Translator's Note

The main part of this book consists of a series of discourses given by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche. One of them dates from as early as 1962, but on the whole, they were delivered during the 1970s, some in the East and some in the West. The talks were recorded, and were later transcribed and published in a small volume, probably in Kathmandu. A copy of this book was given to Padmakara with a request from Dudjom Rinpoche's consort, Sangyum Rigdzin Wangmo, for it to be translated. Thus it is thanks to her, and with her gracious permission, that these wonderful teachings are being made available to Western readers.

Unlike the other three schools of Tibetan Buddhism, which sprang up in the period following the persecution of King Langdarma and which are organized, in the main, around a particular leader or hierarch, the Nyingmapas, whose tradition goes back to the foundation of Buddhism in Tibet, did not form a single monolithic body. Elaborate institutions and complicated administration are somewhat foreign to the Nyingma spirit. The tradition evolved in a loose, uncentralized manner, producing a wide spectrum of teaching and practice, principally associated, as Dudjom Rinpoche says, with six great monasteries and their innumerable branch monasteries. This at least was the situation before the Chinese invasion. But then disaster struck; the monasteries were destroyed and those who were able escaped to India. As a means of preserving the integrity of the tradition, it was thought necessary to nominate a single leader around whom the scattered remnants could rally. This was a new departure for the Nyingmapas, and yet it posed no problem. As a master of immense learning and realization, as a tertön, as an unquestioned authority on the Nyingma teachings and especially the Great Perfèction, and as the acknowledged representative of Guru Padmasambhava himself, Dudjom Rinpoche was the unanimous choice. He was the object of spontaneous and universal veneration, and was duly recognized by the Dalai Lama as the leader of the Nyingmapas.

It was only indirectly, of course, that we Westerners, beginners in the practice, could vaguely glimpse the extent of his spiritual authority and his accomplishment as a master of the Great Perfection—the revered guru of many disciples who were themselves accomplished masters. But despite the humility and relaxed lightheartedness of Rinpoche's bearing, no one, when with him, could be unaware of being in the presence of a very great master, an embodiment of the teachings. As we often heard from the mouths of lamas and khenpos alike, "He simply was Guru Rinpoche."

All the more amazing then, that in addition to laboring tirelessly for the preservation and practice of the teachings among Tibetans in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, Dudjom Rinpoche took such a lively and compassionate interest in "foreign" disciples, both Eastern and Western. As the years passed, he traveled not only to the countries of South Asia and the Far East, but also to Europe and America. Like Guru Padmasambhava in Tibet, he established the Dharma in "distant barbarous regions," and according to the exacting standards of an authentic tradition. Finally, it was in Dordogne, France, that he chose to reside on a permanent basis. There, in January 1987, he passed away amid many marvelous signs, letting fall a stream of blessings that is still palpable.

For us Westerners, he was indeed a loving father. And although, as occasion required, he did not mince his words, and could speak sternly and to the point in appropriately colorful and graphic language, he was the personification of gentle kindness. His presence was a source of endless inspiration; his writings, the pattern of clarity and elegance. His oral teachings, as we hope this book will show, had the simple, uncluttered directness of true mastery, so accessible and clear. He was nevertheless, and as his brief autobiography indicates, a person of great modesty. Matter-of-fact about his training and work, he concealed his personal attainments beneath a veil of playful humor.

Dudjom Rinpoche holds a very special place for the members of the Padmakara Translation Group. Not only did he found his own teaching center at Laugeral, Dordogne, in 1980, but in the same year he gave his blessing to the first three-year retreat at Chanteloube, which he personally inaugurated and guided, giving many empowerments and essential teachings.

Working on this translation has been a great privilege and it is offered as a humble gesture of deep gratitude, however clumsy and imperfect. To the oral teachings contained in the original collection of transcripts, we have added a number of items that will perhaps be of interest to Western readers. These are a short autobiography, two poems, and a brief introduction to the Great Perfection. We are especially pleased to include this last item, which was translated in consultation with Kyabje Truishik Rinpoche. It is included with his gracious permission.

Written in Dordogne,
on the anniversary of Guru Rinpoche's birth,
August 2000