The Dzogchen Mandala

The primary purpose of Dzogchen Center is to make the teachings of Dzogchen accessible and practicable for Westerners. As is most often stated by Lama Surya Das, “the mission is transmission: making the heart-essence teachings of Dzogchen available and accessible in our language, our culture and our hemisphere.” Dzogchen Center has also over the years established various mission statements, all of which entail supporting the work of Lama Surya Das and the transmission of the study and practice, wisdom and enlightenment of Buddhism in the West.

Individuals who commit to Dzogchen Center over time involve themselves in fulfilling the organizational mission primarily by supporting its founding teacher, Lama Surya Das, in maintaining a long and productive tenure on his “teacher’s seat,” and through securing (perpetuating) the Dzogchen Lineage on this shore. At the same time, one pursues personal objectives including deepening one’s own practice as much as possible in this lifetime and committing wholeheartedly to the selfless Bodhisattva vow and path. Also, such individuals commit to the rimé (nonsectarian) tradition of the Dzogchen Lineage by supporting the transmission of Dharma to the West in a way that is truly nonsectarian, psychologically astute and exploratory, community oriented, socially and ecologically concerned, meditation-based and experiential, lay-oriented and integrated with modern life, egalitarian, and essentialized. In combination, all of these interact in a manner that provides an ever-deeper “vessel” to fulfill the mission of transmission.

In order to actualize what often has been referred to as the “Dzogchen Universe” in a holistic and effective way, this document describes the Dzogchen Mandala. The fundamental nature of the Dzogchen Mandala a) allows clear recognition of one’s relationship to the Mandala, b) provides an effective context for spiritual progress and development, and c) furthers understanding of various issues, problems, and reactions that may arise in the pursuit of the organizational mission and the individual objectives as noted above. Of course, it is implicit that this Mandala exists in relation to and in association with other groups, teachers and Dharma centers. Therefore, the Dzogchen Mandala itself serves as another gate to the blessed BuddhaDharma in all of its expressions within the contemplative traditions, including most especially the rich array of lineage traditions found in Tibetan Buddhism.

Gates to the Mandala

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Page Version: 06-Jun-2003 05:38