The Marvelous Primordial State of Great Perfection is a profoundly important root text of the Mind series of Dzogchen. Although this ancient text is not as large, nor has it as many chapters as The Supreme Source, it teaches all the essential principles of Ati Dzogchen that can be subsumed in the view without fixations, contemplation beyond concepts, and the fruit that is not obtained by treading a path. Therefore, this book contains the essence of all sutras and tantras of the Buddha's teaching, with nothing missing. Our English translation of The Marvelous Primordial State, an ancient and extraordinary text the like of which is rarely found in the world and whose value is immeasurable, has been made for the benefit of those fortunate ones who wish to gain an understanding of the real meaning of Ati Dzogpa Chenpo. I truly hope and wish that it will serve to open the doors of their minds and engender a genuine understanding of the principle of Ati Dzogpa Chenpo. -Chögyal Namkhai NorbuForewordby Chögyal Namkhai NorbuHE MARVELOUS PRIMORDIAL STATE OF TOTAL PERFECTION (rDzogs pa chen pobyang chub kyi sems rmad du byung ba) is a profoundly important root textof the Mind series of Dzogchen. Several texts known by the title rMad du byungba are contained in the various editions of the Collected Tantras of the OldTradition (rNying ma rgyud ’bum). These are:The Marvelous Primordial State (Byang chub kyi sems rmad du byung ba), inforty chapters;The Tantra of the Marvelous Primordial State (Byang chub kyi sems rmad dubyung ba’i rgyud), in eleven chapters;The Section of the Marvelous Primordial State, Total Bliss (bDe ba chen pobyang chub kyi sems rmad du byung ba’i le’u), in forty chapters;The Golden Vine: [Extract] from the Tantra Called the Wheel of Self-Originating Bliss, The Essential Meaning of the Marvelous Total Perfection(rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po rang byung bde ba’i ’khorlo’i rgyud las gser kyi khril shing can), in twenty chapters.An annotation to the last text clearly states: “It was translated by Vimala andNyag Jnanakumara. Taught to Nyang Tingdzin Zangpo, who then hid it as aterma, it was [later] discovered and transmitted by Trom Yeshe Nyingpo.”Among these various texts called The Marvelous (rMad byung), the ancientAti Dzogchen text widely known as The Marvelous is certainly The MarvelousPrimordial State (Byang chub kyi sems rmad du byung ba) in forty chapters.This is evident because all citations quoted from the rMad byung by ancientscholars and accomplished masters of Ati Dzogchen come uniquely from thistext.In particular, in recent times the eight-volume collection known as CollectedTantras of Vairocana (Bai ro rgyud ’bum) was discovered in the library ofTogden Rinpoche in Ladakh. The first seven volumes from Ka to Ja were foundto exclusively contain ancient Dzogchen manuscripts written in the headed letteror dbu can script. This collection was published in eight volumes by the LadakhiTashigangpa at Leh, Ladakh, in 1971, and it was then that we first came to knowof the existence of these ancient manuscripts.The second volume of that collection contains the ancient manuscript, TheMarvelous Primordial State (Byang chub sems rmad du byung ba) from pages105 (f. 1a1) to 171 (f. 34a3), and in that text the title reads: Don mchog ’di yangthun mong min rmad byung bzhugs so. The beginning of the actual text states:In the Indian language, Bodhicitta Saubhashika.1In the Tibetan language, Byang chub kyi sems rmad du byung ba.This is part of the teaching on the Marvelous Primordial State.Homage to the Teacher Shri Vajrasattva,Glory of all glories!The text continues, concluding with: Don mchog ’di yang thun mong min rmaddu byung ba rdzogs so. It has thirty-nine chapters, or forty if the closing chapteris included. Following this text, on page 171 of volume Kha (f. 34a3), we find:. . .In Tibetan, rDzogs pa chen po rmad byung don gyi snying po/ rang byung bde ba’i’khor lo’i rgyud ces bya ba.Homage to the Bhagavan,The Glorious King of Self-Originated Pure Awareness, Endowed with the Body(kaya) of Wisdom. . .and so on, until a note at the conclusion of the twentieth chapter, page 202 (f.49b6), states:So ends The Golden Vine, [Extract] from the Wheel of Self-Originating Bliss, theEssential Meaning of the Marvelous Total Perfection (rDzogs pa chen po rmad dubyung don gyi snying po/ rang byung bde ba’i ’khor lo’i rgyud las/ gser gyi khrilshing can zhes bya ba rdzogs so), translated and revised and thus finalized by theIndian scholar Vimalamitra and the Tibetan translator Nyag Jnanakumara.A note to the colophon at the end of the text reads:It was taught to Nyang Tingdzin Zangpo, who then placed it in a terma along withits secret instructions, entrusted it to Mahakala, Dorje Legpa, and Ekajati, the Onewith a Single Vajra Eye, and hid it in the cliff at Zong cave in Uru. It was [later]discovered by Trom Yeshe Nyingpo, who taught it to his son, Wangchug Gyatso.He [in turn] entrusted it to his son, Yeshe Senge. He entrusted it to Dogtön Öbar.He entrusted it to Rongpa Nubchungwa and to Nyangben Rinchen Tsugtor.Moreover, an additional annotation states:It is said that about one hundred folios that were present in the original manuscriptof the tantra between the first and last [folios] are missing.Apart from these two texts, this old Collected Tantras of Vairocana contains noother ancient text with the title The Marvelous Total Perfection of Ati (A tirdzogs chen rmad du byung ba). For these reasons, we can understand that themost important root text of the rMad byung or Marvelous Tantra is the extantone called The Marvelous Primordial State (Byang chub sems rmad du byungba) in forty chapters.Although this ancient text is not as large, nor has it as many chapters as TheAll-Creating King (Kun byed rgyal po’i rgyud), it teaches all the essentialprinciples of Ati Dzogchen that can be subsumed in the view without fixations,contemplation beyond concepts, and the fruit that is not obtained by treading apath. Therefore, this ancient manuscript of The Marvelous Primordial Statecontains the essence of all sutras and tantras of the Buddha’s teaching, withnothing missing.Three of my students, the lotsavas (translators) Adriano Clemente, ElioGuarisco, and Jim Valby, who have a familiarity with the view, meditation, andbehavior of Dzogpa Chenpo, and who in particular have gained a goodunderstanding of the grammar of the ancient Dzogchen texts and of the systemof Tibetan language, surmounting difficulties for several years, translated thisancient text into English.During this process, the translators and I have compared the various existingeditions of the text again and again, and through persistent examination we havedetermined as best we could the intended meaning of this Ati scripture.However, both because of the ancient language in the various editions of the textand because the meaning of some points could not always be clearly discerned,some of our doubts still remain. In any case, if, despite our pure intention inrealizing the English translation of this text, we have made mistakes, either bynot understanding the intended meaning or by misconstruing it, we sincerely askthe masters and the guardians of the teaching for forbearance.Our English translation and publication of The Marvelous Primordial State,an ancient and extraordinary text the like of which is rarely found in the worldand whose value is immeasurable, have been made for the benefit of thosefortunate ones who wish to gain an understanding of the real meaning of AtiDzogpa Chenpo. I truly hope and wish that it will serve to open the doors oftheir minds and engender a genuine understanding of the principle of Ati DzogpaChenpo.With my best wishes,Chögyal Namkhai NorbuMerigar West, mewa year 3926,the fourteenth day of the seventh monthof the female Earth Ox year,September 3, 2009