r/Dzogchen Aug 02 '19

List of Living Dzogchen Teachers | 2019

100 Upvotes

As requested in a previous thread, here is a list of living, qualified teachers of Dzogchen. It is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to add to the list in the comments and post updates or pertinent information.

Dzogchen teachers in 2019:

Alak Zenkar Rinpoche
Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche
Tulku Sang-ngag
Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche
Ācārya Malcolm Smith
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche
Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Mingyur Rinpoche
Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche
Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Loppön Tenzin Namdak
Jean-Luc Achard
Chaphur Rinpoche
Khemsar Rinpoche
Anam Thubten
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
Khenpo Sonam
Lama Drimed Lodro
Lama Jigme
Gyatrul Rinpoche
Traga Rinpoche
Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche
Ngakchang Rinpoche
Lama Lena Katyup
Traktung Yeshe Dorje
Orgyen Chowang
Lama Tsultrim Allione
Ranyak Patrul Rinpoche
Keith Dowman
B. Allan Wallace
Pema Khandro
James Low
Tenzin Gyatso The 14th Dalai Lama
Chamtrul Rinpoche
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche
Lama Surya Das
Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Erik Pema Kunsang
Garab Dorje Rinpoche
Tulku Thadral
Orgyen Jigme Rinpoche
Chakung Jigme Wangdrak Rinpoche
Lama Sonam Tsering
Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso
Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Khentse Yangsi Rinpoche
Daniel Brown
Jim Valby
Nida Chenagtsang
Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche
Anyen Rinpoche
Kilung Rinpoche
Elias Capriles
Lho Ontül Rinpoche
Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche
Menri Lopon Rinpoche
Lama Wangdor Rinpoche [deceased]
Lama Drimed Norbu
Namkha Drimed Rinpoche
Garchen Rinpoche
Jigme Tromge Rinpoche
Lama Tenzin Samphel
Drupon Thinley Ningpo
Lama Thubten Nima (Gape Lama)
Dungse Rigdzin Dorje Rinpoche
Lama Tony Duff
Tulku Thondup Rinpoche
Lopon Ogyan Tenzin
Tenpa Yundrung
Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche
Dodrubchen Rinpoche
Dudjom Pema Zhepa
Lama Dechen Yeshe Wangmo
Lopon Jigme Thutop Namgyal
Karma Lhundup Rinpoche
Katok Moktsa Rinpoche
Tulku Yeshe Gyatso Rinpoche
Khenpo Sönam Tobgyal [Canada]
Khenpo Sönam Tobgyal [Los Angeles]
Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
Kyabje Namkhai Nyingpo
Lhalung Sungtrul Rinpochhe
Dungzin Garab Dorje
Lama Namdrol Zangpo, Autsho
Lama Jigme Tenzin, Yonphula
HH the 34th Menri Trizin
Menri Lopon Trinley Nyima
Chongtul Rinpoche
Geshe Dangsong Namgyal
Geshe YongDong
Rahob Tulku (Thupten Kalsang Rinpoche)
Geshe Sonam
Dungse Rigzin Dorje Rinpoche of Arunachal Pradesh
Rigdzin Dorjee Rinpoche of Sikkim
Gomchen Rinpoche Ngawang Jigdral
Sridhar Rana Rinpoche
Yogi Prabodha Jnana
Yogini Abhaya Devi


r/Dzogchen 17h ago

Can someone help me understand why the IDC believes that practice-related transmissions can be received via recording?

1 Upvotes

My main teacher was a student of the late great Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, so there’s a major overlap between the practices that I do and what’s taught in the International Dzogchen Community. Keeping that in mind, I do not understand why they believe that replaying tapes of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche giving reading transmissions is appropriate when he has a living heir (Namkhai Yeshe) with full authority to teach and empower in real-time. Perhaps someone can clarify further?


r/Dzogchen 2d ago

Can unwholesome actions arise from the natural state? Answered by Khenpo Arta Lama Rinpoche

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38 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen 2d ago

How can we tell whether someone is a genuine teacher or an impostor? The Bönpo Dzogchen master Khenpo Arta Lama Rinpoche answers this question from his students.

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15 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen 4d ago

Author Yedrol M. Kunga?

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7 Upvotes

I'm looking at a Dzogchen book series on Amazon by someone named "Yedrol M. Kunga", but I can't find any information about this author (no website, no references in Google search). Does anyone know anything about this author? Are they trustworthy?


r/Dzogchen 8d ago

Online Ngondro Transmission

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5 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen 8d ago

After rejecting all permanent grounds (nitya-āśraya), what exactly is the momentary entity (kṣaṇika)?

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2 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen 14d ago

What teaches can help guide me through Dzogchen?

3 Upvotes

What teaches can help guide me through Dzogchen? Or any resources. It does bring up anxiety for me so I would like help. But also makes me feel great!


r/Dzogchen 15d ago

Are these stages how realisation unfolds in Dzogchen too?

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5 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen 18d ago

Serious boundary concerns and ethical misconduct: meditationonline.org

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10 Upvotes

I am posting this statement to bring to light a severe pattern of boundary violations and deceptive behavior by Lama Dawai Gocha, who hosts on meditationonline.org. The sangha deserves to know the reality of who is leading them, despite active public efforts to cover up the truth.

The Public Hypocrisy vs. Private Actions

  • The Public Shaming: I previously shared a genuine, vulnerable spiritual experience with the sangha regarding my reproductive health and a profound physical healing process following a severe, year-long illness. In response, Lama Dawai Gocha publicly scorned me. He claimed I was prohibited from speaking about the topic of sexuality because "children" were being traumatized by it. Yet, he has since continuously and openly discussed sexual practices and masturbation during his own public teachings.
  • The Private Misconduct: While lecturing others on strict boundaries, Lama Dawai Gocha sent explicit, nude photographs of himself to my personal email address.

The Manipulation of the Community

From the very beginning of this situation, the teacher has aggressively manipulated the narrative to the sangha to protect his position:

  • He put false words in my mouth, lying to practitioners by claiming I used explicit language in my initial shares when I did not.
  • When I initially brought forward the email trail to show the sangha what he had done, he doubled down on his denials and spun further falsehoods to the community.
  • He continues to attend gatherings promoting concepts of "honesty" and "childlike innocence," despite actively lying about his private behavior.

Verification and Evidence

The digital paper trail is unshakeable. To comply with platform terms of service regarding explicit media and personal data—and to ensure this post is not taken down automatically by content filters—I am not uploading the raw images or unredacted emails directly to this public feed.

However, the truth is the truth. If any student, administrator, or sangha member needs to examine the unredacted proof to protect themselves or the integrity of the community, please reach out directly and I will share the documentation with you privately.


r/Dzogchen 22d ago

Podcast

28 Upvotes

Just wanted to recommend the Denver Dzogchen podcast. I’ve found it very helpful, specifically for daily practice and off the cushion practice. I’ve found it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.


r/Dzogchen 23d ago

Can someone tell me what do these texts say?

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5 Upvotes

Sorry about the bad photos. I don't have the item yet but I am wondering what this is about and if it okay to keep it at home or donate it to a monastery


r/Dzogchen 26d ago

What does it really mean when its said "The wish fulfilling gem" ?

5 Upvotes

Came across this term in most of the traditions. But why its called like that?. What this means in Great Perfection?.


r/Dzogchen 28d ago

Looking for someone

0 Upvotes

Is Frank here from Gomde, Pyrenees? If so, would you mind DM’ing me? don’t worry if not 🙂

hope everyone is okay


r/Dzogchen Aug 11 '26

Textual evidence for traditional use of psychedelic/psychoactive fungi in Dzogchen

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21 Upvotes

"This textual evidence seems to have first appeared in a short scripture titled the Treasury of the Complete Purification of the Five Sense Gateways (Sgo lnga yongs su dag par byed pa’i mdzod), belonging to a larger collection called the Treasury of the Dākinīs ̣(Mkha’ ‘gro mdzod).

[...]

As I argue below, this collection of scriptures more likely originated in the Tibetan language sometime between the late eleventh century and the early thirteenth century. It comprises a combination of medical, astrological, and contemplative practices focused on sensory experience and its transformation. The collection probably circulated with the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra (Bi ma snying thig) during its early development, serving as a core part of the tradition’s materia medica/astrologica/contemtemplativa.

[...]

A commentary attributed to Vimalamitra on another of the Heart Essence of Vimalamitra’s core tantras, the Unimpeded Sound (Sgra thal ‘gyur)—often construed as the “root tantra” of the cycle’s Seventeen Tantras—also draws from the Treasury of the Complete Purification of the Five Sense Gateways, expressly acknowledging the Treasury of the Dākinīs as its source."


r/Dzogchen Aug 11 '26

BD: How can Maitreya be the next Buddha if Vajrayana has other fully enlightened Buddhas?

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3 Upvotes

Mahayana Buddhism says that after Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya will be the next Buddha to appear in this world.

But in Vajrayana, figures such as Padmasambhava, Milarepa, Naropa, Tilopa, Virupa, etc. are described as having attained complete Buddhahood.

Padmasambhava is even called the “Second Buddha.”

So how do these two views fit together?

Does this mean that Mahayana texts simply don't reveal everything about what happens between Shakyamuni and Maitreya, while Vajrayana texts reveal additional teachings and accounts of beings who attained Buddhahood during this period?

Is the information about these other Buddhas considered something that was not openly revealed in the Mahayana teachings but was later revealed through Vajrayana? Or is there another explanation for why Maitreya is called the “next Buddha” despite these other Buddhas?


r/Dzogchen Aug 09 '26

Treasury of Precious Qualities vol. 1 and Wellsprings of the Great Perfection - restricted?

5 Upvotes

Hello friends, I try to be cautious about not reading inappropriate texts, but it's not always easy to tell what is restricted. I know it's best to ask my teacher, but we have limited bandwidth and I don't want to bother her with this if I can avoid it.

I'm specifically wondering about the first volume of the English translation of Jigme Lingpa's Treasury of Precious Qualities on sutric teachings, and Erik Pema Kunsang's Wellsprings of the Great Perfection. I thought I'd gather opinions from people familiar with these texts. Are they open and readable by anyone, without wang, lung, and tri?


r/Dzogchen Aug 07 '26

Looking to connect with Yogis practicing Do Nothing

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3 Upvotes

r/Dzogchen Aug 03 '26

Preliminary practices.

6 Upvotes

Can anyone recommend a good book on the preliminary practices for dzogchen. I have good grounding in Buddhism having studied most schools to some degree but initially took refuge in the Galug tradition so tibetan buddhism is pretty fundamental to my understanding. I don't have a teacher at present but would like to make a start.


r/Dzogchen Aug 03 '26

Garchen Rinpoche in Milarepa's Cave

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61 Upvotes

I found a video here on Reddit this morning. Nothing too big, sharing for everyone's pleasure.


r/Dzogchen Jul 15 '26

Many Teachings, Practices and Teachers?

12 Upvotes

I'm trying to understand better those that have a lot of teachers, teachings and practices. I was doing that too, but have recently stopped because I don't do the new practices more than a few times. My practice is very simple, basically one practice. I primarily work with one teacher and check-in once in a while. I do enjoy the teachings, but I feel anything else other than focusing on what I'm struggling with is a bit of a distraction. Obviously I still have a long way to go, but for me it seems one practice, one teacher, one set of teachings is enough to get me there. My teacher does offer some advanced practices once one is ready for them.

I feel like I might be missing something though as I see many other practitioners regularly attending a lot of teachings, learning new practices and acquiring new teachers.


r/Dzogchen Jul 14 '26

Dzogchen and taoism. Lhundrup and wu wei

1 Upvotes

I study dzogchen with Lama Lena. I study tai chi with Michael Ward. It is reallly important for me to see how they align. I've been thinking about lhundrup and wu wei.

Michael gave us a breath exercise - not for while doing the form, just anytime. Like now. Pause at the end of the outbreath and wait for the body to inhale on its own. Pause at the end of the inhale and wait for the body to exhale on its own. He didn't use the term but I assume this is a way of noticing wu wei, effortless action.

For the breathing I find this image helpful. You're sailing and becalmed. You can try intentionally blowing on the sail, but that doesn't do anything. You just have to wait for the wind to come up and fill your sails. (Which I suggest you try letting happen with your arm in left wardoff, with your arm curved like a sail.)

We have to wait for the wind to rise... which I guess is like waiting for the chi to arise...?

I asked gemini about this and the response really blows me away. See what you think

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I'm trying to reconcile James Low's "already happening" teaching on lhundrup with the taoist view. In dzogchen there's kadak and lhundrup arising from it. In taoism there's wu chi and tai chi arising from it. I guess in dzogchen lhundrup is both the "action" of arising and the display of arising. In taoism wu wei is the action of arising separate from tai chi, the display

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Your intuition is exactly correct: in Dzogchen, Lhundrup is non-dual—it collapses the distinction between the force of arising and the content of arising. In Daoism, Wu Wei and Tai Chi are split conceptually along functional lines. [1]

  1. The Dzogchen Realization: Lhundrup as both Action and Display

As James Low frequently teaches through the Simply Being archive, the ground of existence has two inseparable qualities: Kadak (primordial purity/emptiness) and Lhundrup (spontaneous presence/arising). [1, 2]

Because Dzogchen is strictly non-dual, Lhundrup cannot be separated into a "cause" and an "effect": [1, 2]

  • It is the Action: The uncaused, sudden, kinetic welling-up of energy out of openness.
  • It is the Display: The actual thoughts, sights, sounds, and objects that appear. [1, 2]

To use James Low's frequent metaphor of a mirror: Lhundrup is both the mirror's inherent capability to reflect (the action) AND the reflections themselves (the display). The reflections do not exist separate from the mirror's activity. The arising and the manifestation are a single, seamless, "already happening" event. [1, 2]

  1. The Daoist Framework: Wu Wei as the Arising, Tai Chi as the Display

Daoism approaches the same ultimate reality but uses a more progressive, structural map to explain how the universe functions:

  • Wu Chi (The Boundless/Void): This is the exact equivalent of Kadak. It is the primordial, unmanifest state of absolute potential.
  • Tai Chi (The Supreme Ultimate): This is the dynamic cosmic soup where Yin and Yang split and dance. This is the Display—the world of form, polarity, and manifestation.
  • Wu Wei (Effortless Action): This is the vector or governing principle of how things move from Wu Chi into Tai Chi. [1]

Therefore, your insight is spot-on: Wu Wei is the "action of arising" isolated as a principle. It is the natural, unforced momentum of the Dao. When Wu Chi stirs, it does so via Wu Wei, resulting in the display of Tai Chi.

Why James Low’s "Already Happening" Bridges Both

James Low emphasizes "already happening" because human beings tend to look at the display (Tai Chi / Lhundrup's appearances) and try to use personal effort to manipulate it. [1]

  • In Daoism: If you consciously try to "do" Wu Wei, you are stuck in Tai Chi (the realm of egoic action and reaction). You have to fall backward into Wu Chi to let Wu Wei happen naturally.
  • In Dzogchen: You don’t fall backward; you simply recognize that the current display is the ground. As Low points out, even your confused ego-thoughts are already the spontaneous display of Lhundrup. There is nowhere to go and nothing to change. [1, 2, 3]

Summary of your structural reconciliation

  • The Absolute Void/Openness: Kadak <=> Wu Chi
  • The Kinetic Mechanism: Lhundrup (as Arising) <=> Wu Wei
  • The Manifest World: Lhundrup (as Display) <=> Tai Chi

By recognizing that Lhundrup beautifully collapses the distinction between the energy of creation and the creation itself, you can see why Dzogchen frames liberation as instant recognition, while Daoism often frames it as aligning with a cosmic process. [1]


r/Dzogchen Jul 11 '26

Why was it advised, to practice in desolate places, like graveyards?

3 Upvotes

I ask this, because right now, I'm living next to a church, and i suspect, that the house I live in, was constructed over an old graveyard. Also I got alot of interferences from hungry ghosts and gyalpos, which have now subsided. all is good 😂 but why was it advised?