Dzogchen: An Immersion Course on Pure Awareness
Dzogchen is considered the highest and most profound form of meditation in the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Dzogchen teachings lay out a path of meditation that reveals the pure, nondual awareness — or rigpa — that is the mind’s true nature. Once recognized, the experience of rigpa radically transforms our experience of thoughts, emotions, and perception, fundamentally changing the way we see ourselves and relate to the world.
The Dzogchen path offered in Vajrayana Online consists of two sequential courses — Dzogchen Immersion and Dzogchen Deepening — which are designed to introduce the teachings, foster familiarity, and enhance one’s own understanding and experience. Both the Dzogchen Immersion and Deepening focus on a famed set of Dzogchen teachings known as The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point — perhaps the most well-known and cherished instructions on recognizing pure awareness. We will go through these teachings step by step, exploring a range of instructions and teachings from both traditional and contemporary teachers.
In the 6-month Dzogchen Immersion course, you will learn about the view and practice of Dzogchen, from an overview of its unique lineage and preparatory practices, to in-depth instructions on the recognition of pure awareness and how to sustain that recognition and discover liberation.
In the 3-month Dzogchen Deepening course, you’ll review and deepen your understanding and practice of the The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point — and your ability to apply them in daily life — through regular live webinars with Mingyur Rinpoche, weekly Zoom meetings with course instructors, interviews with other guest teachers, and weekly live guided meditation sessions with Tergar facilitators.
Who can take this course?
The prerequisites for joining the online Dzogchen immersion course are:
- Option 1: To have attended any in-person Tergar Path of Liberation Level 2 retreat with Mingyur Rinpoche or Khenpo Kunga.
- Option 2: To have received ngondro transmission and nature of mind pointing out from a qualified lineage holder, and have at least 5 years of regular meditation practice.
Questions about the prerequisites? Contact [email protected].
* You must fill out a form to verify that you meet the prerequisites after subscribing to Vajrayana Online.
What is included in this course?
- Weekly audio and video teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, with video subtitles and transcripts
- Live monthly webinars with Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Khenpo Kunga
- Interviews with leading western Dzogchen scholars and practitioners - Anne Klein, Erik Pema Kunsang, Matthieu Ricard, Marcia Schmidt, and others
- Live sessions with Instructors Cortland Dahl and Tim Olmsted
- Weekly readings on the practice of Dzogchen from a range of modern and classical lineage masters
- Optional personal practice interviews with the Tergar Instructors
- A range of resources for Dzogchen, including additional teachings, practice workbooks, and more
What topics are covered in this course?
- The Dzogchen lineage and the lives of great historical and contemporary masters
- The unique Dzogchen preparatory practices, such as the vajra stance and Dzogchen analytical meditation
- The view, meditation, and application of Trekchӧ, or “breakthrough,” one of the most important styles of Dzogchen practice
- The Dzogchen approach to pointing out rigpa, or pure, nondual awareness
- How to strengthen recognition through sky-gazing and other meditation practices
- Key points on integrating pure awareness with everyday life
Course Texts and Workbook
Four books will be referred to throughout the course. The instructors recommend that you purchase these texts in print or ebook editions:
Primordial Purity: Oral Instructions on The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point
by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Quintessential Dzogchen: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom by Tulku Urgyen
Perfect Clarity: A Tibetan Buddhist Anthology of Mahamudra and Dzogchen by Marcia Binder Schmidt
Vajra Heart Revisited: Teachings on the Path of Trekcho by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (This book will be released by the publisher in mid-September)
A course workbook will also be provided in pdf format once the course begins.
In order to subscribe to Vajrayana Online, you must first be a member of Tergar Learning Community.
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Subscribe to Vajrayana Online
Your subscription includes access to our current live course, to our full library of self-paced courses, weekly live sessions, webinars, personal interviews with Tergar Guides, and much more.
We aim to make Vajrayana Online accessible to everyone, which is why we provide three different pricing options. Feel free to choose the one that best suits your needs.
You will make the first payment after the free trial period. The subscription will automatically be renewed in accordance to the frequency you have selected. You can unsubscribe anytime, and no additional fees will be charged.
For more questions about the subscription, please visit our FAQs section.
Tergar is committed to making the benefits of Buddhist teachings and practices available to everyone.
If the subscription rate of $25 USD per month is a hindrance for you financially,
please do not hesitate to reach out to us via [email protected] to ask for a further reduced rate.
We offer financial assistance rates for certain countries, for students with limited budgets,
and for the monastic community.
You will make the first payment after the free trial period. The subscription will automatically be renewed in accordance to the frequency you have selected. You can unsubscribe anytime, and no additional fees will be charged.
For more questions about the subscription, please visit our FAQs section.
Tergar is committed to making the benefits of Buddhist teachings and practices available to everyone.
If the subscription rate of $25 USD per month is a hindrance for you financially,
please do not hesitate to reach out to us via [email protected] to ask for a further reduced rate.
We offer financial assistance rates for certain countries, for students with limited budgets,
and for the monastic community.