According to the Dzogchen teachings, the state of primordial enlightenment has never been confused. The basic state of buddhas is like pure gold that is not covered by any dirt. Dirt is the example for the confused thinking that temporarily takes place. If the gold always remains pure, there is no cleaning to be done and there is no achievement of purity, because it already is like that from the beginning. That is the analogy for the state of primordial enlightenment of self-existing wakefulness that was never confused. If, first of all, there is no being confused then how can you use the phrase ‘being liberated’? It is impossible, because liberation is totally dependent upon having been confused. Since the awakened state of the buddhas are not confused, you cannot really say that buddhas become liberated either. It is only because of being mistaken that confusion can be cleared up. Unless there is confusion it is not possible to be liberated.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
from the book As It Is, Vol. 1
translated by Erik Pema Kunsang
Read a random quote or see all quotes by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.
Further quotes from the book As It Is, Vol. 1:
- Space and awareness
- No matter what you do
- Satisfying people on all different levels
- Within space
- It is only your mind which experiences
- Motivation to achieve enlightenment
- It is only your mind that experiences
- What actually takes place
- Self-existing wakefulness
- Empty cognizance
- The single sphere of dharmakaya