Alaya versus Rigpa
In Dzogchen the karmic mind in its totality is called the "alayavijnana" or "alaya" for short. It's the karmic ground consciousness as "kunzhi nampar shes pa".
It has a characteristic possible that manifests as a very clear and pleasant state of consciousness. But that clarity and pleasure are dependently originated karmic mind-states. Many practitioners mistake this clear and present state as being rigpa. It's not.
Rigpa is different because it is not dependently originated from prior causes. It has no "cause" and always contains the vivid spark or flash of "self-arising, self-recognizing wisdom" or "rangjyung yeshe". A non-conceptual certainty is present that validates rigpa as being the actual Buddha Nature; there is NO doubt about this. Because of this unmistakable Buddha wisdom, differentiating the alaya from rigpa is not difficult at all.
One does not have to "purify" or transform or stop the alaya in order for rigpa to arise. The empty nature of the alaya or karmic mind is itself rigpa. Rigpa's energy (tsal) is itself manifesting as the alaya or karmic mind.
So when in a karmic mind state, simply close your eyes and observe the energetic aspect of that karmic mind state. Notice how the mind state is occurring in your "knowing awareness". Now notice the empty quality of your "knowing awareness". The moment you actually "see" the empty nature of your "knowing awareness", the empty nature of the mind state will immediately appear.
It's not that the karmic mind state first dissolved and thereby revealed an underlying "knowing awareness", but rather that the karmic mind state revealed its true nature to be itself "knowing awareness" appearing as the karmic mind state! This immediate insight is a wisdom of rigpa itself.
This actually applies to all mind states, thoughts, images, feelings, sensations, perceptions and experiential life events.
However it requires being able to know this "knowing awareness" directly in experience.
Here's how:
Complete Instructions for Dzogchen Atiyoga
"Relax into basic space beyond beginning and end,” introduces the nature of mind. Once you recognize it, there is no need to wait for another time in the future. Basic space never began and does not end in any way whatsoever. Rigpa never began and does not end. It is totally endless, utterly beginningless."
Tulku Urgyen
"This wakefulness that is primordially pure is the empty quality of the nature of our mind. In the moment when we recognize our nature, we do not see any ‘thing’ whatsoever. It is already utterly pure and perfect. That is exactly what we call primordial purity. Inseparable from that is a quality of knowing: we are cognizant, at the same time. This is the spontaneous presence. These two aspects are indivisible."
Tulku Urgyen
Direct Introduction to Pure Awareness (rigpa in Tibetan):
Sit in a comfortable posture in a well lit and bright room or outdoor space.
Close your eyes.
Notice the color at your closed eyelids. It will usually seem like an orangey color with brownish or gray tinges. Whatever the color, just observe the color that seems to be in front of your awareness that's noticing the colors.
Now, instead of attention being on the colors at the eyelids; notice that which is the "observing" awareness that knows the colors are present. Bring attention from the object to the subject side that is doing the observing.
"There is an oral instruction about the way to look. It is said,
“It is as though your eyes were looking through the back of your head instead of looking forwards.” Mingyur Rinpoche
"It is as though your eyes are looking backwards instead of forwards as they usually do. You are looking out with your eyes but are looking back at the same time. Do not try too hard with this though, otherwise you will really make a big mistake. You just sort of look back ..." Mingyur Rinpoche
Notice the empty nature of your own awareness that is observing. There is an empty space of awareness that knows itself, but not as a thing with shape, form or substance.
"The way to do this is just to turn your attention slightly inward, not to look deeply inside, just to turn your focus from outward to inward in a very light way. The moment of recognizing this state is the blessings of the lineage." Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Being that empty, observing awareness; just notice again the colors at the eyelids. Do the colors alter or change your empty awareness or do they just appear in awareness like clouds appearing in a changeless sky? This analogy applies as well regarding all thoughts, images, sense of self, emotional energies, sensations and perceptions that also appear harmlessly in the empty space of changeless awareness.
Relax attention again and again from the colors or any inner phenomena, so that attention and the empty, observing awareness occupy the same exact space, inseparably so.
It's possible to notice the empty, transparent nature of your own observing awareness that deepens as one remains empty of attentiveness to any mental or perceptual content other than empty awareness itself.
"Without any in or any out - utter openness. How is it that ‘openness’? It’s empty, awake, luminous and simple..." Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Whatever occurs to the senses or mind, just leave everything as-is and relax in your native state of vivid and awake awareness. Your heightened awareness will guide your actions in life with great precision. There are no further instructions.
Here is an ancient quote from a fundamental Great Perfection Tantra, or scriptural text, called the “The Heaped Jewels.” It completely summarizes the unique method of Dzogchen practice.
"When anyone rests in the natural state without concentration, understanding manifests in that individual’s mind, without someone having to teach all the words by which the mind understands these meanings. As this understanding dawns in the mind, all that is non-manifest and all sensory appearances, which in themselves entail no concepts, are seen to be naturally pure." (From
Longchenpa’s Precious Treasury, Padma Publications.)
Kalu Rinpoche:
"Mind is poised in the state of bare awareness, there is no directing the mind. One is not looking within for anything; one is not looking without for anything. One is simply letting the mind rest in its own natural state. The empty, clear and unimpeded nature of mind can be experienced if we can rest in an uncontrived state of bare awareness without distraction and without the spark of awareness being lost."
In daily life:
"It is easy to re-recognize it (rigpa). You just have to drop thinking and it is right there. There is not a lot to be done."
Mingyur Rinpoche
A direct pointing instruction from Lama Tsultrim Allione
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i34IuGJUj30
Urgyen Tulku
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncrNEAAMgSs