All ‘Mahamudra’ posts

Lama Ole Nydahl – Introduction to Mahamudra

Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Lama Ole Nydahl teaching in 2010

Lama Ole Nydahl teaching in 2010

This teaching was published in 2001 in edition 9 of the magazine “Buddhism Today”

Buddhism Today Vo.9

Buddhism Today Vol.9

Any observation of the outer and inner worlds refers one to mind. Only mind is constantly and truly present, although not as a “something.” Consciousness is like space, unchanging and timeless, while its objects are conditioned. Both the outer world and beings’ inner states appear, change, and disappear. Only the experiencer is timeless, limitless, and everywhere.

The Great Seal, Mahamudra in Sanskrit and Chag Chen in Tibetan, was taught by Buddha to fully awaken mind’s potential and to seal its enlightened nature. Whoever rests in the radiance of the mirror while enjoying its images, and recognizes the indestructibility of the ocean beneath the play of the waves, has reached this goal.

The path there is a steadily increasing experience of richness and the bliss which enlightenment makes permanent. It already begins to manifest in short and weakened forms during the moments when no habits or expectations distract mind. Also non-meditators may taste some of this power during the free fall before the parachute opens or on a fast motorcycle, and all (hopefully) know it from sexual union. It appears in a flash when sneezing, as the joyful “a-ha” at a new and striking insight, or when one shares in the goodness or joy of others. Meditation, however, is the concise and scientific way to make this state permanent. In particular, the three “old” or “red hat” schools of Tibetan Buddhism, which focus on the Diamond Way practices of view and transformation, can make such moments into a lasting experience. Even a short exchange with a holder of the Great Seal of awareness can set off this maturation process, but a close friendship with him, or one’s co-operation in his groups is always the most effective method. In meditation, as in life, one will then experience a growing and joyful oneness with phenomena until suffering and frustrations are definitely seen as something unnecessary and odd.

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Phenomena – Vajra Song by Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Friday, August 5th, 2011
Gendun Rinpoche wearing the Maitripa Hat

Gendun Rinpoche wearing the Maitripa Hat

This spontaneous vajra song by Lama Gendun Rinpoche is from the recently publishd book “Heart Advice from a Mahamudra Master“.

All phenomena,
the outer world and all its inhabitants,
are appearances of our own mind.

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Tilopa on Mahamudra

Saturday, June 11th, 2011
Tilopa

Tilopa

Gazing intently into the empty sky, vision ceases;

Likewise, when mind gazes into mind itself,

The train of discursive and conceptual thought ends

And supreme enlightenment is gained.

– Tilopa (988-1069)

From: Tilopa’s Mahamudra Instruction to Naropa in Twenty Eight Verses Translated by Keith Dowman)

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche on the Path to Liberation

Sunday, June 5th, 2011
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

“The Mahamudra path is called the path to liberation. If you are able to practice and when you realize the Mahamudra instructions that you are receiving, you will have achieved liberation. One must be a proper vessel, though, i.e., one needs to be a qualified disciple who is capable of receiving these profound instructions without distorting them.

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3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche on the Preliminary Practices

Thursday, April 28th, 2011
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

“Many unskilled practitioners think they can jump into higher practices and engage in Yidam and Mahamudra practices without having perfected the preliminaries, but this will be very detrimental to achieving fruition. Should one meditate on the nature of one’s mind without having perfected the preliminaries, all efforts are in vain. One needs sincere faith, confidence, and certainty of karma, and one needs perfect renunciation in order to meditate Mahamudra correctly. Of course, one can receive many teachings on Mahamudra, but it would only be like changing old clothes as long as one has failed to prepare the ground properly. It’s necessary to actually integrate all teachings in one’s life and to know that they are only presented in order to help one transform one’s delusive apprehensions into peace and supreme insight. This can only happen if one relies on and is dedicated to one’s Root Lama, if one has unwavering love and compassion, if one has ethics and engages in virtuous activities, and if one practices the methods correctly. Methods are only effective if long-standing habitual patterns have been overcome and if merit has been accumulated. And so, the preliminaries are indispensable for advanced practices.”

From the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul‘s instructions based on “Pointing Out the Dharmakaya” composed by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk DorjeFull text here.

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche on realising Mahamudra

Monday, March 28th, 2011
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

“Mind’s essence is emptiness possessing self-awareness of manifestations, referred to as all-pervading and unobstructed, i.e., emptiness and lucidity. Mind’s nature is the inseparability of emptiness and clarity. Through meditation practice, one comes to realize that there is no mind different than thoughts and that there are no thoughts different than the mind. One realizes that one either recognizes the mind or doesn’t, whereby both are the same mind. Differences pertain to realization. One needs to look at one’s mind in order to realize that it is in truth free of an apprehending subject and apprehended objects. Realization of the union of emptiness and clarity – which is freedom from subject and objects – is Mahamudra, the goal of all meditation practices. Words will not disclose Mahamudra. One needs to purify one’s negativities and obscurations that conceal one’s mind’s true nature and accumulate merit in order to realize Mahamudra.”

From the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul‘s instructions based on “Pointing Out the Dharmakaya” composed by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk DorjeFull text here.

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche on the Mahamudra Lineage

Monday, March 7th, 2011
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)

“The transmission of Mahamudra does not take place through an intellectual understanding of Buddhist literature. Mahamudra is an oral transmission of the meditation instructions that have been handed down through the Lineage from a Lama to his disciples successively and is based on realization of the instructions. A transmission presupposes realization on the part of a Lama, who is able to transmit the blessings of the Lineage, without any mistakes. This is why the Mahamudra Lineage is extremely pure and beneficial – transmission is based on realization. All meditation instructions are profound and are not a mere collection of information.”

From the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul‘s instructions based on “Pointing Out the Dharmakaya” composed by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk DorjeFull text here.

Heart Advice from a Mahamudra Master

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Gendun Rinpoche

Gendun Rinpoche

A new book of Buddhist teachings by Gendun Rinpoche has recently been published in English entitled “Heart Advice from a Mahamudra Master”.

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