Trilogy of Natural Ease

The Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease (ngal gso skor gsum, Sanskrit Mahāsaṃdhi viśrānta trayāya nāma, literally "The Trilogy called Reposing (viśrānta) in the Great Perfection") is a trilogy of Dzogchen writings by Longchen Rabjam:

  • Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind (sems nyid ngal gso). In Sanskrit ("the language of India"): Mahāsaṃdhi cittatva* viśrānta nāma: [A Teaching] named Reposing (viśrānta) in the Suchness of Mind in the Great Perfection
  • Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation (bsam gtan ngal gso). In the language of India: Mahāsaṃdhi dhyāna viśrānta nāma: [A Teaching] named Reposing in Meditation on the Great Perfection
  • Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things (Tib. སྒྱུ་མ་ངལ་གསོ་, Wyl. sgyu ma ngal gso), also called in Sanskrit: Mahāsaṃdhi māyā viśrānta nāma.
  • Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind (tib. sems nyid ngal gso) also called in Sanskrit: Mahāsaṃdhi cittatva* viśrānta nāma: [A Teaching] named Reposing (viśrānta) in the Suchness of Mind in the Great Perfection
    • A Commentary: Great Chariot (shing rta chen po) (13 chapter)
    • A Summary: White Lotus Garland
    • Guided Meditative Instructions: The Excellent Path to Enlightenment, (Sanskrit: Avabodhi-supathā mahāsandhi-cittāvishrāntasya trsthānādams trikshemānām arthanayanam vijahāram) (141 Instructions [1][2])
  • Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation (bsam gtan ngal gso). In the language of India: Mahāsaṃdhi dhyāna viśrānta nāma: [A Teaching] named Reposing in Meditation on the Great Perfection (3 Chapter [3][4])
    • A Commentary: The Pure Chariot
    • A Summary: The Pundarika Garland
    • Guided meditative instructions: The Quintessential Heart Essence
  • Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things (Tib. སྒྱུ་མ་ངལ་གསོ་, Wyl. sgyu ma ngal gso), also called in Sanskrit: Mahāsaṃdhi māyā viśrānta nāma.
    • A Commentary: The Excellent Chariot
    • A Summary: The Garland of Mandarava Flowers
    • Guided meditative instructions: The Wish-fulfilling Jewel

The intent of the Trilogy, and the logic of their sequence

Regarding the intent of the Trilogy as a whole, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche, in the introduction to Finding Rest in the Nature of Mind, comments:

"At the conclusion of the great autocommentary (The Great Chariot) to his long and beautiful poem Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind, Gyalwa Longchenpa gave the reason for his massive composition. He began by lamenting the fact that the great masters of the past, whose works were clear, comprehensive, and utterly trustworthy, had passed away. Their place had been taken by scholars of incomplete learning and understanding... "It was to correct this misunderstanding that Longchenpa composed his Trilogy of Rest and in particular its first section, Finding Rest in the Nature of the Mind, which is an exposition of the stages of the path. Here, the sūtras and tantras are explained progressively—from the preliminary reflections that cause the mind to take an interest in spiritual values, to the view and practice of the Great Perfection—in order to show how the earlier teachings are enlarged and completed by those that follow."[5]

Padmakara Translation Group comments:

Longchenpa generally adopted two methods of discourse in relation to the teachings of the Great Perfection: the extensive, expository method of the paṇḍitas, and the profound and direct method of pith instructions intended for yogis engaged in the practice. The former approach is abundantly exemplified in the Seven Treasures, while the latter is the chosen method for the three quintessential commentaries in the Four Parts of Nyingthig. These two methods are combined in the Trilogy of Rest... Longchenpa says in his general outline, An Ocean of Elegant Explanations, “These three works show unerringly (a) the ground that is the view, (b) the path that is the meditation, and (c) the associated conduct that is their ancillary.”[5]

Longchenpa's commentary on the trilogy as a whole, entitled An Ocean of Fine Explanation: An Overview of the Trilogy of Comfort and Ease (ngal gso skor gsum gyi spyi don Legs bshad rgya mtsho) says:

  • In the beginning, when we first set out on the path, it is important that we establish a good foundation in the Dharma, and that is why the thirteen chapters of Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind, from the difficulty of finding the freedoms and advantage onwards, offer an elaborate explanation of the Ground, the view that is beyond the two extremes. At the same time, they also explain aspects of the stages of the path and fruition.
  • Once we have understood the ground, we can begin to meditate on the path, and so the four chapters of Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation offer a step-by-step explanation of the places where meditation can be practised, the types of individual suited to the practice, the techniques we can use in meditation and the types of concentration that can be achieved.
  • While this path is being practised it is important to have teachings on non-attachment and non-clinging towards phenomena. Thus, as a support, a clear and elaborate presentation of the stages of conduct is given in the eight chapters of Finding Comfort and Ease in the Illusoriness of Things. These chapters reveal, thoroughly and without any error, how to relate to all phenomena and to experience them as the eight similes of illusoriness.

Volume One, Finding Rest in the Nature of Mind

Regarding the logic of the thirteen chapters, in the manner of a Lamrim text, and its basic framework of ground, path, and result, Padmakara Translation Group comments:

The text describes in thirteen chapters all that the practitioner must know in order to embark upon the path.

The text begins with the basic reflections, the so-called four mindchanges, whereby the mind is reoriented away from the meaningless and destructive preoccupations of materialism and worldliness, and begins to yearn for inner freedom and a path of spiritual growth. This lays the foundation for a systematic exposition of the doctrine. The importance of a spiritual teacher and his or her requisite qualities are described. This is followed by instructions on refuge, the four boundless attitudes, and bodhicitta. As we have said, the emphasis is on instruction as the basis of practice, and therefore there is little in the way of purely philosophical explanation. Once the fundamental attitude of the Great Vehicle is introduced, the text immediately continues with an exposition of Tantra: a brief general introduction followed by instructions in the generation and perfection stages. This culminates, in chapter 10, in a detailed and beautiful discussion of the view of the Great Perfection.

The first ten chapters, taken together, thus constitute a presentation of the ground, the foundational view; this is followed, in chapters 11 and 12, by an exposition of the path in terms of meditative training in calm abiding and deep insight (śamatha and vipaśyanā). Finally, the concluding thirteenth chapter discusses the result of the practice, presented again from the point of view of the Great Perfection.

Translations

Translations of the Root Texts

All three parts translated in:

  • Padmakara Translation Group, Trilogy of Finding Rest, published by Shambhala Publications, in three hard-bound volumes, 2017-19. The three include extensive excerpts from Longchenpa's autocommentaries.
    • Finding Rest in the Nature of Mind, (2017)
    • Finding Rest in Meditation (2018)
    • Finding Rest in Illusion (2019)
  • Guenther, Herbert V., Kindly Bent to Ease Us, vols. 1-3, Dharma Publishing, 1975-6.

Part 2 (bsam gtan ngal gso) also translated in:

  • Dalai Lama, The, "Mind in Comfort and Ease: The Vision of Enlightenment in the Great Perfection", Wisdom Publications, 2007.

Part 3 (sgyu ma ngal gso) is also translated in:

  • Dowman, Keith, Maya Yoga: Longchenpa's Finding Comfort and Ease in Enchantment, Vajra Publications, 2010.

Translations of the Commentaries:
  • The Great Chariot (shing rta chen po), the detailed commentary on the first volume (sems nyid ngal gsoī), is due to be published by Ives Waldo via the Library of Tibetan Classics. In the meantime, it is freely available in draft translation (in unicode HTML) at sacred-texts.com

Further reading

Published Works
  • Nyoshul Khenpo Jamyang Dorje, The Fearless Lion's Roar: Profound Instructions on Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, translated by David Christensen (Boston & London: Snow Lion, 2015)

Oral Commentaries
  • As of early 2020, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's organisation, Siddharta's Intent, is running a long-term oral commentary, live streaming once per week, with all previous sessions archived for listening. The tutor is Jacob Leschly. Available via Siddharta's Intent Australia webpage.

References
  1. The Excellent Path to Enlightenment (Avabodhi-supathā mahāsandhi-cittāvishrāntasya trsthānādams trikshemānām arthanayanam vijahāram). Translated by Khenpo Gawang Rinpoche and Gerry Winer. Jewelled Lotus 2014
  2. The Practice of Dzogchen, translated by Tulku Thondup, Snow Lion, 2nd edition 1996, pages 303-315
  3. http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/longchen-rabjam/locations-cultivating-samadhi
  4. http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/longchen-rabjam/practitioner-meditation
  5. Longchen Rabjam (2017). Finding Rest in the Nature of Mind. Shambhala Publications (Padmakara Translation Group). ISBN 9781611805161.
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