The Great Perfection — Longchen Nyingtik
LONGCHEN NYINGTHIG · 心髓
"Nyingtik" means "heart essence" — the most quintessential and most direct of all the Great Perfection teachings, and the very foundation of this centre's path of study and practice.
"Concealed at Samye Chimphu lies this treasure; revealing it, leaving no trace, is the sign — and from it arises the treasure-revealer Drimé Özer."
The Source of the Teaching
The origins of the Longchen Nyingtik can be traced back to the heart essence of the Great Perfection transmitted by the master Vimalamitra. It was brought to fruition by the omniscient Longchenpa (from whom the cycle takes its name), and in the eighteenth century the master Jigme Lingpa revealed the complete body of teachings as a mind treasure and spread it widely throughout the world.
The Path of Study and Practice
This teaching system dispenses with elaborate stages and points directly to the original face of mind; yet to truly realize it, one must still follow a master's personal guidance and practice in proper sequence.
Its progression runs roughly as follows: the common outer preliminaries (the four thoughts that turn the mind) — the uncommon inner preliminaries (taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, mandala offering, and guru yoga) — and on to the main practice of the Great Perfection: "cutting through" (trekchö) and "direct leap" (tögal).