The Vital Essence of Dzogchen

A modern commentary on a classic Tibetan text of instructions for practitioners of the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, with practical step-by-step instructions for advanced Nyingma teachings on realizing the nature of mind.

Seamlessly interweaving the language of science with the sublime teachings of Buddhism, B. Alan Wallace presents a modern commentary on a pivotal Tibetan retreat manual, Extracting the Vital Essence of Accomplishment: Concise and Clear Advice for Practice in a Mountain Retreat by twentieth-century Nyingma master, Düdjom Rinpoché. The root text offers practical step-by-step instructions for dedicated practice in meditation retreat—wherever one may be—and Wallace’s commentary elucidates the enduring relevance of these teachings for our contemporary context.

The commentary includes four concise and powerful meditation practices, guided by Wallace, to bring the teachings into one’s immediate experience. This volume serves as a practice manual for those familiar with the teachings of Dzogchen and as a clear guide to this pinnacle of Buddhist paths for those interested in broader questions about direct and unmediated insight into the fundamental nature of awareness. “By extracting the essence of all meditative accomplishment through the practice of Dzogchen,” Wallace states, “you draw forth the vital essence of consciousness itself.”