Nyima Dakpa - The Inner Mirror: A-tri Dzogchen

The Inner Mirror

The Inner Mirror

A-tri Dzogchen

Latri Khenpo Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche

Foreword by His Holiness, the 34 th sMenri Trizin

Edited by Genyen Nyima Rangshar

Dream Abbey

5551 2 nd Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55419 USA

dreamabbey.com

2019 Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or translated in any form or by any means, electronical or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This paperback edition first published in 2019. Printed on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Control Number:2019945910

ISBN 978-1-951105-00-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-1-951105-01-3 (ebook)

Contents

Tonpa Shenrab - The Enlightened One Founder of Bn

Foreword

By His Holiness, the 34 th sMenri Trizin, worldwide spiritual leader of the Bn religion.

In recent years there has been a great increase worldwide in spiritual values, inner transformation, and improving the quality of our mind. The global interest in mindfulness and related practices, whether yoga, meditation or more formal religious practice, demonstrates the human need for improvement in our inner, spiritual lives. Yungdrung Bns 18,000-year spiritual tradition has always been present for those who want to use it for their own personal spiritual development and to help others.

Now it is even more important that Bn teachings be available to people worldwide, and essential to have important Bn texts available in English for a worldwide audience of spiritual seekers.

For this reason, Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche has written this book, an explanation and commentary on the Fifteen-Session A-tri Dzogchen text. This text is a key text in the Dzogchen cycle of teachings. Dzogchen is the highest of the Bn teachings, and is crucial for understanding and improving our mind.

Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche, a senior Rinpoche at sMenri Monastery, has taught Dzogchen and other Bn teachings worldwide for over thirty years. Rinpoche is a dynamic speaker and teacher who has a keen ability to touch the hearts of his students. Now Rinpoche has written this book in a clear, understandable way that makes these important teachings more accessible to Western practitioners.

I am pleased with Rinpoche's hard work and dedication in writing this book, and I trust that this book will be helpful to many practitioners to implement these important teachings in their practice.

With my blessings and prayers,

sMenri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal

Acknowledgement

Many years of time and effort went into creating this book, The Inner Mirror , based on the Fifteen Sessions of the A-tri tradition of Dzogchen. I wrote this book in many places, during my travels to teach Bn to my students in the West. Many students were able to learn about Bn from my previous book, Opening the Door to Bn . The Inner Mirror will allow these students to deepen their knowledge and experience of the practice and learn advanced Dzogchen teachings.

I am thankful to many people who have been instrumental in helping me with this book. Without their inspiration and continued support, this book would not have become a reality.

I would like to thank to my center in Poland, and the Audio Committee of Sharza Ling Institute, for recording my several years of teaching of the Fifteen Sessions of A-tri Dzogchen, on which this book is based. I thank them also for all the other work they have done to help me bring Bn to my students.

I thank my student from Ukraine, Maya Samara, who transcribed the recordings to make the first transcription of this book. Her pure dedication and hard work created a genuine and meaningful contribution to this book.

My thanks go to Eleanor Capanegro, my student in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for her help with the artwork for this book.

I also thank my student Nick Tichawa, the current Umdze of Yeru Bn Center, for all his time and assistance, particularly with the final proofing and assembly of the book.

I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to my long-time serious student, David Peteler, who helped with editing and proofing this book and providing suggestions to make this book even more valuable. He and his wife Deborah Peteler have encouraged me all the time, in all of my work, and especially on this book. Whenever I needed anything, they have always been there, with no questions. From the core of my heart, I thank you both with great appreciation.

I am especially grateful to Deborah Peteler, who was my strong backbone on this book, for her encouragement, her help with obtaining all the materials I needed, and her forceful enthusiasm and encouragement to help me complete this book. I also thank her for her kind help in designing the cover of this book. And I am grateful to her ongoing support of Yeru Bn Center as well as her family.

I thank all of those who have been part of this book in many ways, even though their names are not mentioned here.

Finally, I dedicate all the merit received from this book to all supporters and people on the earth for peace and harmony; to the long duration of the Dzogchen wisdom. May this book be the cause of readers to reach the final attainment of rainbow body.

Latri Khenpo Nyima Dakpa

Introduction to A-tri Dzogchen

Tonpa Shenrab, the Enlightened One and founder of Bn, gave the teachings of Bn to mankind. These teachings, known as The Nine Ways of Bn, are well known. Also commonly known are the Three Transmissions of Bn, which are outer, inner, and secret.

The outer transmission ( chi gyud ) is transmitted through the manifestation body ( tulku ) of the Enlightened One. The inner transmission ( nang gyud ) is transmitted through the perfection body ( dzogku ). The secret transmission ( sang gyud ) is transmitted through the Primordial Enlightened One ( bnku ). The secret transmission has three main traditions, which are the teachings on A-tri , the Zhangzhung Nyengyud , and Dzogchen . Among these traditions, this book belongs to the A-tri tradition.

In the eighth century, the Buddhists came from India to Tibet. Yungdrung Bn, the root of the Tibetan culture, religion, and language, was discriminated against and put in the position of almost losing its identity; particularly at risk were the highly developed traditions of these practices. They remained almost in name only. During this crisis time, when it was needed most, The Great Hermit (Gongzoed Ritrod Chenpo, 10381096), revived the A-tri teaching system. Ritrod Chenpo is known as the Great Preserver of these experiential teachings, and his work was like that of the Enlightened One appearing in human form. The Great Hermits three great accomplishments were to revive the dying experiential transmission ( nyam gyud ) hermit tradition, by creating an A-tri Dzogchen practice manual for the sake of all sentient beings; preserving the hermit system of meditation; and training and educating a new generation of practitioners to carry on the lineage of this tradition.

Ritrod Chenpo created the A-tri practice manual based on the Dzogchen series of teachings, which was directly transmitted by Kungtu Zangpo, and also the texts known as The Nine Circles of the Hidden Enlightened Mind ( Jang Sem Gappa Gukor ), The Ninefold Lower Mind ( Sem Mad Dhe Gu ), and also his own mind-treasury from his personal practice of Dzogchen.