A systematic presentation of the path of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, by one of its most renowned proponents and rendered by a master translator.

Düdjom Lingpa (1835–1904) was one of the foremost tantric masters of nineteenth-century Tibet, and his powerful voice resonates strongly among Buddhist practitioners today. The Vajra Essence is Düdjom Lingpa’s most extended meditation on the path of Great Perfection, in many senses a commentary on all his other Dzogchen works. Dzogchen, the pinnacle of practice in the Nyingma school, is a radical revelation of the pure nature of consciousness that is delivered from master to disciple and perfected in a meditation that permeates every moment of our experience.

Revealed to Düdjom Lingpa as a visionary “treasure” text in 1862, the Vajra Essence takes the reader through seven stages of progressively deeper practice, from “taking the impure mind as the path” up to the practice of “direct crossing over” (tögal). The longest of Düdjom Lingpa’s five visionary works on Dzogchen, readers will find this a rich and masterful evocation of the enlightened experience. This is the first translation of this seminal work in any Western language, and B. Alan Wallace, with his forty-five-plus years of extensive learning and deep meditative experience, is one of the most accomplished translators of Tibetan texts into English. 

"The first in a three-volume set presents the revelations of Dudjom Lingpa, a highly influential mystic of 19th century Tibet. It is translated by B. Alan Wallace, widely respected for his lucid and readable translations of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904) was one of the foremost tantric masters of his time. This new series includes his five visionary teachings on the Great Perfection (Dzogchen), the pinnacle of practice in Tibet's oldest Buddhist school, along with three essential commentaries. Volume 1 contains four works explaining the view and practice of the Great Perfection, the signature style of meditation of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism: The Sharp Vajra of Conscious Awareness Tantra: This work is considered the root distillation of Dudjom Lingpa's wisdom. Essence of Clear Meaning: This definitive commentary, which unpacks the quintessential verses of The Sharp Vajra, is based on Dudjom Lingpa's oral teachings recorded by his disciple Pema Tashi. The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers: Dudjom Lingpa narrates the essential Dharma teachings from the perspective of an old man rejecting superficial appearances. The Enlightened View of Samantabhadra: A masterful exposition of the Great Perfection is revealed as a dialogue between wisdom beings who bestow a treasury of pith instructions and specific advice for practitioners. While the teachings in this series have inspired generations of Tibetans, only one of the eight texts has been published in translation--until now"--