Simply this

Nyoshul Lungtok, who later became one of the greatest Dzogchen masters of recent times, followed his teacher Patrul Rinpoche for about eighteen years.

During all that time, they were almost inseparable. So great was the love and devotion between them that Patrul Rinpoche, used to call him ‘a-mi’, an affectionate way of saying ‘my son’.

Nyoshul Lungtok studied and practiced extremely diligently, and accumulated a wealth of purification, merit, and practice; he was ready to recognize the Rigpa, but had not yet had the final introduction.

Then, one famous evening, Patrul Rinpoche gave him the introduction. It happened when they were staying together in one of the hermitages high up in the mountains above Dzogchen Monastery.

It was a very beautiful night. The dark blue sky was clear and the stars shone brilliantly.
The sound of their solitude was heightened by the distant barking of a dog from the monastery below.
Patrul Rinpoche was lying stretched out on the ground, doing a special Dzogchen practice called “Sky Gazing”.

He called Nyoshul Lungtok over to him, saying:
“Did you say you do not know the essence of the mind?”
Nyoshul Lungtok guessed from his tone that this was a special moment and nodded expectantly.
“There’s nothing to it really,” Patrul Rinpoche said casually, and added, “My son, come and lie down over here: be like your old father.” Nyoshul Lungtok stretched out by his side.
Then Patrul Rinpoche asked him, “Do you see the stars up there in the sky?”
“Yes.”
“Do you hear the dogs barking in monastery down below?”
“Yes.”
“Do you hear what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the nature of Dzogchen is this: simply this.”