Within the Great Perfection, trekchö and tögal are presented as two intimately related yet distinct modes of direct realization, both oriented toward the recognition and full maturation of rigpa, primordial awareness. Trekchö, often rendered as “cutting through,” emphasizes a radical simplicity: through direct introduction by a qualified master, the practitioner recognizes the mind’s essence as empty, clear, and unobstructed. Practice then consists in resting in this natural state without modification or effort, allowing thoughts, emotions, and perceptions to arise and self-liberate without grasping or rejecting. This is sometimes described as non-meditation, since there is no object to cultivate and no state to fabricate, only the continuous abiding in naked awareness. In this way, trekchö cuts through the stream of dualistic thinking and conceptual elaboration, revealing the mind’s primordial purity as already complete.

Tögal, “direct crossing” or “leap over,” is spoken of as an advanced complement to trekchö, undertaken when there is sufficient stability in rigpa. While trekchö emphasizes the empty, pure nature of awareness, tögal brings forward its luminous, expressive aspect through spontaneous visionary appearances. This involves specific postures, gazes, and breathing, often in relation to natural light—such as the open sky, sunlight, or darkness—so that spheres of light, patterns, and more elaborate visionary forms may manifest. These appearances are understood not as external phenomena but as the dynamic display of awareness itself, to be recognized and integrated rather than grasped. Traditional presentations describe a sequence of visionary unfoldings, in which the display becomes increasingly complete and then dissolves back into the expanse of dharmakaya, exhausting karmic propensities and actualizing the full potential of realization.

Taken together, trekchö and tögal form a single path: trekchö establishes unwavering confidence in the ground of being, while tögal reveals and consummates the spontaneous presence of wisdom. Both demand direct transmission and guidance, and both are regarded as exceptionally direct means for complete liberation within the Dzogchen tradition.