Origins & Early Life

Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (Tibetan: ཀློང་ཆེན་རབ་འབྱམས་པ་དྲི་མེད་འོད་ཟེར།, Wylie: klong chen rab 'byams pa dri med 'od zer), or simply Longchenpa (1308–1364, "The Vast Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school, the 'Old School' of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David Germano, Longchenpa's work led to the dominance of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, over the other Dzogchen traditions. He is also responsible for the scholastic systematization of Dzogchen thought within the context of the wider Tibetan Vajrayana tradition of Buddhist philosophy. Dzogchen thought was highly developed among both the Old School and New Sarma schools.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Germano also notes that Longchenpa's work is "generally taken to be the definitive expression of the Great Perfection with its precise terminological distinctions, systematic scope, and integration with the normative Buddhist scholasticism that became dominant in Tibet during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries." Longchenpa is known for his voluminous writings, including the highly influential Seven Treasuries and his compilation of the Dzogchen text and commentary, the Nyingtig Yabshi, The...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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