Primordial Experience: An Introduction to rDzogs-chen Meditation [Paperback]

Well this book is not among the few exceptions: It is dreadful. After the read-one-you've-read-them-all forward by Namkai Norbu we have a quite pitiful preface by the author entitled "How This Book Was Written", followed by "A Note" by a psychologist who "collaborated" in the translation in order, if I understand things correctly, to keep the translators from writing gibberish. Despite invoking Ezra Pound and Fritz Perls and who knows what other deities, the sad thing is that he failed miserably: This book is the epitome of the gibberish I've grown so tired of in this body of literature. It's also got the usual confusion as to whether it wants to be a scholarly text, with all sorts of arcane notes and appendices at the end, or "An Introduction to rDzogs-chen Meditation" as it is subtitled.

Only two things keep this book from being a complete disaster. First, unlike many Dzogchen books, it has some organization to it. After the preliminaries, the book begins with an introductory section containing a short section on the text and its author, then a thoroughly incomprehensible section that I think is trying to lay the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of the root text, followed by an equally incoherent section on meditation. Then there is the root text (more later), followed by an astounding line-by-line commentary on that text: astounding because it actually obscures any clarity or insight one might have gained from the root text! I would not have thought it possible! The book then ends with 44 pages of assorted academic stuff. So the broad outlines of the book make sense, even if the actual writing usually doesn't.

Second, the other saving grace is the actual thirteen pages of verses that make up the translation of Manjushrimitra's root text. This is a highly revered text that dates to the early days of the Dzogchen tradition, and there is, unfortunately, no other English translation. If you like to read such historic root texts and already know a fair amount about the subject matter, the language is slightly more straightforward than elsewhere and you might get something out of reading it, but really not anything you can't find better articulated in other books.

In general and in summary, I just find it hard to believe this book is going to move a single sentient being even a nano-iota closer to enlightenment. If you're really interested in reading about and practicing Dzogchen and have received the transmission, I'd really suggest you spend your money on John Reynolds' books, and spend your time practicing. This book is a waste of both.

But the commentary for some of the verses reveal that there is inadequate understanding. For example, verse 122 which reads:

"The ways of overcoming (limitations), the facets (of pure and total presence), the four forms of ever-fresh awareness of the alikeness (of everything),, which are undisturbed (by negative conditions), are known in this (practice)."

The commentary reads:

"The four forms of ever-fresh awareness that thoroughly grasp teh fundamental alikeness (that characterizes) the ultimate content of what is and that are are conditioned by any obstacles; the thirty-seven facets of pure and total presence; the ten ways of overcoming (limitations), etc.; and that which is positive for an individual (relatively speaking), as well as all the positive qualities that belong to the level of the ultimate goal, are known quickly through the reflexive flash of knowing that gives awareness it quality, and brought together in the teaching of the true sense of cultivation".

Another point which I would like to point out is that it is better to read the 157 verses, think about them before reading the commentary. Do not agree with the commentary blindly.

Overall, this book provides good information about rDogs-chen philosophy.