Tantra Illuminated with Dr. Christopher Wallis Tantra Meets Dzogchen with Ācārya Malcolm Smith
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Nov 7, 2025 In this enlightening conversation, Ācārya Malcolm Smith, a seasoned Dzogchen practitioner and translator, explores profound intersections between Tantra and Dzogchen. He shares insights from his transformative three-year retreat and the philosophical nuances of direct recognition in awakening. The duo delves into concepts like emptiness, the role of Tibetan cosmologies, and the dynamic interplay of delusion and reality. Smith emphasizes the importance of understanding delusion for liberation, alongside rich discussions on Dzogchen’s unique practices and the nature of consciousness.
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Dzogchen’s Framing Of Liberation
- Dzogchen shares Buddhist goals: end afflictions, cease uncontrolled rebirth, and attain omniscience to benefit others.
- Its focus frames liberation as removing afflictions that drive karmic rebirth, not as mere positive emotions.
Krama’s Mechanism Of Delusion
- Christopher Wallis summarized Krama: consciousness manifests objects and we fall into delusion by reifying subject-object splits.
- Krama prescribes attitudinal 'mudras' and contemplations (impermanence, mind's capacity) to arrest reification.
Dzogchen And Madhyamaka Alignment
- Malcolm argued Dzogchen aligns philosophically with Prasangika Madhyamaka and rejects Yogacara.
- Dzogchen holds even Buddhahood and ultimate truth are uncompounded and not ontologically established.
