Practices Supporting Dzogchen - the Great Perfection of Tibetan Buddhism

Dzogchen, the Tibetan Buddhist teaching, translated as the Great Perfection, claims to provide a means to reach enlightenment in one's present lifetime. This is much faster than that claimed by basic Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhist) teachings or by other forms of Buddhist practice. This paper provides background and descriptions on Dzogchen teachings,certain practices,and Western parallels. Western mythological and Kabbalistic counterparts are primarily in the endnotes.