Restricted Dzogchen Teachings, Part 1: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers
Receive detailed oral commentaries from renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Alan Wallace on one of the five classic Dzogchen treatises by Düdjom Lingpa: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers.
This is a restricted course. Please see below for more information on how to join.
About this Course
Receive detailed oral commentaries from renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Alan Wallace on one of the five classic Dzogchen treatises by Düdjom Lingpa: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers. With teachings covering the preliminary practices, shamatha, vipashyana, and the practice of cutting through to the original purity of pristine awareness, it is said that for very gifted practitioners, these meditations are sufficient for achieving rainbow body.
These teachings are based on Lama Alan Wallace’s eight-week retreat in Italy at the Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in April and May 2017.
Wisdom Academy has created two courses from this retreat: Restricted Dzogchen Teachings, Part 1: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers and Restricted Dzogchen Teachings, Part 2: Buddhahood Without Meditation.
All ten lessons of this course, Part 1: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers, are available now.
Part 2: Buddhahood Without Meditation is also available to qualified students, and includes 10 lessons.
Eligibility for the Course
This course is restricted to students who have a solid foundation in the Dharma and a strong commitment to the Buddhist path. Lama Alan Wallace has chosen to limit access to these teachings on Dzogchen due to the possibility of students misunderstanding the subject without having the appropriate background. Students must have received a certificate of completion for the Wisdom Academy course Introduction to Dzogchen to take Restricted Dzogchen Teachings.
Important note
If you are interested in these teachings, please note that the Wisdom Academy course Introduction to Dzogchen is a prerequisite for this course. You can enroll in and take Introduction to Dzogchen now; click here to learn more.
Please note that it is not possible to take Part 2: Buddhahood Without Meditation as a standalone course; these teachings follow directly on Part 1. In order to take Part 2, you must have taken Part 1.
Lessons
Lesson 1: An Introduction to the Practices and Context of Dzogchen
In this lesson, Lama Alan Wallace introduces us to Düdjom Lingpa and the root text for this course: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers. He explains the context for these teachings being restricted, notes the importance of settling body, speech, and mind in their natural states, and jumps into his commentary on the common preliminary practices.
In this lesson, Lama Alan Wallace introduces us to Düdjom Lingpa and the root text for this course: The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers. He explains the context for these teachings being restricted, notes the importance of settling body, speech, and mind in their natural states, and jumps into his commentary on the common preliminary practices.
Lesson 2: The Three Thoughts that Turn the Mind
Lama Alan Wallace takes us deeper into Dzogchen by discussing the common preliminaries—called by Düdjom Lingpa the three thoughts that turn the mind—as well the various shamatha methods and guru yoga.
Lama Alan Wallace takes us deeper into Dzogchen by discussing the common preliminaries—called by Düdjom Lingpa the three thoughts that turn the mind—as well the various shamatha methods and guru yoga.
Lesson 3: The Uncommon Preliminaries
Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the uncommon preliminary practices and discusses the practice of taking the mind as the path.
Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the uncommon preliminary practices and discusses the practice of taking the mind as the path.
Lesson 4: Ways of Knowing the Nature of the Mind
Lama Alan Wallace explores how we can understand of the nature of the mind and come to enter the authentic path.
Lama Alan Wallace explores how we can understand of the nature of the mind and come to enter the authentic path.
Lesson 5: The Primacy of the Mind
In this lesson Lama Alan Wallace covers the three turnings of the wheel and Düdjom Lingpa’s visions of Padmasambhava, and points our attention to the primacy of the mind.
In this lesson Lama Alan Wallace covers the three turnings of the wheel and Düdjom Lingpa’s visions of Padmasambhava, and points our attention to the primacy of the mind.
Lesson 6: Pristine Awareness and Nonmeditation
Lama Alan Wallace further explores the nature of pristine awareness and introduces the Dzogchen practice of nonmeditation.
Lama Alan Wallace further explores the nature of pristine awareness and introduces the Dzogchen practice of nonmeditation.
Lesson 7: Dorjé Drolö’s Song of Pith Instruction
In this lesson, Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the chanted song of pith instructions Düdjom Lingpa receives from an emanation of Padmasambhava, and also brings our practice back to the fundamentals of loving-kindness and variations of mindfulness of breathing.
In this lesson, Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the chanted song of pith instructions Düdjom Lingpa receives from an emanation of Padmasambhava, and also brings our practice back to the fundamentals of loving-kindness and variations of mindfulness of breathing.
Lesson 8: Investigating the Nature of Appearances
Lama Alan Wallace discusses Düdjom Lingpa’s teachings on the nature of appearances and awareness, and continues supplemental teachings on expanding our capacity for loving-kindness.
Lama Alan Wallace discusses Düdjom Lingpa’s teachings on the nature of appearances and awareness, and continues supplemental teachings on expanding our capacity for loving-kindness.
Lesson 9: Collapsing the False Cave of Appearances
Lama Alan Wallace guides us through Düdjom Lingpa’s teachings on the nature of appearances and awareness, and he also leads us in meditation on second of the four immeasurables, compassion.
Lama Alan Wallace guides us through Düdjom Lingpa’s teachings on the nature of appearances and awareness, and he also leads us in meditation on second of the four immeasurables, compassion.
Lesson 10: Düdjom Lingpa's Experience of the Path and Fruition
In this final lesson, Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the conclusion of The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers in which Düdjom Lingpa encapsulates his experience of the path and fruition.
In this final lesson, Lama Alan Wallace guides us through the conclusion of The Foolish Dharma of an Idiot Clothed in Mud and Feathers in which Düdjom Lingpa encapsulates his experience of the path and fruition.
About the Teacher
Dynamic lecturer, progressive scholar, and one of the most prolific writers and translators of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, Lama Alan Wallace, PhD, continually seeks innovative ways to integrate Buddhist contemplative practices with Western science to advance the study of the mind.
Lama Alan, a scholar and practitioner of Buddhism since 1970, has taught Buddhist theory and meditation worldwide since 1976. Having devoted 14 years to training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by H.H. the Dalai Lama, he went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College and a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford. Lama Alan later studied Dzogchen with Gyatrul Rinpoche, a senior teacher in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. With his unique background, Lama Alan brings deep experience and applied skills to the challenge of integrating traditional Indo-Tibetan Buddhism with the modern world.
Lama Alan is the author and translator of several books, including Düdjom Lingpa’s Visions of the Great Perfection, Stilling the Mind: Shamatha Teachings From Dudjom Linpa’s Vajra Essence, Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up, Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava’s Teachings on the Six Bardos, and The Attention Revolution.