Three Lineages of Transmission. Extract from The Happy Twins, Eifel 2019

James Low

Extract taken from ‘The Happy Twins: Dzogchen and Mahamudra Autumn Retreat in the Eifel, 2019 James Low

The retreat focussed on two texts: The Mirror of Luminous Revelation, a terma text from Nuden Dorje Drophan Lingpa and The Mahamudra Middle Way of the Ganges spoken by Tilopa to Naropa. It also focused on how to respond, as Buddhists, to climate change and other world crises.

Transcribed by Jo Feat

Edited by Barbara Terris

Read the transcript here.

James explains the three types of transmission in dzogchen.

1. Direct transmission of the buddha’s mind, gyal-wa gong gyud [Tib.rGyal Ba dGongs brGyud].
2. Transmission to great meditators, (Rigdzin) using symbols, rig-dzin da gyud [Tib. Rig ‘Dzin brDa brGyud].
3. Transmission to humans using language in the ear, gang-zag nyen gyud [Tib. Gang Zag sNyan brGyud].

Listen to the whole retreat here. https://simplybeing.co.uk/audio-records/year/audio2019/autumn-2019-the-happy-twins