Journey to Certainty: The Quintessence of the Dzogchen View: An Exploration of Mipham's Beacon of Certainty by Rinpoche Anyen

Author:Rinpoche, Anyen [Rinpoche, Anyen]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781614290179
Publisher: Perseus Books Group
Published: 2012-06-12T03:00:00+00:00

The Meaning of Lineage

There are an inconceivable number of teachings and an inconceivable number of empowerments contained in the four lineages in Tibetan Buddhism as well as in the Jonang teachings. However, we can condense the entire meaning of the sutra and tantra into a very small number of words. Some practitioners might wonder, “Why are there so many different empowerments and teachings when the meaning can be condensed into something so small?” or “Why do we need to have so many different teachings in different lineages?”

There is a reason for having such a great variety of teachings; they account for differences in individual personalities, devotion, and karma. In order to benefit all different kinds of beings, we need an inconceivable number of teachings in the sutra and tantra.

All of these teachings are organized into something that we call a lineage. Lineages are naturally organized based on lamas giving empowerments, transmissions, and upadesha instructions on how to practice the meaning of certain texts or teachings to their heart students in a continuous, unbroken line. When students keep samaya (Tib. dam tsig; words of honor) and practice properly, that particular lineage will not be cut. Thus, when a teacher has an authentic connection to the lineage, then the blessings of that lineage will not degrade. This enables the same teachings to keep benefitting beings in future generations, even though a master may have first given them a long time ago. The teachings of the Longchen Nyingthig are such a lineage, and they contain the pinnacle of all vehicles, the teachings of Atiyoga Dzogchen.

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