Resting in Awareness: Trekchö, Compassion, and the Three Jewels

10/28/20265 min read

Trekchö is a Dzogchen practice whose name is commonly translated as “cutting through.” The phrase points not to forceful rejection of experience, but to seeing through confusion about what mind is. Rather than constructing calm, purity, or a special meditative condition, the practice concerns recognizing mind’s own nature: empty, clear, and aware. These terms describe aspects of a single experience, not separate things. Emptiness means that awareness cannot be found as a fixed object; clarity refers to its capacity to know; awareness names the knowing quality itself.

Awareness is distinct from the changing contents of experience, including thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and perceptions. These contents arise, alter, and pass, while the capacity to know them is not itself another passing thought or sensation. This distinction is not meant to establish a detached observer hidden inside the mind. It offers a way to notice that experience is known without treating each thought or feeling as the whole of what one is. Recognition does not require pushing thoughts away, stopping emotion, or making the mind blank. Thoughts may continue to appear; the practice is to recognize their nature without being wholly carried off by them.

Dzogchen is traditionally taught within a lineage, and its instructions are transmitted through a relationship with a qualified teacher. Written explanations can provide context, but they cannot replace formal guidance, transmission, or advice suited to an individual practitioner. The description here is therefore an orientation to a central idea, not a practice manual or substitute for personal instruction. Those interested in exploring trekchö can approach it with care, seeking reliable teachers and respecting the traditional context in which the practice is presented.

Expectations also matter. Recognition may be quiet and ordinary rather than dramatic: a brief moment of knowing a thought as a thought, or noticing awareness without trying to produce a particular feeling. Such moments can be subtle, and they do not necessarily bring lasting calm or certainty. Practice develops through repeated recognition, including returning when attention has become absorbed in changing experience. The emphasis is less on collecting exceptional experiences than on becoming familiar with the nature of mind in everyday moments, with patience and appropriate guidance.

Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha offers a steady foundation for meditation and daily life. The Buddha represents the possibility of awakening and serves as an example of wisdom, compassion, and freedom from confusion. Remembering his life and realization can inspire practice without turning him into an object of unquestioned belief. The Dharma includes the Buddha’s teachings and the path of putting them into practice: observing experience, cultivating wholesome qualities, and understanding the causes of suffering. The Sangha is the community of practitioners whose learning, encouragement, and perseverance help sustain one’s own efforts. Together, these Three Jewels provide orientation.

Refuge is not a demand for blind faith or a promise that life will become easy. It is a considered commitment to learn from awakening, test the teachings in experience, and accept support from others. Such a commitment can cultivate humility, because practice begins with acknowledging what remains unclear; trust, because a tested path offers direction; and ethical care, because actions affect other beings. In moments of agitation, loss, or uncertainty, refuge does not remove difficulty or ask one to deny it. Rather, it provides guidance for meeting difficulty honestly and responding with greater steadiness and compassion. The community reminds practitioners that setbacks are part of learning, not proof of failure.

At the start of a session, pause briefly. Recollect the Buddha as an example of awakening, the Dharma as a path to understand and practice, and the Sangha as a source of companionship. Set an intention to practice for the benefit of yourself and others. Then settle the body, soften tension, and notice the natural rhythm of breathing. If attention wanders, return gently to the breath and to the purpose you have chosen. This beginning connects meditation with conduct, carrying refuge into ordinary choices throughout the day.

Choose a quiet place where you can sit undisturbed for a few minutes. Use a chair or cushion, keeping your body upright yet unstrained. Let your hands rest comfortably and soften your gaze or close your eyes if that feels safe. There is no need to control breathing; allow each breath to come and go naturally. Begin with two or three minutes, especially if this way of attending is unfamiliar. The purpose is not to manufacture a special state or make the mind blank. Instead, settle simply into the immediate experience of sitting, breathing, and being present here and now.

Allow sounds, bodily sensations, and thoughts to arise without deliberately pursuing them or trying to push them away. A sound may be heard; a sensation may be felt; a thought may appear. Let each be part of the moment, without needing to interpret or change it. If you notice that attention has become absorbed in a thought, recognize that gently: thinking is happening. There is no need for criticism. Allow the thought to pass in its own time, then relax back into open presence, aware of whatever is occurring. This returning is not a contest in concentration, but a simple release of the effort to follow the thought.

You may also turn toward the knowing of experience itself: notice that sounds, sensations, and thoughts are known. Avoid trying to grasp awareness as though it were an object, or define it through analysis. This brief exercise can offer an introduction to resting and noticing, but it should not be taken as proof of realization. In traditional trekchö training, a qualified teacher’s pointing-out instructions may be central to recognizing the nature of mind; a self-guided session is not a substitute for that guidance. Keep the practice short and steady, and stop if it feels confusing, overwhelming, or destabilizing. If difficulties persist, seek support from a qualified teacher or an appropriate mental health professional.

Recognition in contemplative practice is not established by unusual visions, intense bliss, or a sense of special attainment. In Trekchö, resting in awareness may reveal thoughts and emotions without requiring us to follow them, but its significance also appears in how we meet other beings. Insight becomes meaningful when it softens reactivity and makes room for care. Empathy begins with willingness to attend to another person’s experience as it is, rather than quickly judging it, fixing it, or turning the conversation toward ourselves. This kind of attention does not require agreement; it asks for presence.

Practice can enter ordinary encounters through small, deliberate choices. Before reacting to a difficult remark, pause long enough to notice what is happening in the body and mind. Listen closely, including to what is not being said, and observe any defensiveness or urge to offer an immediate solution. This does not mean suppressing honest concerns or accepting harmful behavior. It means creating enough space to choose words and actions with care. A response that reduces harm may involve asking a thoughtful question, setting a clear boundary, or simply allowing someone to speak without interruption. Awareness becomes relational through these practical moments.

Taking refuge in the Three Jewels and renewing the motivation to benefit others can help keep contemplative practice oriented toward care rather than self-absorption. Refuge offers a reminder that awakening is not a private achievement, while compassionate intention gives everyday choices a wider purpose. A sustainable rhythm may include meditation, ethical reflection on how one’s actions affect others, support from a community, and guidance from a qualified teacher. These elements can help practitioners notice blind spots and remain grounded when practice feels difficult or unclear. Compassion usually develops gradually, not as a flawless state but as a capacity strengthened through repeated attention. Patience toward oneself is part of that process: when reactivity returns, one can acknowledge it, learn from it, and begin again with greater care.

BLUE INDIGO YOGA MINDFULNESS CENTER CAMBODIA

Street Address : Kandal village, Puk Reussey Commune, Khsach Kandal District, Kandal Province.
Postal Address: Blue Indigo Yoga Mekong Box 540 Phnom Penh 171202, Cambodia
Email:

© 2025. All rights reserved.

OUR PARTNERS