Dzogchen, or Dzogpa Chenpo (རྫོགས་པ་ཆེན་པོ་), means “Great Perfection.” In Sanskrit it is known as Mahāsandhi, meaning “Great Completion” or “Great Perfection.”

Dzogchen is regarded as the highest and most direct teaching of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Ancient Tradition (snga ‘gyur rnying ma). It is considered the pinnacle of the nine vehicles (theg pa rim pa dgu) and the ultimate fruition of all paths.

Dzogchen points directly to the natural state of mind — primordially pure (ka dag, ཀ་དག) and spontaneously present (lhun grub, ལྷུན་གྲུབ). Through these teachings, practitioners are introduced to the recognition of intrinsic awareness (rigpa, རིག་པ་), the true nature of mind beyond conceptual elaboration (spros bral) and all artificial constructs.