A Wish-Fulfilling Gem: Guidance on the Meaning of Being at Ease with Illusion, A Dzogchen Teaching

By Lonchen Rabjam Drimé Ödzer

This is a translation of a Tibetan language meditation practice instruction that was authored by the 14th c. Dzokchen scholar, Longchen Rabjam Drimé Ödzer (1308-1363) on being at ease with the illusory nature of reality. This instruction is a guidance on the meaning (don khrid) text from Longchenpa’s Trilogy of Rest (Ngal gso skor gsum). Longchenpa’s trilogy is a series of Dzokchen instructions on how to be totally at ease – the underlying philosophy of the trilogy is that there are ways to cultivate deep relaxation and being at ease with whatever manifests. For each volume, Longchenpa composed specific contemplative guidance instructions, and this is a translation of his guidance on being at ease with illusion from the third volume in the trilogy, Finding Rest in Illusion. Includes instructions on dream yoga and conjuring apparitions as part of exercises for becoming familiar with the 8 similes of cognitive illusion.  

For those interested, there are 2 translations available of the Trilogy of Rest:

  1. Longchenpa. 2018. Finding Rest in Illusion. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications.
  2. Longchenpa. 1976. Kindly Bent to Ease Us, Part Three: Wonderment. Translated by Herbert V. Guenther. Emeryville, CA: Dharma Publishing.

Read the full text on the LOTSAWA HOUSE, Guidance on Being at Ease with Illusion.