Dzogchen, often rendered as the “Great Perfection,” presents a vision in which the fundamental nature of mind is already complete, pure, and awake. Its central teaching is rigpa, natural awareness: a pure, luminous, unmodified knowing that is ever-present beneath the turbulence of thoughts and emotions. This ground of awareness is described as primordially pure (ka dag), empty of inherent existence yet endowed with clarity and the capacity to know. From this perspective, samsara and nirvana are not two different realities but two ways of relating to the same ground—either with recognition of rigpa or in ignorance of it.

From this pure ground arises what is called spontaneous presence (lhun grub), the effortless display of all phenomena, including thoughts, emotions, and sensory appearances. These manifestations are not seen as obstacles to be rejected but as the dynamic energy or expressive power of awareness itself. When their nature is recognized, they are said to self-liberate, dissolving like patterns in water without needing to be suppressed or altered. This is the meaning of self-liberation (rang-drol): the very movement of mind becomes the path when its source is known.

The path of Dzogchen therefore emphasizes direct introduction to rigpa by a qualified master, who offers pointing-out instructions so that the student recognizes this natural awareness firsthand. Once recognized, the essential practice is often described as non-meditation: simply remaining in that recognition, relaxed and uncontrived, without trying to modify experience. Thoughts and emotions are allowed to arise and vanish within awareness, and conduct becomes the spontaneous expression of wisdom rather than the product of ego-driven effort. Over time, this recognition is to be integrated into all activities, so that no division remains between formal practice and everyday life.

Within this framework, specific methods such as Trekchö (“cutting through”) and Tögal (“leaping over”) are presented as complementary aspects of the path. Trekchö emphasizes cutting through the root of confusion by directly resting in the emptiness and luminosity of mind, while Tögal employs visionary practices that work with luminous appearances and are associated with the possibility of the rainbow body. The fruition of such practice is described as spontaneous perfect enlightenment, in which the ground’s emptiness, clarity, and expressive energy are fully unveiled as the complete perfection that has always been present.