I have been interested in the Dzogchen practice of Thogal. Would you suggest any sources or web-sites about this?

I am looking for a translation in english (or french) of the following book in Chinese Mandarin: 大圆满前行法海 It is a book in the Bön tradition about Dzogchen.

In my estimation the answer is decidedly **no**, but I am interested to hear what others think from a Mahayana or Madhyamaka perspective. First, to try and clarify terms I am using scientific realism/materialism as described here: - Scientific Realism - Scientific Materialism - Historicity While the above links do a pretty good job of describing these worldviews I don't think they are perfect. In my own imperfect language I'd say these worldviews presuppose an objective world that exists in an independent and inherent manner. I think this is the default worldview of most lowly beings and certainly of western or modern society. The idea is that the practice of science gets us ever closer to the true and fundamental underlying material reality with the presupposition that there *is* a true and fundamental underlying material reality that exists in the first place. In this worldview, the laws of physics inherently exist and everything can be reduced to some fundamental building blocks of nature evolving in time according to those laws. That there is a truth of the matter about every historical event that is independent of any subjective consciousness. In short, that things exist inherently and not as mere conventions. To my mind, anyone who believes in these worldviews has not fully grokked the deep and subtle meaning of Mahayana/Madhyamaka emptiness. To be clear, I am not talking about the *practice* of science which I see as *distinct* from the worldviews above. To define by way of contrast, consider this alternative scientific worldview that does not presuppose an underlying observer independent physical reality. By the way, here is an article written by the author of Relational QM on the comparison of his work to Nagarjuna. Is this correct? What have I gotten wrong?

I am looking to learn and get initiation into Dzogchen eventually leading into Tögal and trekchö. Coming from a Indian yogic tradition the rainbow body of perfection is the pinnacle of yogic achievement. I would consider it an honour to get initiated under a master in an accomplished lineage for this purpose alone. Also any good books that discuss the rainbow body and the dzogchen practices such as chord, trechko and togal will be immensely useful. Please give me suggestions. Respectfully, B

In relation to the comment in this answer '... regular Buddhism is college - Dzogchen is like a PhD.' Also, Sam Harris seems to endorse Dzogchen. I am reading online like the wiki page etc. Does not seem to be any massive difference or something out of ordinary. Can somebody please explain.

I think both substrate and rigpa are not a state - they pervade into states. Substrate consciousness pervades on waking state and dreaming state - so in the substrate consciousness we can have lucid dream, where we are aware that we are dreaming (or substrate consciousness is aware that we are dreaming). Rigpa pervades sleep state (without dream) as well as waking state and dreaming state - so rigpa can be aware of rigpa when we are in deep sleep. In other words, something is awake when we are in deep sleep because rigpa is aware of rigpa. Is my understanding correct? --- I need to elaborate my questions. Rigpa is different from what is achieved from Zen or other non-dual traditions such as Vedanta or Shavism, and Rigpa can be achieved when we go one step further from being aware of being aware. In Vedanta, Turiya can be recognized when being aware of being aware, and something(not a state) pervaded into wake, dream and deep sleep state, so in Turiya we can dream with recognizing the dream(lucid dream), when we are fully settled in Turiya. But "when we go one step further," only thing I can presume is that something can be recognized when being in deep sleep. So it could be called Rigpa, as Rigpa is aware of Rigpa when in deep sleep. What I am trying to say is not criticizing his teaching; I respect his teachings. Also the explanation on Vedanta is just reference to describe the question, mostly coming from Ken Wilber's book - Vedanta is not the topic here. I just want to clarify my understanding on the teaching and what Rigpa is. Please help me to understand.

What are some signs that one might be seeing the three characteristics with more clarity or depth? What might represent that one is having a new and more profound experience of impermanence, dukkha or not-self during one's practice or during any time? **Here are some examples of what is meant by sign:** - When we finish sweeping the floor, that might be a sign of impermanence. - If an annoying song keeps repeating in the mind that we can't control then that might be a sign of not-self. - We strongly misidentify the body as the self. If while meditating we see past the concept of the body then we might strangely feel like we have no body at some point. This no body effect might be a sign of not-self.

The Dzogchen-tradition first appeared in the first half of the 9th century. According to tradition, the Dzogchen teachings were brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Dzogchen is the understanding that enlightemeht cann't be found outside a person, but is immediatally present in a persons mind and consciensness. When I read it like that it seems te me that Buddha was actionally a Dzogchen (avant la lettre). But if so (i'm not sure) why is there a different separate tradition born?

Recently I came across a progressive series of workshops working out of the Kusum Rangshar (by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen) where one of the classes revolved around a practice called Thögal (ཐོད་རྒལ་). Searching for this term to determine what exactly it is has not been particularly fruitful in English-language sources other than to say that it is linked with the practice of dzogchen, so I am wondering if there is a reasonable high-level description of what it is or what it entails?

Could someone provide a brief (good-SE-answer-size) description of the three terms: Lamrim, Dzogchen, and Mahamudra. Specifically, are they different examples of one particular thing, are they progressive or parallel stages, etc. Also, if there was a way to "map" them against other traditions (e.g. "Lamrim is similar to the Visuddhimagga" etc) that would useful. I've read about all three using the usual sources (Wikipedia etc) but it's like wading through mud trying to get a clear picture.