enlightened or awakened one who has completely abandoned all obscurations and perfected every good quality. A perfected bodhisattva after attaining true and complete enlightenment is known as a buddha. The Buddha generally referred to is Shakyamuni Buddha, the buddha of this era, who lived in India around the 6th century B.C. There have been innumerable buddhas in past eons who manifested the way to enlightenment. In the current Good Eon —— from the beginning to the end of human beings —— there will be one thousand buddhas of which Buddha Shakyamuni is the fourth. +
(1879-1941) — scholar-teacher at Katok monastic college and a very important reviver of the scholastic lineage of expounding the Dzogchen scriptures. Considered to be incarnation of both Vimalamitra and Longchenpa. Chatral Sangye Dorje is one of his last living disciples. Khenpo Ngakchung got his name because there was an older khenpo with the name Ngawang, so he became the "Younger Khenpo Ngawang." One of his works is available in English with a short biography in the introduction: Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, ''A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher'' (Shambhala Publications, 2004). +
The three aspects buddha nature according to the Dzogchen system. Essence is the primordially pure wisdom of emptiness. The nature is the spontaneously present wisdom of cognizance. The capacity is the all-pervasive wisdom of indivisibility. This is, ultimately, the identity of the Three Roots, the Three Jewels and the three kayas. +