The Journey

This Part is about “Tögal”, the “Direct Crossing Over”, realisation of the Trikãya; Enlightenment or Awakening. Tögal follows “Trekchö”, breaking through the substrate to reach the luminous zone that is the essence of clear light. It forms part of the Menngagdé practice in the Dzogchen tradition.

"In the four visions of all-surpassing realization gnosis manifests spontaneously as visions of spheres of light containing mantric syllables and images of buddhas, "vajra chains" (rdo rje lug gu rgyud), and buddha paradises (zhing khams). After these visions reach the limit of diversity and completeness, all appearances recede in the ground of reality (dharmatã, chos nyid), and the perfection for the three buddha bodies is attained [trikãya].

Pettit, John Whitney. Mipham's Beacon of Certainty: Illuminating the View of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection. Boston: Wisdom Publications. 1999 p.80.

Written material on Tögal can be quite challenging. The texts are difficult for the lay practitioner to fathom. The Pali, Sanskrit and Tibetan terminology is forbidding for all but accomplished scholars and practitioners. Fortunately, the 2016 B. Alan Wallace translation of Düdjom Lingpa’s Vajra Essence provides an invaluable resource and makes the teachings accessible to all.

These pages are about my own exploration to understand this mysterious Tögal. I’m going to refer to the texts, talk of my journey in meditative experience, dream exploration, share some poems that resonate, quotes that inspire, and my response to the teachings of some great masters.

In the next section I’m going to discuss the seven phases of achieving natural liberation in a single lifetime as presented in Volume 1 of the Vajra Essence: Heart of the Great Perfection by Düdjom Lingpa (translated by B. Alan Wallace). The Vajra Essence is a “Terma” and was held by Düdjom Lingpa as a mind treasure for many years before being committed to writing.

What is Enlightenment?

“WHAT MOST distinguishes Indian from Western philosophy is that all the important Indian systems point to the same phenomenon: Enlightenment or Liberation. Enlightenment has different names in the various systems --kaivalya, nirvana, moksha, etc. -- and is described in different ways, but the similarities among them are great. Perhaps the most significant is the agreement that enlightenment is intellectually incomprehensible; it cannot be understood or attained through conceptual knowledge, because it escapes all categories of thought. Hence Indian philosophy points beyond itself to a realization which transcends philosophy.”

Loy, David. Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta: Are Nirvana and Moksha the Same? Part PhD Thesis. National University of Singapore 2024.p65.

In the first text in a series of the three volumes that make up the Vajra Essence, Heart of the Great Perfection, Düdjon Lingpa sets out the phases required to make the Direct Crossing Over, under the guidance of a skilled master, in a single lifetime. I’m going to endeavour to describe these phases as a way of sharing my understanding of the Dzogchen teachings. Special mention needs to be made of the influence of B. Alan Wallace. Not only is this accomplished lama the translator of the Vajra Essence, but his many videos and books provide inspiration.

I invite you to work through the seven phases of “Tögal” as set out in this series of pages.