Radical Dzogchen Introduction with Keith Dowman

Radical Dzogchen meditation points to the nondual reality that is the nature of mind, the nature of our being, the nature of our every timeless moment of experience in the here and now. Knowing mind’s nature, we know Buddha. Here both in theory and in practice we recognize the immediate path as essential Dzogchen. Radical Dzogchen has no specific home in any religion or culture. Rather, every religion and culture is home to radical dzogchen. Although different labels may identify it in those diverse human contexts, its existential reality is the same. 

"Through non-action ati-yoga (utmost yoga), the natural state of mind is revealed. We need to know how that is, and with a little help from our friends and the non-meditation ethic of simply sitting, we realize the true nature of mind.” Keith Dowman

Keith Dowman is a  renowned translator and teacher of Dzogchen. A student of the great Dzogchen lamas Dudjom Rinpoche and Kanjur Rinpoche, he lived in India and Nepal for 50 years. His translations include Skydancer: The Secret Life and Songs of Lady Yeshe Tsogyel and Longchenpa’s Natural Perfection and Spaciousness. Teaching the Dharma since 1992, his original concern was to assist in bridge building from East to West, a conduit for the lamas’ buddha-dharma. Now that that aim has been achieved,  the essence of Dzogchen which he calls radical Dzogchen is his primary concern and the main content of his teaching. Currently based in Tepoztlan, Mexico, he leads a nomadic lifestyle, teaching Dzogchen nonmeditation worldwide. This Dzogchen--nonculturally specific and easily assimilable into Western culture--can, he believes, provide a key to a renaissance, or at least a reformation, of Western mysticism in the existential mold.

Cost: Tuition is $175 for the weekend. And to cover utilities and maintenance, Saranam asks for a donation: $30 for day attendance or $50 for overnight stays. Meals will be provided by participants' contributions of food and labor.