Longchen Rabjam Drime Wozer (1308 – 1364): Homage to glorious Samantabhadra!  

Naturally occurring timeless awareness-utterly lucid awakened mind, is something marvelous and superb, primordially and spontaneously present. It is the treasury from which comes the universe of appearances and possibilities, whether of samsara or nirvana.

Homage to that unwavering state, free of elaboration.

The very pinnacle of spiritual approaches, the expanse in which the sun and moon orbit the most majestic mountain, is the expanse of the vajra heart essence-spontaneously present and utterly lucid, the expanse of the naturally settled state that entails no effort or achievement. Listen as I explain this superb, timelessly infinite expanse.

WITHIN THE EXPANSE of spontaneous presence is the ground for all that arises. Empty in essence, continuous by nature, it has never existed as anything whatsoever, yet arises as anything at all.

Within the expanse of the three kayas, although samsara and nirvana arise naturally, they do not stray from basic space-such is the blissful realm that is the true nature of phenomena.

Mind itself is a vast expanse, the realm of unchanging space. Its indeterminate display is the expanse of the magical expression of its responsiveness.

Everything is the adornment of basic space and nothing else. Outwardly and inwardly, things proliferating and resolving are the dynamic energy of awakened mind. Because this is nothing whatsoever yet arises as anything at all, it is a marvelous and magical expression, amazing and superb.

Throughout the entire universe, all beings and all that manifests as form are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened form.

What is audible, all sounds and voices without exception, as many as there may be, are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened speech.

All consciousness and all stirring and proliferation of thoughts, as well as the inconceivable range of nonconceptual states, are adornments of basic space, arising as the ongoing principle of enlightened mind.

Beings born in the six classes through the four avenues of rebirth, moreover, do not stray in the slightest from the basic space of phenomena.

The universe of appearances and possibilities, the six kinds of sense objects manifesting in dualistic perception, appears within the realm of the basic space of phenomena just as illusions do, manifest yet nonexistent.

Without underlying support, vividly apparent yet timelessly empty, supremely spacious, and naturally clear, just as it is, the universe arises as the adornment of the basic space of phenomena.

However things appear or sound, within the vast realm of basic space they do not stray from their spontaneous equalness as dharmakaya, awakened mind. Since the timeless state of utter relaxation is naturally empty and without transition or change, whatever manifests constitutes the scope of naturally occurring timeless awareness, the true nature of phenomena, merging in a single blissful expanse, without any effort, without anything needing to be done.

Sambhogakaya is unwavering natural lucidity. Even as anything at all manifests, it is by nature spontaneously present, uncontrived and unadulterated-a pervasive state of spontaneous equalness.

Due to the way in which the distinct, myriad display arises, emanations occur naturally-the amazing magic of what has ultimate meaning. They never stray from the wholly positive state in which nothing need be done.

Within awakened mind itself, which is without pitfalls, the spontaneous perfection of the three kayas, entailing no effort, is such that, without straying from basic space, they are spontaneously present and uncompounded. The spontaneous perfection of the kayas, timeless awareness, and enlightened activity, moreover, is a great amassing-the supreme expanse that is timelessly perfect, timelessly arising.

Timelessly and spontaneously present, this pure realm is without transition or change. With the perception of the true nature of phenomena within basic space, wisdom arises continuously as the adornment of that space. Not created or achieved, it abides timelessly. Like the sun in the sky, it is amazing and superb. Within this ultimate womb of basic space, timelessly and spontaneously present, samsara is wholly positive, nirvana is positive. Within the wholly positive expanse, samsara and nirvana have never existed. Sensory appearances are wholly positive, emptiness is positive.

Within the wholly positive expanse, appearances and emptiness have never existed.

Birth and death are wholly positive, happiness and suffering are positive. Within the wholly positive expanse, birth, death, happiness, and suffering have never existed.

Self and other are wholly positive, affirmation and negation are positive. Within the wholly positive expanse, self, other, affirmation, and negation have never existed.

Labeling takes place in confusion, for what is nonexistent is taken to exist. Given that the nature of things is similar to that of dream images, which have no basis, how exceedingly strange it is to fixate on samsara and nirvana as though they existed in their own right!

Everything is wholly positive, a supreme state of spontaneous presence. Since there never has been confusion, is no confusion, and never will be confusion, conditioned existence is merely a label.

However things appear or sound, within the vast realm of basic space they do not stray from their spontaneous equalness as dharmakaya, awakened mind. Since the timeless state of utter relaxation is naturally empty and without transition or change, whatever manifests constitutes the scope of naturally occurring timeless awareness, the true nature of phenomena, merging in a single blissful expanse, without any effort, without anything needing to be done.

Sambhogakaya is unwavering natural lucidity. Even as anything at all manifests, it is by nature spontaneously present, uncontrived and unadulterated-a pervasive state of spontaneous equalness.

Due to the way in which the distinct, myriad display arises, emanations occur naturally-the amazing magic of what has ultimate meaning. They never stray from the wholly positive state in which nothing need be done.

Within awakened mind itself, which is without pitfalls, the spontaneous perfection of the three kayas, entailing no effort, is such that, without straying from basic space, they are spontaneously present and uncompounded. The spontaneous perfection of the kayas, timeless awareness, and enlightened activity, moreover, is a great amassing-the supreme expanse that is timelessly perfect, timelessly arising.

Timelessly and spontaneously present, this pure realm is without transition or change. With the perception of the true nature of phenomena within basic space, wisdom arises continuously as the adornment of that space. Not created or achieved, it abides timelessly. Like the sun in the sky, it is amazing and superb.

Within this ultimate womb of basic space, timelessly and spontaneously present, samsara is wholly positive, nirvana is positive.

Within the wholly positive expanse, samsara and nirvana have never existed. Sensory appearances are wholly positive, emptiness is positive.

Within the wholly positive expanse, appearances and emptiness have never existed. Birth and death are wholly positive, happiness and suffering are positive. Within the wholly positive expanse, birth, death, happiness, and suffering have never existed. Self and other are wholly positive, affirmation and negation are positive. Within the wholly positive expanse, self, other, affirmation, and negation have never existed.

Labeling takes place in confusion, for what is nonexistent is taken to exist. Given that the nature of things is similar to that of dream images, which have no basis, how exceedingly strange it is to fixate on samsara and nirvana as though they existed in their own right!

Everything is wholly positive, a supreme state of spontaneous presence. Since there never has been confusion, is no confusion, and never will be confusion, conditioned existence is merely a label.

It is beyond the extremes of existence and nonexistence. Since no one has ever been confused at all in the past, no one is confused at present and no one will be confused later on. This is the enlightened intent of the original purity of the three planes of conditioned existence.

Since there is no confusion, nothing exists as some unconfused state. Supreme, naturally occurring awareness is timelessly and spontaneously present. .Since there never has been freedom, is no freedom, and never will be freedom, nirvana is just a label and there is no one who has ever known freedom. There never will be freedom, for there never has been bondage. Complete purity, like space, is free of being restricted or localized. This is the enlightened intent of the original purity of total freedom. In brief, within the ultimate womb of basic space, spacious and spontaneously present, whatever arises as the dynamic energy of its display – as samsara ormrvana – in the very moment of simply arising has never known existence as samsara or nirvana. Whatever arises in a dream due to the dynamic energy of sleep does not actually exist. There is only self-knowing awareness, the blissful place of rest, extending infinitely as the supremely spacious state of spontaneous equalness.

This is the first section of The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena, demonstrating that samsara and nirvana by nature do not stray from basic space.”

The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena

“Among the works in Longchen Rabjam’s famous collection, the Seven Treasuries, is this book commonly known as the Chöying Dzod. The Chöying Dzod consists of two texts: a set of source verses entitled The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena and Longchenpa’s own commentary on those verses, A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission (in which the source verses are included). Although we have published them individually, they are considered companion volumes.

Padma Publishing is engaged in the long-term project of translating into English the revered Dzogchen commentaries known as the Seven Treasuries, authored by the fourteenth-century Nyingma master, Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa). This masterpiece, admired by scholars for centuries, synthesizes more than 600 years of development in the spiritual tradition first brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava in the eighth century. Padma Publishing editions include the English translation as well as structural outlines, critical notes, lists of key terms, and glossaries.

Producing an English edition of the Seven Treasuries is a daunting task, both scholastically and linguistically. Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, late head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, felt that such a project would be an extremely important undertaking, but pointed out that these comprehensive and profoundly intricate texts presented enormous challenges to quality translation. Every line, and often each word, of Longchenpa’s text presents challenges. The Padma Translation Committee established a multi-leveled editorial process, similar to the traditional manner of translation projects in Tibet’s great monastic institutions. In addition to having received input and direction from Chagdud Rinpoche, the translators have benefited from several visiting scholars, who have lent their expertise in elucidating and clarifying difficult points in the texts.

It was Chagdud Rinpoche’s vision that the Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa be made available to Western students of the Dzogchen tradition, and for this reason he founded the Translation Project in 1987, inviting Richard Barron (Lama Chökyi Nyima) to assist Padma in its endeavors. To date, the Padma Translation Committee has produced five of the Seven Treasuries, as well as numerous sadhana texts, ritual liturgies, prayers, and other practice materials.”

The Life of Longchenpa The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast Expanse By Jampa Mackenzie Stewart

“Renowned as a peerless teacher, practitioner, and scholar, Longchenpa thoroughly studied and mastered every one of the many Buddhist vehicles and lineages of teachings existing in Tibet at his time. Through his radiant intellect and meditative accomplishment, in both his teachings and written works, he was able to reconcile the seeming discrepancies and contradictions between the various presentations of the view and the path within the many lineages of transmission. His written works are also famous for being able to transfer true blessings just by reading or hearing his enlightened words.