The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

THE INNERMOST ESSENCE 171in this chapter, "The Innermost Essence," is the heart of thepractice of Trekchö.Trekchö means cutting through delusion with fierce, directthoroughness. Essentially delusion is cut through with the irresistibleforce of the View of Rigpa, like a knife cleavingthrough butter or a karate expert demolishing a pile of bricks.The whole fantastical edifice of delusion collapses, as if youwere blasting its keystone away. Delusion is cut through, andthe primordial purity and natural simplicity of the nature ofmind is laid bare.Only when the master has determined that you have athorough grounding in the practice of Trekchö will he or sheintroduce you to the advanced practice of Tögal. Tögal practitionerswork directly with the Clear Light that dwells inherently,"spontaneously present," within all phenomena, usingspecific and exceptionally powerful exercises to reveal itwithin himself or herself.Tögal has a quality of instantaneousness, of immediate realization.Instead of traveling over a range of mountains to reacha distant peak, the Tögal approach would be to leap there inone bound. The effect of Tögal is to enable persons to actualizeall the different aspects of enlightenment within themselvesin one lifetime. 7 Therefore it is regarded as theextraordinary, unique method of Dzogchen; whereas Trekchöis its wisdom, Tögal is its skillful means. It requires enormousdiscipline and is generally practiced in a retreat environment.Yet it cannot be stressed too often that the path ofDzogchen can only be followed under the direct guidance of aqualified master. As the Dalai Lama says: "One fact that youmust bear in mind is that the practices of Dzogchen, such asTrekchö and Tögal, can only be achieved through the guidanceof an experienced master, and through receiving theinspiration and blessing from a living person who has thatrealization." 8THE RAINBOW BODYThrough these advanced practices of Dzogchen, accomplishedpractitioners can bring their lives to an extraordinaryand triumphant end. As they die, they enable their body to bereabsorbed back into the light essence of the elements thatcreated it, and consequently their material body dissolves intolight and then disappears completely. This process is known asthe "rainbow body" or "body of light," because the dissolution