Dzogchen: The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point Immersion

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Open to everyone
This course is now available! Recordings of special webinars and live sessions are accessible to all Vajrayana Online participants.

About the Immersion Course

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What inspired Rinpoche to write Stainless Prajna?
Dzogchen is considered the highest and most profound form of meditation in the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Dzogchen teachings lay out a path of meditation that reveals the pure, nondual awareness — or rigpa — that is the mind’s true nature. Once recognized, the experience of rigpa radically transforms our experience of thoughts, emotions, and perception, fundamentally changing the way we see ourselves and relate to the world.

The Dzogchen path offered in Vajrayana Online consists of two sequential courses — an Essence course, and this Immersion course — which are designed to introduce the teachings, foster familiarity, and enhance one’s own understanding and experience. Both the Dzogchen Essence and Immersion focus on a famed set of Dzogchen teachings known as The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point — perhaps the most well-known and cherished instructions on recognizing pure awareness. We will go through these teachings step by step, exploring a range of instructions and teachings from both traditional and contemporary teachers.

Meet your Teacher and Guides

In this transmission, you will receive teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, special guest teachers, Tergar lamas and Vajrayana Online guides.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Teacher
Mingyur Rinpoche was born in 1975 in the border region between Tibet and Nepal. He was attracted to a life of contemplation from an early age and spent many years of his childhood in strict retreat. Mingyur Rinpoche studied with some of the greatest masters in living memory. Nowadays, he heads the Tergar Meditation Community and takes care of the monasteries under his responsibility. He supports students in more than thirty countries.

Khenpo Kunga

Tergar Lama
Khenpo Kunga is a senior monastic teacher in the Tergar lineage. He studied at Namdroling Monastery in South India under Penor Rinpoche and holds the title of khenpo (professor of Buddhist philosophy). He teaches worldwide and plays a vital role in guiding Tergar monastics and lay practitioners in both philosophical studies and meditation.

Tim Olmsted

Vajrayana Online Guide
Tim Olmsted began Buddhist studies in 1977 with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He lived in Nepal for 12 years, studying with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and many renowned teachers while working as a psychotherapist. A founding instructor of Tergar International, Tim shares meditation with warmth and humor. He lives in Colorado with his wife Glenna, leading a community following Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings.

Cortland Dahl

Vajrayana Online Guide
Cortland Dahl is a scientist, translator, author, and meditation teacher with over 25 years of meditation experience. Fluent in Tibetan, he has published twelve books of translations of classical Buddhist texts. He holds a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain, and Contemplative Science from UW-Madison, where he was mentored by Dr. Richard Davidson. Cort is Executive Director of Tergar International and Chief Contemplative Officer at Healthy Minds Innovations.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Guest Teacher
Tsoknyi Rinpoche is a renowned meditation teacher in the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions and the brother of Mingyur Rinpoche. A tulku recognized in childhood, he has taught worldwide for over 30 years. Known for his warmth and clarity, he supports over 50 nunneries and monasteries and bridges ancient wisdom with the modern world.

Chagdud Khadro

Guest Teacher
Chagdud Khadro is a senior teacher in the Nyingma tradition and the spiritual director of Chagdud Gonpa Brazil. Trained directly by her late husband, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, she has helped establish a vibrant Vajrayana community in South America. She teaches widely and is committed to preserving and transmitting the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sangye Khandro

Guest Teacher
Sangye Khandro is one of the pioneering Western translators of Tibetan Buddhist texts and a respected teacher in the Nyingma tradition. She trained with great masters such as Dudjom Rinpoche and Penor Rinpoche, and cofounded Light of Berotsana, a translation organization. She continues to teach and translate extensively in the U.S. and beyond.

Lama Rigdzin Drolma

Guest Teacher
Anne Klein (Lama Rigzin Drolma) is a scholar, translator, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. She cofounded Dawn Mountain in Houston, Texas, and is a professor of religion at Rice University. A student of Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, she blends academic rigor with experiential practice, making profound teachings accessible to modern students.

Matthieu Ricard

Guest Teacher
Matthieu Ricard is a French Buddhist monk, humanitarian, and author. A longtime student of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Kangyur Rinpoche, he has lived in the Himalayas for decades. He is renowned for bridging science and meditation, and for his work with altruism and compassion. He collaborates with Tergar and other global organizations.

Erik Pema Kunsang

Guest Teacher
Erik Pema Kunsang is a Danish translator and teacher who has translated over 60 volumes of Tibetan Buddhist texts. A student of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, he is known for his accessible language and direct style. He cofounded Rangjung Yeshe Publications and guides practitioners through retreats, teachings, and translation work.

Marcia Schmidt

Guest Teacher
Marcia Schmidt is a long-time practitioner and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. She studied closely with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and cofounded Rangjung Yeshe Publications. With decades of retreat experience, she shares teachings with clarity and heart, often emphasizing the deep integration of view and practice in everyday life.

Sara Jacoby

Guest Teacher
Sarah Jacoby is a scholar whose work explores gender, sexuality, and autobiographical writing in Tibetan Buddhism. She is an associate professor at Northwestern University and received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. A specialist in the Nyingma tradition, she has translated and studied the life and teachings of Sera Khandro, a prominent Tibetan female visionary.

Andreas Kretschmar

Guest Teacher
Andreas Kretschmar is a longtime student of Khenpo Chöga and was one of the early translators for Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. He is known for translating Khenpo Kunpal’s commentary on Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara, helping make these profound teachings accessible to Western students. His work reflects a deep commitment to preserving and sharing Buddhist teachings.

What will I learn

  • Review and deepen your understanding and practice of The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point — and your ability to apply them in daily life.
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Your Course Includes

  • Audio and video teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, with video subtitles and transcripts
  • Webinars with Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Khenpo Kunga
  • Interviews with leading western Dzogchen scholars and practitioners - Anne Klein, Erik Pema Kunsang, Matthieu Ricard, Marcia Schmidt, and others
  • Live sessions with Instructors Cortland Dahl and Tim Olmsted
  • Readings on the practice of Dzogchen from a range of modern and classical lineage masters
  • Practice interviews with Tergar Instructors
  • A range of resources for Dzogchen, including additional teachings, practice workbooks, and more
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Why should I join?

  • Exclusive prerecorded teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche on all the 25 meditations of Stainless Prajna
  • Guided meditations and practices for daily life
  • Live webinars and sessions with Tergar lamas and Tergar guides
  • Interviews with leading Buddhist teachers
  • Peer-to-peer forums to discuss the topics of the course
  • One-on-one practice interviews with Tergar guides
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Course Texts

  • Primordial Purity: Oral Instructions on The Three Words That Strike the Vital Point by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
  • Quintessential Dzogchen: Confusion Dawns as Wisdom by Tulku Urgyen
  • Perfect Clarity: A Tibetan Buddhist Anthology of Mahamudra and Dzogchen by Marcia Binder Schmidt
  • Vajra Heart Revisited: Teachings on the Path of Trekcho by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
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Course Outline

This course consists of six lessons, each exploring a major theme of the text, and is designed to be completed over two months.
Module 1: The Dzogchen Preliminaries
Welcome
1. Compassion and Devotion
2. The Vajra Stance and Hung Yogas
3. Dzogchen Analytical Meditation
4. Rest and Revitlize
Module 2: Recognize Your True Nature
5. An Introduction to the Three Words That Strike the Vital Point
6. The First Vital Point
7. Recognizing Pure Awareness
8. Key Points on Trekchö
Module 3: Decide on One Point
9. Distinguish Dualistic Mind from Rigpa
10. Get Familiar with Rigpa
11. Resolve Rigpa
12. Mingle Awareness and Space
Module 4: Gain Confidence in Liberation
13. Gaining Confidence in Liberation
14. The Four Liberations
15. Application in the Great Perfection
16. Fruition in the Great Perfection

 Webinars

Webinars with Teachers and Guides
Webinars with Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Khenpo Kunga
The monthly webinars with our resident teachers offer regular teachings and practice guidance from a lamas who have deep training in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Through these live sessions (and their recordings), students receive clear, step-by-step instruction, have opportunities to ask questions, and steadily deepen their understanding of both foundational and more advanced Vajrayana practices.

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Webinars with Course Guides Cortland Dahl and Tim Olmsted
The monthly webinars with our resident guides offer regular teachings and practice guidance from a lamas who have deep training in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Through these live sessions (and their recordings), students receive clear, step-by-step instruction, have opportunities to ask questions, and steadily deepen their understanding of both foundational and more advanced Vajrayana practices.

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Mingyur Rinpoche teaches the key instructions for practicing the 25 meditations presented in his meditation manual, line by line

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at $500/year after a 10-day free trial.
 Cancel anytime.

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The standard rate will cover the basic costs of offering the program.

  • 10-day free trial
  • 25+ courses included

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USD per month, billed annually
at $750/year after a 10-day free trial.
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Your generosity will help us to offer a discounted rate to those in need of financial assistance.

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Do You Want to Know More About the Dzogchen: Three Words That Strike the Vital Point Transmission?

The Dzogchen: Three Words That Strike the Vital Point transmission includes a series of courses that provide a unique opportunity to integrate the core elements of the Buddhist path into your practice and daily life.

Frequently Asked Questions

This seems like too much for me . . . How much time will it take?

Don’t worry, you will only need about one hour to complete each lesson, and you can take the course at your pace.

Where can I purchase Stainless Prajna?

Stainless Prajna: Meditation Manual on the Treasury of Abhidharma is not yet published. The English translation is expected to be completed next year. A draft translation is provided to all Vajrayana Online members as part of the course materials.

Keep in mind that this is a traditional Buddhist meditation manual, not a typical book. Reading alone is not enough to truly understand it — the best approach is to learn directly from Mingyur Rinpoche, Tergar lamas, and Tergar guides throughout the Buddhist Psychology Immersion. During the course, you will receive teachings and practical guidance to explore each chapter and meditation in the text.

Is it possible to begin the immersion after it has already started?

Yes! You can join anytime and access all the material. You won't miss anything.

Who can take this course?

There are no prerequisites for this course. It is appropriate for practitioners of all levels.

I'm already practicing the Joy of Living/the Path of Liberation. How can I integrate this course into my practice?

Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings make it easy to integrate the Abhidharma view into the practices you already do. Your daily practice will be enriched, and there’s no need to accumulate additional meditations from Stainless Prajna. There is no extra homework!
As we go through life, we accumulate layers of ideas about who we are and what we’re capable of achieving. As these layers accumulate, we tend to become increasingly rigid in our identification with certain views about ourselves and the world around us. Gradually, we lose our connection to the basic openness, clarity, and love that is the essence of our being.
— Tsoknyi Rinpoche