Characterizing the Nature of Mind: Nondual Awareness and Rarified Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen Contemplative Practice
Tibetan Graduate Studies Seminar (TGSS), Oxford University
Over the past two decades, as part of an evolving discourse on how contemplative practices (and in parallel, psychedelics research) inform models of consciousness, there is increasing philosophic and scientific investigation on nondual awareness (NDA). Several theoretical models propose to characterize nondual awareness, psychometric self-report surveys purport to capture features of nondual awareness, and a handful of empirical studies claim nondual awareness measures. Such efforts have however given little attention to descriptions of the nature of mind and related meditative experiences from Tibetan Buddhist contemplative sources. This talk contextualizes this broader contemporary discourse in cognitive science then pivots to historical Nyingma Dzogchen meditation manuals that describe nondual awareness and related rarified meditative states. To descriptively characterize the structures of dualistic consciousness and features of nondual awareness, the discussion will deploy the classic Tibetan Buddhist tactical approach of making clear distinctions (shan ’byed) between realization (rtogs) that is nondual in character, and rare, albeit remarkable experiences (nyams) that inevitably emerge for meditators. Building on the speaker’s work on Dzogchen nondual meditation (Deroche and Sheehy 2022), the talk will detail meditative states of mind-blanking, cessation, and vacuity (had de ba, had po, etc.) that are frequently confused with pure awareness (rig pa). We will conclude with reflections on pathways forward for characterizing the nature of mind.
