Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, who was born in 1938 in Tibet, was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of Dzogchen Adzom Drugpa, a great Rime teacher from the early twentieth century. He was rigorously trained in the traditional way, receiving instructions and transmission from the foremost teachers of his time. He arrived in the West in 1960. Invited by the scholar Giuseppe Tucci to work at the University of Rome, he later became professor at the University of Naples, teaching Tibetan and Mongolian languages and literature and Tibetan Cultural History. However, he is foremostly known to American practitioners as a great teacher of Dzogchen. What are Dzogchen teachings?

In Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche says, "Dzogchen is not a school or sect, or a religious system....When a master teaches Dzogchen, he or she is trying to transmit a state of knowledge. The aim of the master is to awaken the student, opening that individual's conciousness to the primordial enlightened state."

In Dzogchen, the primordial enlightened state of being is not seen as something to be constructed or gained, but as existing from the beginning - it only needs to be discovered. The primordial state is from the beginning our inherent potential. However, a teacher of sufficient capacity and authority is needed to explain, introduce and transmit the Dzogchen teaching.

Namkhai Norbu has been transmitting the Dzogchen teachings in the West as he previously received the initiations and transmissions of the essential Dzogchen lineage from his root master Chang Chub Dorje, who also introduced him directly to the experience of Dzogchen. His teachings, based on Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen, are very clear and direct. Practitioners endeavor to develop awareness and integrate the teachings into their daily lives by relaxing their tensions, and through identifying and overcoming their limitations.

The Portland weekend will include an introduction to Yantra Yoga. Based on the Anuttaratantras and transmitted uninterruptedly since the eighth century, it is a method to arrive at one's natural state. A video of Yantra Yoga and opportunities to continue and deepen the practice with the support of others will be available.

Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche's many books are treasured among Dzogchen practitioners. Among them are the aforementioned Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State, as well as: The Crystal and the Way of Light, The Mirror, Advice on the Presence of Awareness, Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light and The Cycle of Day and Night. These books are often available in Portland bookstores and will also be available during the weekend.

For further information about Rinpoche's Portland visit, call Jayanti at 503-284-1448, or e-mail: jayanti@hevanet.com. For information about Rinpoche's tour schedule, check the website of the North American center at www.tashi.org.