Introduction to Emptiness” for more such criticism), but I don’t find him a particularly clear and cogent exponent of the Great Perfection. And the fact that his own sadhana focused minimally on Atiyoga, as does “Longchen Nyingtik,” further informs me that he was not a reincarnation of Longchen Rabjam. “Longchen Nyingtig” seems to derive heavily from the teachings of Rabjam, Tsele Natsok Rangdrol, Dagpo Tashi Namgyal, and others, and the fact that it integrates various revered Tibetan teachings into a single text, rather than displays unique brilliance a la Rabjam, probably accounts for its becoming a standard Nyingmapa work.
It’s almost a distortion to label Lingpa a champion of Dzogchen. He argues strongly for other levels of practice alongside the Great Perfection, and as van Shaik points out, in “Longchen Nyingtig” only one Great Perfection text, “Yeshe Lama,” sets out the specific instructions for the practice and the levels through which [Dzogchen] is to be approached.”
Lingpa places leapover (togal) over breakthrough (trekcho) as the highest Great Perfection practice, and provides seven reasons for doing so. I find Lingpa’s version of leapover, which doesn’t match the one I teach (channeling Clear-Light Energy, the Sambhogakaya) to be anathema to the ideal of the Great Perfection. Lingpa’s version emphasizes visual phenomena, and any spiritual practice that focuses attention on objective phenomena should not be classified under the rubric of Dzogchen.
I also reject Lingpa’s system of esoteric spiritual anatomy. For example, in his text “The Subsequent Tantra of Great Perfection Instructions,” he says mind is located in in a channel in the lungs, while wisdom is located in the physical heart. What nonsense! And there’s plenty more such nonsense in the text.
I like Lingpa’s text “Vajra Verses on the Natural State,” but he tends to be loose and imprecise with his language and terms. For example, he writes, “Mindfulness arising is the sambhogakaya.” No, it’s not. If such makeshiftness doesn’t bother you, then you will probably enjoy and appreciate his creative Dharma verses.
Lingpa writes: “The heart essence of the teaching is not [given out] at the door. It is necessary that the transmission of the truth descend into one’s heart.” Unfortunately, he never elaborates on this, whereas in Hindu tantra, it is made clear that it is Shakti (the Sambhogakaya in Buddhism) that descends into and cuts the heart-knot, thereby enabling the yogi to awaken as the Self, a Buddha.
In summary, this book is an important and worthwhile read for anyone interested in Jigma Lingpa and/or the “Longchen Nyongtig.” But if you’re simply interested in Great Perfection teachings, I suggest texts by Longchen Rabjam and Norkhai Norbu over this one.
