Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00005)

I fully agree with all of Jerry Schueler's comments about schools of Buddhism
and viewpoints.

Madhyamika and Yogacara schools of thought were never meant to be mutually
exclusive, except perhaps by some fervents dogmatics.  They are different ways
of using words to approach the truth, and of course both ultimately fail.
Which is why Buddhism encourages EXPERIENCE, not words.

As for the "Great Perfection" school of Tibetan Buddhism (Dgogs-pa Chen-po), I
myself strongly suspect that HPB was involved with that tradition, or at least
had access to it.  There is, again, no point in talking about it in words,
except to suggest to all Theosophical students to find any one of the recent
books on Dzogchen Buddhism and investigate it.  Nothing else I've seen in all
the world's religions resonates so deeply with HPB's work.  Dzogchen is the
one way of approach to Enlightenment which starts at the end, stating that WE
ARE ALREADY THERE, and it offers the practitioner various means to recognize
and *remain* in the state of great perfection, or "clear light."  Dzogchen
offers no dogmas, and so conflicts with no teachings.  it includes them all,
and offers merely practices (few words) to help practitioners recognize their
*own* already enlightened nature.

Rich