Effortless Spontaneity: The Dzogchen Commentaries by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, tr. by Dylen Esler

The notion of effortlessness is central to the self-understanding of the Tibetan contemplative tradition known as Dzogchen. This book explores this key notion from a variety of perspectives, highlighting the distinctive role it plays in the Dzogchen approach’s doctrinal architecture and meditative programme.
The book’s focus is on the early development of the Dzogchen tradition, especially as codified in a set of hitherto unstudied commentaries by the 10th-century scholar and meditation master Nubchen Sangye Yeshe. A full annotated translation of the commentaries is provided, along with an edition of the Tibetan texts on facing pages.

Dylan Esler, PhD (2018), University of Louvain, MA (2005) SOAS, London, currently works as a researcher at the Center for Religious Studies (CERES) of the Ruhr-University Bochum. He has published numerous articles and translations relating to Tibetan Dzogchen and Tantra, including The Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation (Oxford University Press, 2022).