Dzogchen and mahamudra: same dance? Or what?

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First off, they are clearly not identical. In particular, dzogchen has a specialized and unique vocabulary in which words like “base” or “bodhicitta” have meanings distinct from their meanings in other Tibetan Buddhist literature and teaching. When studying or practising either, it’s really important to know which is which!

And yet, they do have a lot in common. It is widely accepted that the “space division” and “mind division”, along with the first part of the “instruction division” of dzogchen (trekcho) have close parallels with mahamudra, while the final part of the “instruction division” (thögal), with its use of dark retreat and focus on “photic” phenomena is really quite distinct. Karma Chagme’s text, The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, is very informative for those who want to go deeper.

My point here is just to suggest an analogy: dzogchen and mahamudra are like a polka and a mazurka (not necessarily in that order). These are both European dances from similar musical cultures. For those who don’t know, mazurkas are in 3/4 time while polkas are in 2/4. This means that while you might hear them at the same dance, and there is no reason why a dancer should be able to do both, failing to keep them distinct will not go well. The dancer who tries to use the steps from one while dancing the other would be likely to fall over, or at best tread on their partner’s toes.


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