The Philosophical Foundations of Classical rDzogs Chen in Tibet

{{Book
|TileDescription=An updated book version of David Higgins' dissertation on the presentations of the disparities between dualistic mind (''sems'') as opposed to primordial knowing (''ye shes'') and ''dharmakāya'' as opposed to the ‘ground of all’ (''kun gzhi'') conditioned experience, and so forth, in 8th-14th century Nyingma Dzogchen literature.
|BookPerson={{Book-person
|PersonPage=Higgins, D.
|PersonName=David Higgins
}}{{Book-person
|PersonPage=klong chen pa
|PersonName=Longchenpa
}}{{Book-person
|PersonPage='jigs med gling pa
|PersonName=Jikme Lingpa
}}
|FullTextRead=No
|BookEssay=The book consists of two parts: (1) a detailed philosophical investigation of the distinctions and (2) an anthology of previously untranslated Tibetan materials on the distinctions accompanied by critical editions and introductions. The first part systematically investigates the nature and scope of the distinctions and traces how they developed in relation, and sometimes reaction, to Indian Buddhist Cittamātra, Madhyamaka, Pramāṇavāda, and Vajrayāna views. It concludes with an exploration of some soteriological implications of the mind/primordial knowing distinction that became central to rDzogs chen path hermeneutics in the classical period as authors of rDzogs chen path summaries used this distinction to reconcile progressivist sūtric and non-progressivist tantric models of the Buddhist path. The translations and texts included in part two of the book consist of (a) a short treatise from Klong chen pa’s Miscellaneous Writings entitled ''Sems dang ye shes kyi dris lan'' (''Reply to Questions Concerning Mind and Primordial Knowing''), (b) selected passages on the distinctions from this author’s monumental summary of the rDzogs chen sNying thig (Heart-essence) system, the ''Theg mchog mdzod'' (''Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle''), and (c) an excerpt on rDzogs chen distinctions taken from ’Jigs med gling pa’s (1729-1798) 18th century Klong chen sNying thig path summary entitled ''Treasury of Qualities'' (''Yon tan mdzod'') along with a word-by-word commentary by Yon tan rgya mtsho (b. 19th c.). (Source: [https://www.istb.univie.ac.at/cgi-bin/wstb/wstb.cgi?ID=82&show_description=1 WSTB])
|BookToc=* {{i|''Contents''|5}}
* {{i|''Prologue''|8}}
* {{i|Section One: Understanding the rDzogs chen Distinctions |17}}
* {{i|Part I Background|18}}
** {{i|1 Introduction: the Distinctions as a Window on Classical rDzogs chen|18}}
*** {{i|1. Two Principal Distinctions: ''Sems''/''Ye shes'' and ''Kun gzhi''/''Chos sku''|18}}
*** {{i|2. The Place of the Distinctions in Classical rNying ma Soteriology|24}}
*** {{i|3. The Disclosive Paradigm|27}}
*** {{i|4. On the Obscure Origins of the sNying thig System|30}}
*** {{i|5. The Lives and Works of Four Major rDzogs chen Figures|35}}
**** {{i|5.1 Vimalamitra|35}}
**** {{i|5.2 gNyags Jñānakumāra|37}}
**** {{i|5.3 gNubs chen Sangs rgyas ye shes|40}}
**** {{i|5.4 Klong chen rab ’byams|43}}
*** {{i|6. Previous Studies and Scope of Present Work |53}}

* {{i|Part II The Problem of Knowledge: The ''Sems''/''Ye shes'' Distinction|57}}
** {{i|2 The Nature and Scope of the Mind/Primordial Knowing Distinction|57}}
*** {{i|1. The Scope of the Distinction|57}}
*** {{i|2. The rDzogs chen sNying thig Analysis of Mind (''sems'')|66}}
**** {{i|2.1 Dualism|67}}
**** {{i|2.2 Ignorance|69}}
**** {{i|2.3 Reification|74}}
*** {{i|3. The rDzogs chen sNying thig Analysis of ''Ye shes'' and<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Related Concepts|78}}
***** {{i|3.1 rDzogs chen Intepretations of ''Sems nyid''|79}}
***** {{i|3.2 rDzogs chen Interpretation of ''Rig pa'' and ''Rang rig''|86}}
***** {{i|3.3 rDzogs chen Interpretation of ''Ye shes''|99}}
*** {{i|4. Concluding Remarks: Reframing the Two Truths|111}}

** {{i|3 Classical Justifications of the Mind/Primordial Knowing Distinction|120}}
*** {{i|1. Why the Distinction? |120}}
*** {{i|2. Some Consequences of Not Distinguishing Mind and Primordial<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Knowing|123}}
*** {{i|3. Criticisms of the Cessation of ''Jñāna'' Doctrine|127}}
*** {{i|4. Clarifications and Transcendental Arguments|133}}

* {{i|Part III The Problem of the Ground: The ''Kun gzhi''/''Chos sku'' Distinction|140}}
** {{i|4 The Ground in Early rDzogs chen (8th to 11th c.) |140}}
*** {{i|1. Background |140}}
*** {{i|2. Two Dimensions of the Ground Problem |142}}
*** {{i|3. The Yogācāra Model: Scope and Limitations |147}}
*** {{i|4. Toward a Primordially Unaffected Ground of Consciousnesss |150}}
**** {{i|Ye shes sde’s Eighth Century Synthesis of Yogācāra and Tathāgatagarbha Views |160}}
*** {{i|5. Conceptual History of the Ground in Early rDzogs chen |163}}
**** {{i|5.1 Soteriological Context of the Ground |163}}
**** {{i|5.2 A Typology of the Ground in early rDzogs chen |163}}
***** {{i|(a) Ground as the Nature of Mind (''sems nyid'', ''ye shes'', ''rig pa'') |168}}
***** {{i|(b) Ground as the Nature of Reality (''de bzhin nyid'', ''de kho na<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;nyid'', ''chos nyid'')|170}}
***** {{i|(c) Ground as Buddha Nature (''bde gshegs snying po'', ''byang<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;chub snying po'') |173}}
** {{i|5 Distinguishing the sNying thig Ground of Freedom (''grol gzhi'')|183}}
*** {{i|1. Stages of Differentiating the Sūtric and rDzogs chen Grounds |183}}
**** {{i|1.1 ''Identity'': Ground as Common Source of Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa |185}}
**** {{i|1.2 ''Divergence'': Conflicting Interpretations of ''Kun Gzhi''|189}}
**** {{i|1.3 ''Difference'': Clearly Distinguishing the Grounds |192}}
*** {{i|2. A Central Problem: Does Errancy Exist in The Ground? |198}}
**** {{i|2.1 The Response of gNyags Jñānakumāra (8th Century) |199}}
**** {{i|2.2 The Response of Rog Bande Shes rab ’od (12th Century) |201}}
**** {{i|2.3 The Response of Klong chen rab ’byams pa (14th Century) |203}}
*** {{i|3. The sNying thig Primordial Ground and its Critics|206}}
**** {{i|3.1 The Abiding versus Metaphysical Grounds|207}}
**** {{i|3.2 Mi bskyod rdo rje’s Critique and rNying ma Responses|213}}
*** {{i|4. Concluding Remarks: The rDzogs chen Idea of Freedom|217}}

* {{i|Part IV The Problem of the Path: Implications of the ''Sems''/''Ye shes''<br>Distinction|222}}
** {{i|6 rNying ma Path Hermeneutics and the Problem of Reconciliation |222}}
*** {{i|1. Overview: Bridging the Vehicles|226}}
*** {{i|2. The Problem of Gradualism in rNying ma Perspective|229}}
*** {{i|3. Nature and Scope of the Reconciliation Problem|231}}
**** {{i|3.1 The Exegetical Dimension: Doctrinal Synthesis and Narrative<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unity|251}}
***** {{i| Comparison with gSar ma Path Summaries of Atiśa,<br>&nbsp;sGam po pa, Tsong kha pa|257}}
**** {{i|3.2 The Hermeneutical Dimension: Intemalizing the Path|245}}
*** {{i|4. rNying ma Soteriological Schemes: From Soteriology to<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Aletheiology|249}}
**** {{i|4.1 The Path as Emancipation Process and Clearing Process|249}}
**** {{i|4.2 Yon tan rgya mtsho on Disciplines (''sdom'') as Stages of<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Refinement|255}}
** {{i|7 rDzogs chen Transformations of the Path |255}}
*** {{i|1. The rDzogs chen Path Without Progression<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(''bgrod du med pa'i lam'')|255}}
*** {{i|2. Where the Ladder Ends: A Path Beyond Its Representations |264}}

* {{i|Section Two: Tibetan Texts and Translations|267}}
** {{i|1. Klong chen pa’s ''Sems dang ye shes kyi dris lan''|268}}
*** {{i|1.1 Introductory Remarks|268}}
*** {{i|1.2 Translation: ''A Reply to Questions Concerning Mind and<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Primordial Knowing''|269}}
*** {{i|1.3 Sources and Conventions Used in Preparing Critical Edition|289}}
*** {{i|1.4 A Critical Edition of ''Sems dang ye shes kyi dris lan''|290}}
** {{i|2. Klong chen pa’s ''Theg mchog mdzod'' (excerpts)|500}}
*** {{i|2.1 Introductory Remarks|500}}
*** {{i|2.2 Translation: ''Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle'' (excerpts)|501}}
*** {{i|2.3 Sources and Conventions Used in Preparing Edited Text|515}}
*** {{i|2.4 Edited Text of ''Theg mchog mdzod'' XIV (excerpts)|516}}
** {{i|3. ’Jigs med gling pa’s ''Yon tan mdzod'' XII.9-13 with Yon tan rgya mtsho’s<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Commentary|527}}
*** {{i|3.1 Introductory Remarks|527}}
*** {{i|3.2 Translation: ''Treasury of Qualities'' XII.9-23 with Commentary<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(excerpts)|527}}
*** {{i|3.3 Sources and Conventions Used in Preparing Edited Text|555}}
*** {{i|3.4 Edited Text of ''Yon tan mdzod'' XII.9-13 and Commentary|555}}
* {{i|''Bibliography and Abbreviations''|541}}
* {{i|''Index''|560}}
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|PublisherLogo=File:Wstb logo.png
|BookParentPage=Secondary Sources
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