The Great-Perfection - Atiyoga
The most fundamental teachings which points the mind towards freedom, the authentic non-dual realization of the fundamental state, the primordial state, are the teachings of the Great-Perfection (Atiyoga). In the root text the Cuckoo of Pure Presence it says:
The nature of the infinite variety of phenomena is without duality,
since, each thing in itself (singularity) is beyond all concepts and limits of the mind.
The natural condition, suchness as-it-is, is beyond conceptual elaboration,
yet manifesting as all diversity of form - the radiance of Samantabhadra, all-good.
All is self-perfected in actuality, so the sickness of effort is liberated,
remain free and natural in the contemplation of spontaneous total presence.
The spiritual tradition known as the Great Perfection (Sanskrit: Mahāsandhi; Tibetan: Dzogchen), also called Atiyoga (the yoga of primordial knowledge), is an ancient Buddhist non-dual tradition. It originates with the Indian Mahasiddha Prahevajra (Tibetan: Garab Dorje) in the ancient kingdom of Oddiyana.
Atiyoga is, in its essence, a contemplative tradition of non-duality and is non-ritualistic in its conduct. This ancient lineage remains alive today through an unbroken succession maintained over centuries, offering a profound view and effective methods for achieving direct realization of the Absolute Condition.
"Great Perfection" refers to the ultimate state of the mind—the true condition of being and reality. In this respect, the term does not merely refer to a set of spiritual teachings or practices, but points directly to the ultimate nature of reality itself; it is precisely that which the Buddha pointed toward throughout all his various teachings.
The teachings of the Great Perfection explain that the apparent, dream-like, and illusory world arises within the fundamental Basis—the original, pristine state that "is-as-it-is," or the primordial ground of Being, sometimes called the Supreme Source. Everything that manifests—whether ordinary beings, fully awakened Buddhas, or the entire apparent universe—arises in a non-dual mode within this fundamentally pure Basis, as the energy or "liveliness" of the primordial state.
By failing to recognize the nature of the self and all appearances as inseparable from the Basis, beings become confused. They experience a dualistic condition where the field of experience appears to be composed of truly existent entities and "things" that exist in their own right.
The essence of the Atiyoga teachings is the recognition of the aspect of mind’s nature known as Vidya (Tibetan: Rigpa). This is a mode of knowing that is self-cognizant, uncreated, "not-a-thing," independent of any object, non-dual, all-pervasive, and unobstructed. In short, the principle of Atiyoga is the discovery of the authentic nature of being and reality itself.
More details can be found on this page An Introduction to Atiyoga
