Dzogchen Archives - Journal of Contemplative Studies

Review of Being Human and a Buddha Too: Longchenpa’s Seven Trainings for a Sunlit Sky

Being Human and a Buddha Too is a seemingly simple yet penetrating introduction to the all-encompassing wholeness of being. This wholeness constitutes the core teaching of the Great Completeness (Dzogchen), the epitome of all Buddhist paths for the ancient Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As a comprehensive look at Tibetan Buddhist perspectives on mind and reality, this book will certainly yield helpful clarifications to philosophically-inclined scholars—however, it is first and foremost a practice manual for those who seek to pierce the mystery that guided the author’s own journey within this wisdom tradition: How can one be at once human and a buddha too?

Sky Divination: An Elemental Practice from the Unimpeded Sound Tantra

This article comprises an introduction to and annotated translation of passages from the Unimpeded Sound Tantra (Sgra thal ‘gyur) and one of its earliest known commentaries from the twelfth century. The passages describe divination practices involving the interpretation of elemental signs that manifest as omens in the sky to determine a community’s collective karma and destinies. The article explores how these materials invite reconsiderations of Buddhist contemplatives as world-abdicating renunciates, emphasizing instead a vision of contemplative life immersed within the overlapping social domains of human, non-human, and more-than-human beings.