The Great Perfection

Tutorial for December 2021

The view of Dzogchen Buddhism is that you are already perfect, enlightened, awakened to One Life, exactly as you are. You and all living beings are pure, whole and complete, right here and right now. This is the “Great Perfection.” It is not developed or attained, it simply is.

How different that is from other religions and philosophies where every human being is considered to be full of original sin, flawed, and not whole. With the understanding that you are imperfect, life becomes a process of trying to fix the flaws and polish up the essential nature through atonement and other practices.

What would your life be if you came to know your “true nature” as the great perfection that it is? You would know the nature of your mind as spacious, luminous and compassionate. You would experience this true nature as who you really are. You would see that actually you are liberated from whatever pain you encounter, whatever suffering exists; you would see that you are beyond being defined by those encounters. You are essentially pure and will always be pure. You are also luminous and clear, with presence that is natural to who you are.

Describing your true nature as compassionate does not mean that you have ideas or actions that express compassion, more that compassionate awareness emanates from you in all ways that are radiant manifestations of One Life Awareness.

Once you become familiar with your true essence, your true nature, experiencing it and living it become your natural expression. You may still want to meditate and to practice in various ways to stabilize the recognition of your true nature. This does not mean practicing to achieve results, nor does it mean meditating to get somewhere. Instead, to keep on returning to the natural state of your true nature by recognizing it as such, utilize practice and meditation as simple reminders of what you already truly know. You know very deeply your true nature is the great perfection.

​Your true nature will become known to you as the ground of your being. That is who and what you truly are. Deepening your familiarity with this notion through practice and meditation will bring you to the full expression of your true nature. Your true nature is where you have always been, with wisdom, unlimited compassion and the capacity to benefit all living beings. This is the expression of the great perfection—your true nature.

So, there is truly nothing you can “do”—just everything you can “be.” Just to be present and allow everything to unfold as it will, having confidence in whatever outcome arises, is enough. You are the great perfection exactly as you are. There is no improvement necessary, nothing to fix, nowhere to go. Just be as you are, who you are.
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All religions, spiritual paths and philosophies have points of view. Beyond whatever point of view you assimilate, there is only you and your perception of what is. Your spiritual journey, your path, your point of view can be anything that resonates with you. There is not a single absolutely truthful explanation for what is, because what is, is indescribable. We share with you words that ultimately can do nothing but point in a direction, or circle around the absolute. Find your way by being you, with whatever point of view you wish. Be natural, love and be loved, and that is all there is.

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