This post is an exploration of Primordial Purity, or Kadag in Tibetan (ཀ་དག་). The concept of Kadag is central to Dzogchen. It refers to the inherent, unconditioned purity of the nature of mind and reality itself. It is sometimes also translated as “original purity” or “alpha purity.” Kadag is not something to be created or attained but is the recognition of the unconditioned and always-present nature of reality. It is the very foundation for realizing the natural state in Dzogchen practice.
When you rest in recognition of Primordial Purity, there is a purity that is utterly stainless, utterly beyond all comings and goings, beyond all characterisation, in truth. Saying ‘purity’ makes it sound like the opposite of impure, but it really isn’t that. It’s a primordial purity that lies beyond pure and impure. Pure and impure relate to the contents of mind. But this is mind’s nature itself. Whatever beautiful, peaceful and seemingly pure states of mind that come up – that’s not it. Kadag is an aspect of the nature of mind. That means it never arises or ceases, it is not conditioned by anything else, and is entirely ungraspable by mind’s cognitive focus or attention.
Utterly pristine, utterly pure, utterly beyond. It’s something so beautiful that names fail in describing it. Utterly Ineffable.
The Dzogchen ten key terms series of posts
This post is a the second of a series of posts inspired by Malcolm Smith’s Wisdom Academy course: Dzogchen: Ten Key Terms. I am sharing my favourite quotes from the Dzogchen source texts so they can speak for themselves on what each of these key terms points to. If moved to please use them as a reference source for reflection and meditation.
The first post focussed on ‘What is the Primordial Ground, or Basis (Gzhi)?‘, where I gathered over 100 quotations from the Dzogchen source texts.
Kadag in relation to other key Dzogchen concepts
In Dzogchen teachings, the Ground or Basis (gzhi) is characterized by three main qualities:
- Essence (ngo bo) – empty and without inherent existence.
- Nature (rang bzhin) – clarity or luminosity of the Ground. Although empty, it has the capacity for awareness.
- Energy or Compassion (thugs rje) – the Ground is dynamic, manifesting as spontaneous energy or compassion. This quality represents the expressive aspect.
Kadag is very much related to the Essence aspect of the Ground. It is the pure, unchanging ground of reality, beyond duality, concepts, or effort. Recognizing and abiding in this nature is central to Dzogchen practice.
The term “ka” in Tibetan refers to the first letter of the alphabet, signifying that this purity is primordial or original. “Dag” means pure.
Kadag describes the empty essence of mind that is:
- Free from adventitious defilements and conceptual elaborations.
- Empty of inherent existence.
- Primordially pure and unstained from the very beginning.
When you rest in this pristine purity neither defilements or concepts make any mark at all. They appear to arise, but actually, it’s impossible to say that they do arise – even though you are aware of their presence. This non-arising arising does not in any way touch the pristine purity of the vast emptiness. It’s not that the pristine purity arises or is created. It is prior to all that seems to arise. Not prior in the sense that it happened before the arising, but prior in the sense that it is entirely outside of time, and indeed, time occurs within this pristine purity.
Primordial Purity is closely related to other key Dzogchen concepts:
- It is one of the two main aspects of Rigpa (pure awareness), along with Spontaneous Presence (Lhundrub) – sometimes translated as Natural Perfection.
- It corresponds to the empty essence of mind, while Spontaneous Presence relates to mind’s cognizant nature.
- Together with spontaneous presence, it comprises the ground of being that is the basis for both Samsara and Nirvana.
Kadag in relation to the practice
In Dzogchen practice:
- Recognizing the primordially pure essence of mind is a fundamental aspect of Trekchö practice.
- It provides the basis for Tögal practice, which works with Spontaneous Presence.
- Realizing the unity of Primordial Purity and Spontaneous Presence is considered the ultimate path in Dzogchen.
Understanding and directly experiencing Primordial or Original Purity is thus a crucial aspect of Dzogchen view and meditation. It points to the fundamentally pure and undefiled nature of mind that practitioners aim to recognize and abide in.
To practice Trekcho is to practice recognising and resting in this Primordial Purity. You can see mind, but there’s absolutely nothing there. This vast, open emptiness has no characteristics whatsoever. Yet, at one and the same time it’s absolutely inseparable or nondual from Spontaneous Presence, and the whole magical display of appearances.
You don’t fabricate this Kadag through effort or even enhance it through practicing virtue or meditation. It’s the timeless ground where all appearances arise and dissolve, yet which remains entirely free, entirely pure, and utterly stainless.
Look! Look now! It’s right there – the stillness that is beyond all movement or stillness. The timeless beyond comings and goings. It’s always there, but we usually always look beyond it, or get lost in the contents of mind. Recognise it, and be liberated.
No more from me – I’ll let the Dzogchen source texts speak for themselves on this inherent, unconditioned purity of the nature of mind and reality itself, this Kadag. Once again I’ve chosen my favourite quotations from Dzogchen Tantras, from key historical Dzogchen masters, as well as from more recent masters. And as in the first post in this series I’ve thrown in some quotes from Bon Dzogchen teachings, again to shine an interesting light on the Primordial Purity from a parallel perspective.
I pray that reading, reflecting and meditating on these quotations leads you to full awakening!
Quotes from Dzogchen original sources on Primordial Purity (Kadag)
The nature of all phenomena is the great purity of the primordial ground, free from all elaborations. It is not created by causes, nor does it arise through conditions. It is beyond mind’s grasp, always pure and undefiled.
Kun byed rgyal po (The All-Creating King)
Original purity is not something fabricated through effort or attained through practice. It is simply the natural condition, free from the stains of dualistic perception and conceptual elaborations.
Dzogchen Semde teaching
Primordial purity (kadag) is of two kinds:
- Firstly, it refers to the purity that is the absence of any true stains within the extremely subtle energy-mind that is present as the ground.
- Secondly, it refers to the fact that the thought-processes that develop out of the delusion of non-realization are not an integral part of our basic character, in the way that heat is a property of fire, but are by nature utterly pure.
Settling with this as the ground and applying the key points of the profound secret path of Thorough Cut (Trekcho), which is a direct cause that resembles the fruition, the wisdom of clear light in the enlightened mind of buddhahood, cuts any adventitious thought processes forcefully and directly, and brings us to the level of Unexcelled Wisdom (yeshes lama).
Dongak Chökyi Gyatso
Commentary on Some Terms from the Great Perfection
Kadag, original purity, is the empty essence, the freedom from dualistic fixation, and the ground of all that arises. It is like a stainless sky, unchanging and untouched by clouds of delusion.
Longchenpa
Treasury of Dharmadhatu
Kadag is the empty, unchanging essence of reality, while lhundrub (spontaneous presence) is the dynamic display of that essence. Together, they form the inseparable ground of all phenomena, free from dualistic constructs.
Mipham Rinpoche
Commentary on Dzogchen
The ground of being is kadag, inherently pure and primordially free. It has never been tainted by samsaric obscurations, just as the sun is never diminished by clouds.
Nyingtig Yabzhi (Heart Essence of the Great Expanse)
The original purity of the ground is unchanging, like the vastness of space. It does not increase through virtue nor diminish through wrongdoing. Recognizing this nature is the essence of liberation.
Longchenpa
Chöying Dzöd
Kadag is the intrinsic purity of awareness, encompassing all phenomena without attachment or aversion. It is the timeless ground where all appearances arise and dissolve, unaltered by their coming or going.
Yeshe Lama
Look directly into the mind’s essence. You will see that it is empty and pure from the beginning, free from all impurities. This is kadag, the primordial nature of mind, beyond words and concepts.
Lama Shabkar
The Flight of the Garuda
In the beginning, there is no obscuration to clear away. The ground is pure from the start, without need for purification. It is self-liberated, like the sky untouched by clouds
The Six Vajra Verses (Rigpa’i Khujug)
Kadag is not samsara, for it is not bound by ignorance; nor is it nirvana, for it transcends fixation on liberation. It is the ground of all appearances, pure from the very start.
Longchenpa
Treasury of Natural Perfection
Original purity is the unchanging essence of all phenomena. It is not improved through practice, nor is it diminished by ignorance. It is beyond all elaboration and effort.
Nyingma Gyübum (Collection of Nyingma Tantras)
The primordial ground is kadag, naturally luminous and pristine. It is like a flawless crystal, untouched by impurities, radiating its inherent clarity without obstruction.
Vima Nyingtig
All phenomena arise from the ground of original purity, which is unborn and unceasing. It is the space where all appearances arise and dissolve, leaving no trace.
The Tantra of the Secret Essence
Original purity is self-existing, needing no cause or condition. It is the ever-present ground of being, unspoiled by dualistic thoughts or perceptions.
Kunjed Gyalpo (The All-Creating King)
Kadag is the essence of the ground, the purity that remains unchanging, no matter how many obscurations arise. It is the source from which samsara and nirvana appear as mere reflections.
Mipham Rinpoche
Commentary on Dzogchen Tantras
Original purity (kadag) and spontaneous presence (lhundrub) are inseparable. Kadag is the spacious ground, and lhundrub is its ceaseless display. Together, they form the single taste of the natural state.
The Secret Instruction of the Dakini (Khandro Nyingtik)
The nature of the mind is kadag, free from the stains of concepts and fabrications. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, neither permanence nor annihilation—it is simply what is.
Yangti Nagpo
To recognize the original purity of the mind is to be liberated in the moment. Without this recognition, even vast knowledge cannot bring freedom.
The Heart Essence of Vimalamitra
Kadag is the essence of the mind, free from arising and ceasing. It cannot be grasped through effort, for it is already complete, pure, and perfect as it is.
Padmasambhava’s Oral Instructions
Kadag is timeless; it does not arise in time nor is it bound by time. It is the ever-pure ground where all distinctions dissolve into spacious awareness.
The Cuckoo’s Song of Awareness
Kadag is like the infinite sky, utterly pure and free of clouds. Even when obscured by temporary veils, its purity is never diminished
The Lamp That Dispels Darkness
All phenomena are originally pure, kadag, and arise as self-liberated appearances. To rest in this understanding is the pinnacle of the path.
Yeshe Lama
From the very beginning, all phenomena rest in their intrinsic purity. The ground is self-arisen and free from any contamination, like the vast, open sky.
Kulayaraja Tantra (kun byed rgyal po)
Original purity is inexpressible, uncontrived, and beyond all grasping. It is not within the domain of words, thoughts, or conceptual elaborations, for it is the essence of reality itself.
Dzogchen Nyingtig
Kadag is free from causes and conditions. It is the ground that neither arises nor ceases, neither grows nor diminishes, unchanging and beyond the flow of time.
The Tantra of the Great Perfection
The nature of kadag is primordially pure and unstained by the defilements of samsara. Like sunlight piercing through the clouds, it is ever-present, unobscured by transient appearances.
Longchen Rabjam
Treasury of the Dharmadhatu
To recognize the kadag nature of your mind is to transcend samsara and nirvana in an instant. Without this recognition, even countless aeons of effort will not yield liberation.
The Secret Instruction of Padmasambhava
Kadag is the effortless nature of mind, free from duality. It liberates itself upon recognition, requiring no action or intention.
Yangti Nagpo
All appearances are the display of kadag, the primordial ground of reality. There is no separation between the appearance and its essence, just as a reflection does not exist apart from a mirror.
Vima Nyingtig
The nature of mind is kadag, originally pure and naturally present. When realized, it is the great expanse where all phenomena are seen as they truly are—empty and luminous.
The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra
Kadag is beyond all elaboration, neither this nor that. It cannot be improved upon by virtue, nor diminished by obscuration. Recognizing it is the key to liberation.
Yeshe Lama
Kadag is the groundless ground of being, uncreated and spontaneously perfect. It is like space, untouched by movement, unaltered by arising or ceasing.
Longchenpa
Precious Treasury of the Way of Abiding
Kadag is the original purity of the ground, inseparable from lhundrub, its spontaneous presence. Together, they encompass all appearances and experiences, free from dualistic clinging.
Mipham Rinpoche
Commentary on Dzogchen Tantras
Kadag is like the sky – vast, unchanging, and naturally pure. Though clouds of thoughts and emotions may arise, they leave no trace upon its expanse.
Lama Shabkar
The Flight of the Garuda
Kadag is timeless freedom, untainted by the flux of becoming. To rest in this is to experience the natural liberation of all phenomena.
The Tantra of the Self-Arisen Awareness
Kadag is the unity of clarity and emptiness. It is empty of inherent existence yet vividly clear, a luminous awareness untouched by dualistic extremes.
Khandro Nyingtik
Kadag is uncontrived and effortless, the natural state that requires no cultivation. It is the unspoiled ground of being, pure from the very beginning.
Longchenpa
Chöying Dzöd
The ground is naturally pure, free from the stains of conceptual elaboration. All phenomena arise from this purity, yet they leave no trace upon its essence, just as reflections leave no mark upon a mirror.
Kun byed rgyal po (The All-Creating King)
Kadag is the unfabricated, self-existing purity of the ground. It is neither cultivated nor discovered, for it has always been present, beyond change or effort.
Vima Nyingtig
Kadag is the ultimate ground, limitless and unconditioned. It is free from birth and death, beyond both samsara and nirvana, as the natural state that transcends all extremes.
The Tantra of the Expanse of Samantabhadra’s Wisdom
The ground of being is primordially pure, kadag, free from all defilements. It does not arise from causes nor is it tainted by conditions—it is self-arisen and naturally perfect.
The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra
Awareness itself is kadag, inherently pure and without flaws. It is not something external to be attained, but the recognition of what has always been within, unchanging and radiant.
Longde Tantras
Kadag is the ground from which liberation arises spontaneously. To recognize this primordial purity is to transcend effort, for all appearances and experiences are already liberated upon arising.
Yeshe Lama
The original purity of the ground remains unaltered, no matter how many appearances arise or dissolve. It is the unchanging essence that pervades all experiences without attachment or aversion.
Yangti Nagpo
Kadag is free from effort and striving. It is the natural purity that has never been tainted by ignorance or obscured by delusion. Resting in this recognition is the supreme path.
The Secret Wisdom of the Great Perfection
Kadag, original purity, is inseparably united with lhundrub, spontaneous presence. Together, they form the ultimate nature of reality, where all distinctions dissolve into their intrinsic unity.
The Vajra Heart Tantra
Samsara is a fleeting illusion, like a dream. Kadag, the primordial purity of the ground, has never been touched by this illusion. Recognizing this truth is to awaken from the sleep of ignorance.
Longchenpa
Treasury of the Dharmadhatu
Kadag is the ground where all phenomena arise and dissolve. Like waves upon the ocean, appearances come and go, but the ocean’s vastness remains untouched.
The Tantra of the Self-Liberated Awareness
Kadag is timeless, beyond arising and ceasing. It is the essence of all phenomena, free from duality, where the distinctions of subject and object dissolve into spacious clarity.
Luminous Essence of the Great Perfection
Kadag is like a flawless mirror: it reflects all appearances without bias or distortion. Yet the mirror itself remains untouched, pure and unchanged, no matter what arises within it.
The Tantra of the Great Natural Liberation
Rest in the natural state of kadag, and you will see that all phenomena arise and liberate themselves effortlessly. This is the great freedom of the primordial ground.
Lama Shabkar
The Flight of the Garuda
Kadag is beyond all constructs, neither existent nor nonexistent. It is the ultimate simplicity, where conceptual elaborations find no foothold, and all appearances dissolve into their essential purity.
The Nyingtig Yabzhi
Kadag is the all-pervading essence of reality, present within all phenomena. To recognize this purity is to realize the inseparable nature of emptiness and clarity.
The Secret Essence Tantra
The essence of awareness is kadag, originally pure and untainted by dualistic thoughts. All appearances arise within this purity, yet its nature remains unstained, like space untouched by clouds.
The Tantra of the Primordial Purity of Awareness
Kadag is not created by effort nor destroyed by conditions. It is the unchanging essence of the ground, beyond arising, abiding, and ceasing.
Kunjed Gyalpo (All-Creating King)
Recognizing kadag is to see that all appearances self-liberate upon arising, like writing on water. Nothing can obscure or alter this original purity.
Luminous Vajra Essence
Kadag is free from all conceptual proliferation. It is the simplicity of the ground, naturally pure and vast, untouched by complexity or elaboration.
Dzogchen Semde teaching
The original purity of kadag is the source from which all manifestations arise. It is like the sky, in which clouds form and dissolve, leaving the sky unchanged.
The Tantra of the Self-Arisen Awareness
From the very beginning, all phenomena are pure and perfect. Kadag is the timeless nature of the ground, free from the delusion of time and space.
The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra
Kadag is not cultivated through effort; it is the effortless natural state. When recognized, all phenomena spontaneously liberate into their original purity.
Yeshe Lama
All experiences, whether samsaric or nirvanic, arise from kadag. Like a rainbow appearing in space, they neither taint nor change the ground’s innate purity.
The Tantra of the Secret Essence
Kadag is like a flawless mirror, which reflects all forms without attachment or aversion. Though reflections come and go, the mirror itself remains pure and unchanging.
Longchenpa
Precious Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle
Original purity is the ground where subject and object dissolve. It is the space of non-dual awareness, vast and boundless, like an open sky.
The Heart Essence of the Great Expanse (Nyingtig Yabzhi)
Kadag is the natural purity of the ground, untainted by samsaric stains. It is the empty essence that underlies all appearances, free from grasping or clinging.
Mipham Rinpoche
Commentary on the Dzogchen Tantras
The mind’s essence is kadag, effortless and uncontrived. When this is recognized, all striving ceases, and the natural state is revealed as the great perfection.
The Secret Instruction of Padmasambhava
Kadag is the primordial purity of emptiness, and it is inseparably united with clarity. Together, they form the luminous and empty nature of mind, beyond duality.
Vima Nyingtig
To see the kadag nature of reality is to realize liberation in an instant. Without recognizing this, one remains bound by the delusions of samsara.
The Tantra of the Great Perfection
Kadag is vast like space, free from the limits of concept and duality. It is the primordial purity of all phenomena, where no distinctions arise.
Lama Shabka
The Flight of the Garuda
Kadag is unchanging, ever-present, and free from arising and ceasing. It is the ground of all experience, beyond birth, death, and transformation.
Longchenpa
The Chöying Dzöd
All thoughts, emotions, and appearances dissolve into kadag the moment they arise. This is the natural liberation that requires no effort or contrivance.
Yangti Nagpo
Kadag is spontaneously perfect, without need for refinement or alteration. It is the ground of all phenomena, free from dualistic constructs.
The Tantra of the Inexpressible Truth
Kadag, the original purity of mind, is like a clear sky—vast and boundless, free from clouds of confusion. When you rest in this natural state, all thoughts and emotions dissolve, leaving only the radiance of pure awareness.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
The Heart of Compassion
Original purity, kadag, is the empty and stainless nature of our mind. It is the ground from which all appearances arise, like the sky in which clouds form and disappear. Recognizing this purity is the essence of Dzogchen practice.
Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State
Kadag is the fundamental purity of all phenomena, free from elaboration and fabrication. It is the ground of being, where all appearances are seen as the luminous play of awareness, empty of inherent existence.
Mipham Rinpoche
White Lotus
Kadag is the inherent purity of the base, unconditioned and timeless. It does not require purification because it has never been stained. It is simply recognized when we relax and allow the natural state to reveal itself.
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche
The Crystal and the Way of Light
Original purity is like water that is always clear, even if temporarily disturbed by mud. The essence of mind is untainted by thoughts and emotions—it is pure, luminous, and unchanging.
Patrul Rinpoche
Words of My Perfect Teacher
Kadag is the unaltered purity of the ground, free from effort and obscuration. It is the ever-present foundation of all phenomena, realized in the direct experience of natural awareness.
Longchenpa
Kadag is the purity of awareness itself, free from all contamination. It is like the sky: no matter how stormy or cloudy it becomes, the sky itself remains untouched. Resting in this awareness is the practice of Dzogchen.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Carefree Dignity
The nature of mind is originally pure, kadag, and this purity is inseparable from the luminosity of its natural expression. It is like sunlight shining through the empty sky—radiant and free.
Sogyal Rinpoche
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Kadag is the inherent purity of all that exists. Even the most deluded thoughts are rooted in this pure ground. Recognizing this truth is the essence of liberation.
Khenpo Ngakchung
The Lamp That Dispels Darkness
Kadag means that our true nature has never been stained by duality or ignorance. It is like the vast expanse of the sky, open and boundless, where all clouds of confusion dissolve by themselves.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
As It Is
Kadag refers to the basic purity of awareness, which remains unchanged no matter what arises in experience. Thoughts and emotions are like waves on the ocean—impermanent and insubstantial, while the ocean itself remains vast and still.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
The Joy of Living
Kadag is the ground of reality, the original purity that underlies all appearances. It cannot be improved or diminished because it has always been perfect, free from causes and conditions.
Dudjom Rinpoche
The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism
Original purity is the essence of the mind, completely pure and simple. It is not something to strive for—it is always present, only obscured by the layers of concepts and dualistic thinking.
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
Kadag is the natural state of the mind, already free and pure. There is no need to change or purify it—it is enough to see through the illusions of samsara and recognize what has always been.
Anam Thubten Rinpoche
No Self, No Problem
Bon Dzogchen quotations on the Primordial Purity (Kadag)
Kadag is the open, unconditioned essence of being. When we rest in this original purity, all distinctions and dualities dissolve, revealing the natural state as it is—vast, clear, and beyond grasping.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep
The primordial ground is kadag, pure from the beginning, like a stainless crystal. It is not created, nor can it be tainted by the illusions of samsara. Recognizing this purity is the path of liberation.
Shenrap Miwo (Founder of Bön)
The Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung
Kadag is the unchanging, boundless purity of the base, self-arisen and beyond elaboration. Like the sky, it remains unstained by the passing clouds of thought and emotion.
The Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyü (Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung)
Kadag is the foundation of the natural state, free from duality and concepts. It is the open clarity of awareness, vast and spacious, where no distinctions arise.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep
Original purity is not a state to be attained or created. It is the eternal essence of all phenomena, spontaneously present and utterly beyond the limitations of thought and grasping.
The Ma Gyü (Mother Tantra)
Kadag is the ultimate simplicity, the unchanging base of all that appears. It is not bound by samsara nor enhanced by nirvana—it is the timeless expanse of original purity.
The Jewel Treasury
Kadag is the unconditioned nature of mind, free from any stain of dualistic perception. It is the natural state, the essence of reality, where all appearances arise and dissolve like waves on the ocean.
Heart Drops of Dharmakaya
The ground is kadag, vast and empty, free from any limitation or elaboration. All experiences are but its luminous play, naturally arising and dissolving without leaving a trace.
The Zhang Zhung Dzöd Dun (Seven Treasuries of Zhang Zhung)
Kadag is like space, vast and formless, free from all grasping. It is the original purity of the mind, beyond arising and ceasing, which is simply recognized when dualistic thoughts subside.
Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen
Heart Drops of Dharmakaya
Kadag is the intrinsic purity of awareness itself. It does not depend on external purification or internal effort, for it has never been tainted by delusion. To rest in this state is to abide in the great perfection
The Six Lamps of the Mother Tantra
Original purity is the ground of all phenomena. When you recognize kadag, there is no separation between samsara and nirvana, for both are the luminous expression of the pure base.
Tapihritsa
The Golden Letters
Kadag is the base that transcends all extremes, such as existence and nonexistence, samsara and nirvana. It is not to be fabricated but recognized as the ever-present essence of all phenomena.
Gyalwa Chaktri
Kadag, the original purity of the ground, is inseparable from lhundrub, the spontaneous presence of manifestation. Together, they are the complete expression of the natural state, where purity and clarity coexist effortlessly.
Unknown Bonpo Dzogchen Master
Kadag is the openness and spaciousness of the mind’s true nature. It is not something to be achieved but the recognition of what has always been present—empty, luminous, and unchanging.
Rinpoche Tenzin Wangyal
Awakening the Luminous Mind
The pure nature of kadag is unconditioned and unchangeable, untouched by samsaric delusions or nirvanic attainments. It is the great sky-like expanse, beyond all concepts of purity or impurity.
The Bön Dzogchen Tantras on Kadag
Kadag is the ground from which all arises, yet it is never touched by what arises. Like the crystal that reflects all colors, it remains pure and stainless, no matter what appearances manifest.
Nyamme Sherab Gyaltsen
Aspiration Prayer
May all those who have the great good karma to encounter these Dzogchen teachings and quotations recognise their true nature – the Primordial Ground.
And may they rest in that groundless ground, and stabilise that resting, until they are fully Liberated!
The Dzogchen ten key terms series
This is a series of posts inspired by Malcolm Smith’s Wisdom Academy course: Dzogchen: Ten Key Terms. I am sharing my favourite quotes from the Dzogchen source texts so they can speak for themselves on what each of these key terms points to. If moved to please use them as a reference source for reflection and meditation.
The first post – What is the Primordial Ground, or Basis (Gzhi)?
The second post – What is the Primordial Purity (Kadag)?
The third post – What is Natural Perfection (Lhungrub)?
