Mahamudra
Encyclopedia
Mahāmudrā literally means "great seal" or "great symbol." It "is a multivalent term of great importance in later Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism
" which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism."
The name refers to the way one who has realized mahāmudrā (that is, one who has succeeded in the practices of mahāmudrā) experiences reality: mudra refers to the fact that each phenomenon appears vividly, and maha refers to the fact that it is beyond concept, imagination, and projection.
Mahāmudrā is a body of teachings that represents the culmination of all the practices of the new translation schools
of Tibetan Buddhism, who believe it to be the quintessential message of all of their sacred texts.
n and Tibetan
history, and as a result, the term may refer variously to "a ritual hand-gesture
, one of a sequence of 'seals' in Tantric
practice, the nature of reality as emptiness
, a meditation
procedure focusing on the nature of mind, an innate blissful gnosis
cognizing emptiness nondually, or the supreme attainment of buddhahood
at the culmination of the Tantric path."
s, where it appears in Tattvasaṁgraha and the Vajraśekhara-tantra. Here it also denotes a hand gesture, now linked to three other hand mudrās—the action (karma), pledge (samaya), and dharma mudrās—but also involves "mantra recitations and visualizations that symbolize and help to effect one’s complete identification with a deity’s divine form or awakening mind (bodhicitta)." In Mahāyoga
tantras such as the Guhyasamāja tantra
, it "has multiple meanings, including a contemplation-recitation conducive to the adamantine body, speech, and mind of the tathāgatas; and the object-—emptiness-—through realization
of which 'all is accomplished,'" and it is also used as a synonym for awakened mind, which is said to be "primordially unborn, empty, unarisen, nonexistent, devoid of self, naturally luminous, and immaculate like the sky."
In the yoginī or Anuttarayoga tantras, mahāmudrā "emerges as a major Buddhist concept."> As scholar Roger Jackson explains,
Thubten Yeshe
explains: "Mahāmudrā means absolute seal, totality, unchangeability. Sealing something implies that you cannot destroy it. Mahāmudrā was not created or invented by anybody; therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is absolute reality".
Aryadeva
summarises: "The discussion of how to attain mahāmudrā entails methods for meditating on mind itself as something having voidness
as its nature".
(w. Bka´ brgyud) lineages
of Tibetan Buddhism
. However the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug
and Sakya
schools also practice mahāmudrā, as does Shingon Buddhism
, the other major sub-school of the Vajrayana
. The Nyingma
and Bön traditions practise Dzogchen
, a cognate but distinct method of direct introduction to the empty nature of mind. Nyingma students may also receive supplemental training in mahāmudrā, and the Palyul
Nyingma lineage preserves a lineage of the "Union of Mahāmudrā and Ati Yoga" originated by Karma Chagme
.
All of the various Tibetan mahāmudrā lineages originated with the tantric
Mahasiddha
s of the Pala Empire
India in the 8th to 12th Centuries. The 'Profound Action' lineage originated with Maitreya
and Asanga
and was introduced to Tibet by Marpa
and Atisha
. Marpa introduced the lineage to the Kagyu
school and Atisha to the Kadam
school, which later produced the Gelug
school. Gampopa
later received both the Kagyu and Kadam transmissions of the lineage and passed them through to the present day Kagyu. The 'Profound View' lineage of mahāmudrā, which originated with Nagarjuna
, also was introduced to Tibet by Atisha. Marpa introduced to Tibet the 'Profound Blessing Meditation Experience' lineage that is believed to have originated with the primordial Buddha Vajradhara
and was passed to Tilopa
and Naropa
. Marpa also introduced a mahāmudrā lineage that traced back through Saraha
and Maitripa.
. Sutra mahāmudrā, as the name suggests, draws its philosophical view and meditation techniques from the sutrayana tradition. Tantric mahāmudrā employs such tantric techniques
as tummo
, dream yoga
, and clear light yoga
, three of the six yogas of Naropa
. Essence mahāmudrā is based on the direct instruction of a qualified lama, known as pointing-out instruction
.
There have been many prominent practitioners and scholars of mahāmudrā in the Kagyu tradition. The Third Karmapa
wrote 'Aspiration Prayer of Mahāmudrā'. The Ninth Karmapa
wrote 'Pointing Out the Dharmakaya' (Tibetan: Chos sku mdzub tshugs); 'An Ocean of the Definite Meaning' (Tibetan:Nges don rGya mtsho) and 'Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance'. Tsele Natsok Rangdrol
wrote the 'Lamp of Mahāmudrā' and Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
wrote 'Clarifying the Natural State' and 'Moonlight of Mahāmudrā'.
The particular Kagyu propensity to blend sutric and tantric traditions of mahāmudrā was a point of controversy in Tibet, with Sakya Pandita one of the most prominent critics thereof. As scholar Klaus-Dieter Mathes notes
The First Panchen Lama
identified a number of mahāmudrā lineages, according to their main practices for achieving mahāmudrā:
In his teachings on the First Panchen Lama's root text and auto-commentary the Dalai Lama XIV delineated the Kagyu practice lineages as follows:
s wrote important discourses about mahāmudrā from the Gelug
perspective. The main text of the First Panchen Lama
is 'A root text for the precious Gelug/Kagyu tradition of mahāmudrā: The Main Road of the Triumphant Ones' (Tibetan:dGe ldan bka' brgyud rin po che'i phyag chen rtsa ba rgyal ba'i gzhung lam zhes bya ba) .
is considered to be very important in learning and practicing mahāmudrā meditation. Most often mahāmudrā (particularly essence mahāmudrā) is preceded by pointing-out instruction
.
Before the 1955 invasion of Tibet, many of the texts and information that are now available would have been esoteric and restricted. The Dalai Lama has been influential in making public some of these formerly esoteric Tibetan teachings, while still some remain entirely esoteric, available to a student only through a private guru-student relationship.
Some parts of the transmission are done verbally and through empowerments and "reading transmissions". A student typically goes through various tantric practices before undertaking the "formless" practices described below; the latter are classified as part of "essence mahāmudrā". Ngondro
is the preliminary practice common to both mahāmudrā and dzogchen traditions. According to one scholar, most people have difficulty beginning directly with formless practices and lose enthusiasm doing so, so the tantric practices work as a complement to the formless ones.
("tranquility","calm abiding") and vipaśyanā
("special insight"). This division is contained in the instructions given by Wangchuk Dorje, the ninth Karmapa
, in a series of texts he composed; these epitomize teachings given on mahāmudrā practice.
Mahāmudrā śamatha with support involves the use of an object of attention to which the meditator continually returns his or her attention. One of the main techniques involved in Mahāmudrā śamatha with support is mindfulness of breathing
(S. ānāpānasmṛti). Mindfulness of breathing practice is considered to be quite profound means of calming the mind to prepare it for the stages that follow. For the Kagyupa, in the context of mahāmudrā, mindfulness of breathing is thought to be the ideal way for the meditator to transition into taking the mind itself as the object of meditation and generating vipaśyanā on that basis. The prominent contemporary Kagyu/Nyingma master Chogyam Trungpa
, expressing the Kagyu Mahāmudrā view, wrote, "your breathing is the closest you can come to a picture of your mind. It is the portrait of your mind in some sense. . .The traditional recommendation in the lineage of meditators that developed in the Kagyu-Nyingma tradition is based on the idea of mixing mind and breath."
In objectless meditation, one rests the mind without the use of a specific focal point.
) unique in Tibetan Buddhism. In Mahāmudrā vipaśyanā, Wangchuck Dorje gives ten separate contemplations that are use to disclose the essential mind within; five practices of "looking at" and five of "pointing out
" the nature of mind. They all presume some level of stillness cultivated by mahāmudrā shamatha. In retreat, each contemplation would typically be assigned specific time periods.
The five practices for "looking at" the nature of the mind are as follows:
The practices for "pointing out the nature of mind" build on these. One now looks again at each of the five, but this time repeatedly asks oneself "What is it?" In these practices, one attempts to recognize and realize the exact nature of, respectively:
The above practices do not have specific "answers"; they serve to provoke one to scrutinize experience more and more closely over time, seeking to understand what is really there.
These stages parallel the four yogas of dzogchen semde.
The four yogas of mahāmudrā have been correlated with the Mahāyāna five paths
(S. pañcamārga) as follows:
According to Tsele Natsok Rangdrol (Lamp of Mahāmudrā ):
According Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
According Je Gyare as reported by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
According Drelpa Dönsal as reported by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
was a Bengali mahasiddha
who developed the mahāmudrā method around 1,000 C.E. Tilopa gave Naropa
, his successor, a teaching on mahāmudrā meditation called the Six Words of Advice.
In the following chart a translation is given of the Tilopa's Six Words of Advice.
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
" which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism."
The name refers to the way one who has realized mahāmudrā (that is, one who has succeeded in the practices of mahāmudrā) experiences reality: mudra refers to the fact that each phenomenon appears vividly, and maha refers to the fact that it is beyond concept, imagination, and projection.
Mahāmudrā is a body of teachings that represents the culmination of all the practices of the new translation schools
Sarma (Tibetan Buddhism)
Sarma In Tibetan Buddhism, the Sarma schools include the three newest of the four main schools, comprising:*Kagyu*Sakya*Kadam/Gelukand their sub-branches.The Nyingma school is the sole Ngagyur or "old translation," school....
of Tibetan Buddhism, who believe it to be the quintessential message of all of their sacred texts.
History & semantic field
The usage and meaning of the term mahāmudrā evolved over the course of hundreds of years of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
history, and as a result, the term may refer variously to "a ritual hand-gesture
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
, one of a sequence of 'seals' in Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
practice, the nature of reality as emptiness
Shunyata
Śūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
, a meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
procedure focusing on the nature of mind, an innate blissful gnosis
Gnosis
Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge . In the context of the English language gnosis generally refers to the word's meaning within the spheres of Christian mysticism, Mystery religions and Gnosticism where it signifies 'spiritual knowledge' in the sense of mystical enlightenment.-Related...
cognizing emptiness nondually, or the supreme attainment of buddhahood
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
at the culmination of the Tantric path."
Origin of the term in the tantras
It has been speculated that the first use of the term was in the c. 7th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, in which it refers to a hand gesture. The term is mentioned with increasing frequency as Buddhist tantra developed further, particularly in the YogatantraYogatantra
The 'Yogatantra' 'conveyance' is the most sublime of the three Outer Tantras. It includes a class of Buddhist tantric literature as well as 'praxis' associated with this class...
s, where it appears in Tattvasaṁgraha and the Vajraśekhara-tantra. Here it also denotes a hand gesture, now linked to three other hand mudrās—the action (karma), pledge (samaya), and dharma mudrās—but also involves "mantra recitations and visualizations that symbolize and help to effect one’s complete identification with a deity’s divine form or awakening mind (bodhicitta)." In Mahāyoga
Mahayoga
Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
tantras such as the Guhyasamāja tantra
Guhyasamāja tantra
The Guhyasamāja Tantra is one of the most important scriptures of esoteric Buddhism. In its fullest form, it consists of seventeen chapters, though a separate "explanatory tantra" known as the Later Tantra is sometimes considered to be its eighteenth chapter...
, it "has multiple meanings, including a contemplation-recitation conducive to the adamantine body, speech, and mind of the tathāgatas; and the object-—emptiness-—through realization
of which 'all is accomplished,'" and it is also used as a synonym for awakened mind, which is said to be "primordially unborn, empty, unarisen, nonexistent, devoid of self, naturally luminous, and immaculate like the sky."
In the yoginī or Anuttarayoga tantras, mahāmudrā "emerges as a major Buddhist concept."> As scholar Roger Jackson explains,
Though still connected there to creation-stage maṇḍala practice, it is more often related to completion-stage meditations involving the manipulation of mental and physical forces in the subtle body so as to produce a divine form and a luminous, blissful, nonconceptual gnosis. In the completion-stage discussions in such Tantric systems as the Hevajra, Cakrasaṁvara, and Kālacakra, mahāmudrā has three especially important meanings. First, it may refer to a practitioner’s female consort in sexual yoga practices. Second, as before, it is one of a sequence of mudrās corresponding to various Buddhist concepts, experiences, and path-stages. Here, though, it usually is the culmination of the series, a direct realization of the nature of mind and reality that transcends and perfects other, more conventional seals, including those involving actual or visualized sexual yoga. Third, Mahāmudrā by itself connotes the ultimate truth, realization, or achievement of yoginī Tantra practice: the great seal that marks all phenomena and experiences; a synonym for suchness, sameness, emptiness, space, and the goddess Nairātmyā (no-self); unchanging bliss beyond object and subject, shape, thought, or expression; and the ultimate gnostic attainment, mahāmudrā-siddhī.
Thubten Yeshe
Thubten Yeshe
Thubten Yeshe was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition...
explains: "Mahāmudrā means absolute seal, totality, unchangeability. Sealing something implies that you cannot destroy it. Mahāmudrā was not created or invented by anybody; therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is absolute reality".
Aryadeva
Aryadeva
Aryadeva , was a disciple of Nagarjuna and author of several important Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhist texts. He is also known as Kanadeva the 15th patriarch in the Zen tradition and Bodhisattva Deva in Sri Lanka where he was born as the son of a king. Some Chinese sources however, suggest he was...
summarises: "The discussion of how to attain mahāmudrā entails methods for meditating on mind itself as something having voidness
Shunyata
Śūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
as its nature".
Lineages of mahāmudrā
Mahāmudrā is most well known as a teaching within the KagyuKagyu
The Kagyu, Kagyupa, or Kagyud school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being the Nyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Bon and Gelug...
(w. Bka´ brgyud) lineages
Lineage (Buddhism)
An authentic lineage in Buddhism is the uninterrupted transmission of the Buddha's Dharma from teacher to disciple.The transmission itself can be for example oral, scriptural, through signs, or directly from one mind to another....
of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. However the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
and Sakya
Sakya
The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
schools also practice mahāmudrā, as does Shingon Buddhism
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
, the other major sub-school of the Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
. The Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
and Bön traditions practise Dzogchen
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
, a cognate but distinct method of direct introduction to the empty nature of mind. Nyingma students may also receive supplemental training in mahāmudrā, and the Palyul
Palyul
Palyul is one of the six mother monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded in 1665 by Rigdzen Kunzang Sherab, the monastery is the seat of the Nam Cho Terma of Terton Migyur Dorje. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche was the 11th throne holder of the Palyul lineage...
Nyingma lineage preserves a lineage of the "Union of Mahāmudrā and Ati Yoga" originated by Karma Chagme
Karma Chagme
The name Karma Chagme refers to a 17th century Tibetan Buddhist lama and to the tülku lineage which he initiated. Including the first, seven Karma Chagme tülkus have been recognized...
.
All of the various Tibetan mahāmudrā lineages originated with the tantric
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha is a term for one who cultivates those teachings that lead to becoming perfect. They are a type of eccentric yogini/yogi in both Sanatan Dharma and Vajrayana Dharma, given by Siddhartha. Mahasiddhi are those practitioners, or tantrikas who have gained sufficient understanding and are so...
s of the Pala Empire
Pala Empire
The Pāla Empire was one of the major middle kingdoms of India existed from 750–1174 CE. It was ruled by a Buddhist dynasty from Bengal in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent, all the rulers bearing names ending with the suffix Pala , which means protector. The Palas were often described...
India in the 8th to 12th Centuries. The 'Profound Action' lineage originated with Maitreya
Maitreya-natha
Maitreya-nātha is a name whose use was pioneered by Buddhist scholars Erich Frauwallner, Giuseppe Tucci, and Hakiju Ui to distinguish one of the three founders of the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy, along with Asaṅga and Vasubandhu. Some scholars believe this "Maitreya" to be a historical...
and Asanga
Asanga
Asaṅga was a major exponent of the Yogācāra tradition in India, also called Vijñānavāda. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the founders of this school...
and was introduced to Tibet by Marpa
Marpa Lotsawa
Marpa Lotsawa , sometimes known fully as Lhodak Marpa Choski Lodos or commonly as Marpa the Translator, was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Buddhist teachings to Tibet from India, including the teachings and lineages of Vajrayana and Mahamudra.-Biography:Born as...
and Atisha
Atisha
Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana was a Buddhist teacher from the Pala Empire who, along with Konchog Gyalpo and Marpa, was one of the major figures in the establishment of the Sarma lineages in Tibet after the repression of Buddhism by King Langdarma .- Birth :Atisha is most commonly said to have been...
. Marpa introduced the lineage to the Kagyu
Kagyu
The Kagyu, Kagyupa, or Kagyud school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being the Nyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Bon and Gelug...
school and Atisha to the Kadam
Kadam
Kadam may refer to:* Kadam clan, the present-day royal Kshatriya Maratha clan descended from the Arya King Kadam* the Kadam school of Buddhism* the Kadam virus of the Flavivirus genus* the first Arya Kshatriya king of Hinduism who ruled Afghanistan* Mt...
school, which later produced the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
school. Gampopa
Gampopa
Gampopa Sonam Rinchen "Sonam Rinchen from Gampo" — who was equally well known in Tibet as Dagpo Lhaje , Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche , and Da'od Zhonnu , — establishedthe Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism today, as an...
later received both the Kagyu and Kadam transmissions of the lineage and passed them through to the present day Kagyu. The 'Profound View' lineage of mahāmudrā, which originated with Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna was an important Buddhist teacher and philosopher. Along with his disciple Āryadeva, he is credited with founding the Mādhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism...
, also was introduced to Tibet by Atisha. Marpa introduced to Tibet the 'Profound Blessing Meditation Experience' lineage that is believed to have originated with the primordial Buddha Vajradhara
Vajradhara
Vajradhara is the ultimate primordial Buddha, or Adi Buddha, according to the Gelug and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.In the evolution of Indian Buddhism, Vajradhara gradually displaced Samantabhadra, who remains the...
and was passed to Tilopa
Tilopa
Tilopa was born in either Chativavo , Bengal or Jagora, Bengal in India. He was a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He developed the mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerates the process of attaining bodhi...
and Naropa
Naropa
thumb|right|NaropaNāropā was an Indian Buddhist yogi, mystic and monk. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. Naropa was the main teacher of Marpa, the founder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism...
. Marpa also introduced a mahāmudrā lineage that traced back through Saraha
Saraha
Saraha , Sarahapa , or Sarahapāda , originally known as Rāhula or Rāhulbhadra, was the first sahajiya and one of the Mahasiddhas, and is considered to be one of the founders of Buddhist Vajrayana, and particularly of the Mahamudra tradition. His dohas are compiled in Dohakośa, the 'Treasury of...
and Maitripa.
The Kagyu tradition
The Kagyu lineage divides the mahāmudrā teachings into three types, "sutra mahāmudrā," "tantra mahāmudrā," and "essence mahāmudrā," in a formulation that appears to originate with Jamgon KongtrulJamgon Kongtrul
Jamgön Kongtrül is a name of a prominent line of Tibetan Buddhist teachers , primarily identified with the first Jamgon Kongtrul, but also the name shared by members of a lineage held by tradition to be his subsequent reincarnations , to date....
. Sutra mahāmudrā, as the name suggests, draws its philosophical view and meditation techniques from the sutrayana tradition. Tantric mahāmudrā employs such tantric techniques
Tantra techniques (Vajrayana)
Tantra techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism are techniques used to attain Buddhahood. Vajrayana partially relies on various tantric techniques rooted in scriptures such as tantras and various tantric commentaries and treatises...
as tummo
Tummo
Tummo is one of the methods of the Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism used to recognize the ultimate nature of reality...
, dream yoga
Dream yoga
Dream Yoga or Milam — the Yoga of the Dream State are a suite of advanced tantric sadhana of the entwined Mantrayana lineages of Dzogchen...
, and clear light yoga
Ösel (yoga)
Ösel , the Yoga of the Clear Light Ösel (tib. hod-gsal; od gsal), the Yoga of the Clear Light Ösel (tib. hod-gsal; od gsal), the Yoga of the Clear Light (often translated as 'Radiant Light' (Sanskrit: prabhasvara), referring to the 'intrinsic purity' (Tibetan: ka-dag) of the substratum of the...
, three of the six yogas of Naropa
Six Yogas of Naropa
The Six Yogas of Nāropa , also called the six dharmas of Naropa and Naro's six doctrines , are a set of advanced Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices and a meditation sādhana compiled in and around the...
. Essence mahāmudrā is based on the direct instruction of a qualified lama, known as pointing-out instruction
Pointing-out instruction
The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist lineages of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. In these traditions, a "root guru" The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist...
.
There have been many prominent practitioners and scholars of mahāmudrā in the Kagyu tradition. The Third Karmapa
Rangjung Dorje
Rangjung Dorje was the third Karmapa, an important figure in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. He reportedly produced a spontaneous black crown at the age of three and declared himself to be the mindstream reimbodiment of Karma Pakshi...
wrote 'Aspiration Prayer of Mahāmudrā'. The Ninth Karmapa
Wangchuk Dorje
Wangchuk Dorje was the ninth Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.Wangchuk Dorje was born in Treshod, Kham...
wrote 'Pointing Out the Dharmakaya' (Tibetan: Chos sku mdzub tshugs); 'An Ocean of the Definite Meaning' (Tibetan:Nges don rGya mtsho) and 'Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance'. Tsele Natsok Rangdrol
Tsele Natsok Rangdröl
Tsele Natsok Rangdröl was an important master of the Kagyü and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He is also known as Tsele Gotsangpa.-References:...
wrote the 'Lamp of Mahāmudrā' and Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal was a lineage holder of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also trained in the Sakya lineage....
wrote 'Clarifying the Natural State' and 'Moonlight of Mahāmudrā'.
The particular Kagyu propensity to blend sutric and tantric traditions of mahāmudrā was a point of controversy in Tibet, with Sakya Pandita one of the most prominent critics thereof. As scholar Klaus-Dieter Mathes notes
Certain aspects of the Bka´ brgyud teachings on mahāmudrā, such as the possibility of a sudden liberating realization or the possibility that a beginner may attain mahāmudrā even without Tantric initiation, became a highly controversial issue in the 13th century. For Sa skya Paṇḍita (1182–1251), such teachings represented a new development stemming from a Sino-Tibetan influence on Sgam po pa Bsod nams rin chen (1079–1153). Later Bka´ brgyud pas defended their not specifically Tantric or sūtra mahāmudrā tradition by adducing Indian sources such as the Tattvadaśakaṭīkā or the Tattvāvatāra. These belong to a genre of literature which the Seventh Karmapa Chos grags rgya mtsho (1454–1506) called “Indian mahāmudrā-Works” (phyag chen rgya gzhung). . . . Dr. Mathes investigated the practice described in these mahāmudrā works and found that it is not necessarily Tantric. In Saraha´s dohās it is simply the realization of mind´s co-emergent nature with the help of a genuine guru. Maitrīpa (ca. 1007– ca. 1085) uses the term mahāmudrā for precisely such an approach, thus employing an originally Tantric term for something that is not a specifically Tantric practice. It is thus legitimate for later Bka´ brgyud pas to speak of Saraha´s mahāmudrā tradition as being originally independent of the Sūtras and the Tantras. For Maitrīpa, the direct realization of emptiness (or the co-emergent) is the bridging link between the Sūtras and the Tantras, and it is thanks to this bridge that mahāmudrā can be linked to the Sūtras and the Tantras. In the Sūtras it takes the form of the practice of non-abiding and becoming mentally disengaged, while in the Tantras it occupies a special position among the four mudrās.
The First Panchen Lama
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang , better known as Khedrup Je, the 1st Panchen Lama, was one of the main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa ....
identified a number of mahāmudrā lineages, according to their main practices for achieving mahāmudrā:
From the point of view of individually ascribed names, there are numerous traditions, such as those of the simultaneously arising as merged, the amulet box, possessing five, the six spheres of equal taste, the four syllables, the pacifier, the object to be cut off, dzogchen, the discursive madhyamaka view, and so on.
In his teachings on the First Panchen Lama's root text and auto-commentary the Dalai Lama XIV delineated the Kagyu practice lineages as follows:
- The Karma KagyuKarma KagyuKarma Kagyu , or Kamtsang Kagyu, is probably the largest and certainly the most widely practiced lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, Mongolia, India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and current...
"Simultaneously Arising as Merged" tradition - This is the tradition introduced by GampopaGampopaGampopa Sonam Rinchen "Sonam Rinchen from Gampo" — who was equally well known in Tibet as Dagpo Lhaje , Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche , and Da'od Zhonnu , — establishedthe Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism today, as an...
with a main practice of the Six Yogas of NaropaSix Yogas of NaropaThe Six Yogas of Nāropa , also called the six dharmas of Naropa and Naro's six doctrines , are a set of advanced Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices and a meditation sādhana compiled in and around the...
. - The Shangpa KagyuShangpa KagyuThe Shangpa Kagyu is known as the "secret" lineage and differs in origin from the better known Dagpo Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dagpo Kagyud come from the lineage of Tilopa whereas the Shangpa lineage descends from Naropa's consort Niguma as well as Sukhasiddhi...
"Amulet Box" tradition - This tradition came from Khyungpo Naljor and its main practice is the Six Yogas of Niguma. - The Drigung Kagyu "Possessing Five" tradition - Jigten Gonpo founded the school and mahāmudrā lineage whose main practice is devotion via Guru Yoga and purification and merit collection practices.
- The Drukpa Kagyu "Six Spheres of Equal Taste" tradition - Tsangpa GyareTsangpa GyareThe great ascetic Drogon Tsangpa Gyare was the main disciple of Lingchen Repa Pema Dorj and the founder of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism the main or central branch of which was, until the 17th Century, transmitted by his hereditary family lineage at Ralung in the Tsang region of western...
founded this tradition which encompasses a range of practices, including the Six Yogas of NaropaSix Yogas of NaropaThe Six Yogas of Nāropa , also called the six dharmas of Naropa and Naro's six doctrines , are a set of advanced Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices and a meditation sādhana compiled in and around the...
. - The Dagpo KagyuDagpo KagyuDagpo Kagyu encompases all the branches of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism which trace their lineage back through Gampopa who was also known as Dagpo Lhaje and as Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche or the "Incomparible Precious One from Dagpo"...
"Four Syllables" tradition - This is the tradition that derives from Matripa. The four syllables are a-ma-na-si which comprise the Sanskrit word meaning 'not to take to mind' and passed through the Dagpo Kagyu branches, i.e. any that descend from the teachings of TilopaTilopaTilopa was born in either Chativavo , Bengal or Jagora, Bengal in India. He was a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He developed the mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerates the process of attaining bodhi...
rather than those of Niguma, which in practice means all but the Shangpa KagyuShangpa KagyuThe Shangpa Kagyu is known as the "secret" lineage and differs in origin from the better known Dagpo Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dagpo Kagyud come from the lineage of Tilopa whereas the Shangpa lineage descends from Naropa's consort Niguma as well as Sukhasiddhi...
.
The Gelug tradition
The First and Second Panchen LamaPanchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
s wrote important discourses about mahāmudrā from the Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
perspective. The main text of the First Panchen Lama
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang , better known as Khedrup Je, the 1st Panchen Lama, was one of the main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa ....
is 'A root text for the precious Gelug/Kagyu tradition of mahāmudrā: The Main Road of the Triumphant Ones' (Tibetan:dGe ldan bka' brgyud rin po che'i phyag chen rtsa ba rgyal ba'i gzhung lam zhes bya ba) .
Sakya mahāmudrā
According to Alexander Berzin:
The Kagyu and Gelug/Kagyu traditions have both sutra and anuttarayoga tantra levels of the practice, while Sakya only an anuttarayoga one. In other words, Sakya mahāmudrā focuses only on the nature of clear light mental activity, while the other two traditions include focus on the nature of the other levels of mental activity as well.
The practice of mahāmudrā meditation
The advice and guidance of a qualified teacherGuru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
is considered to be very important in learning and practicing mahāmudrā meditation. Most often mahāmudrā (particularly essence mahāmudrā) is preceded by pointing-out instruction
Pointing-out instruction
The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist lineages of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. In these traditions, a "root guru" The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist...
.
Before the 1955 invasion of Tibet, many of the texts and information that are now available would have been esoteric and restricted. The Dalai Lama has been influential in making public some of these formerly esoteric Tibetan teachings, while still some remain entirely esoteric, available to a student only through a private guru-student relationship.
Some parts of the transmission are done verbally and through empowerments and "reading transmissions". A student typically goes through various tantric practices before undertaking the "formless" practices described below; the latter are classified as part of "essence mahāmudrā". Ngondro
Ngöndro
Ngöndro refers to the preliminary, preparatory or foundational 'practices' or 'disciplines' common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and also to Bön...
is the preliminary practice common to both mahāmudrā and dzogchen traditions. According to one scholar, most people have difficulty beginning directly with formless practices and lose enthusiasm doing so, so the tantric practices work as a complement to the formless ones.
Mahāmudrā śamatha and vipaśyanā
As in most Buddhist schools of meditation, the basic meditative practice of mahāmudrā is divided into two approaches: śamathaSamatha
Samatha , śamatha "calm abiding," comprises a suite, type or style of Buddhist meditation or concentration practices designed to enhance sustained voluntary attention, and culminates in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly for hours on end...
("tranquility","calm abiding") and vipaśyanā
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
("special insight"). This division is contained in the instructions given by Wangchuk Dorje, the ninth Karmapa
Karmapa
The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa , itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism....
, in a series of texts he composed; these epitomize teachings given on mahāmudrā practice.
Mahāmudrā śamatha
Mahāmudrā śamatha contains instructions on ways to sit with proper posture. The mahāmudrā shamatha teachings also include instructions on how to work with a mind that is beset with various impediments to focusing, such as raising the gaze when one feels dull or sleepy, and lowering it again when one feels overly excited. Two types of mahāmudrā śamatha are generally taught śamatha with support and śamatha without support.With support
Mahāmudrā śamatha with support involves the use of an object of attention to which the meditator continually returns his or her attention. One of the main techniques involved in Mahāmudrā śamatha with support is mindfulness of breathing
Anapanasati
Ānāpānasati , meaning 'mindfulness of breathing' , is a form of Buddhist meditation now common to the Tibetan, Zen, Tiantai, and Theravada schools of Buddhism, as well as western-based mindfulness programs.According to tradition, Anapanasati was...
(S. ānāpānasmṛti). Mindfulness of breathing practice is considered to be quite profound means of calming the mind to prepare it for the stages that follow. For the Kagyupa, in the context of mahāmudrā, mindfulness of breathing is thought to be the ideal way for the meditator to transition into taking the mind itself as the object of meditation and generating vipaśyanā on that basis. The prominent contemporary Kagyu/Nyingma master Chogyam Trungpa
Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was a Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, the eleventh Trungpa tülku, a tertön, supreme abbot of the Surmang monasteries, scholar, teacher, poet, artist, and originator of a radical re-presentation of Shambhala vision.Recognized...
, expressing the Kagyu Mahāmudrā view, wrote, "your breathing is the closest you can come to a picture of your mind. It is the portrait of your mind in some sense. . .The traditional recommendation in the lineage of meditators that developed in the Kagyu-Nyingma tradition is based on the idea of mixing mind and breath."
Without support
In objectless meditation, one rests the mind without the use of a specific focal point.
Mahāmudrā vipaśyanā
The detailed instructions for the insight practices are what make mahāmudrā (and dzogchenDzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
) unique in Tibetan Buddhism. In Mahāmudrā vipaśyanā, Wangchuck Dorje gives ten separate contemplations that are use to disclose the essential mind within; five practices of "looking at" and five of "pointing out
Pointing-out instruction
The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist lineages of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. In these traditions, a "root guru" The pointing-out instruction is said to be the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist...
" the nature of mind. They all presume some level of stillness cultivated by mahāmudrā shamatha. In retreat, each contemplation would typically be assigned specific time periods.
The five practices for "looking at" the nature of the mind are as follows:
- Looking at the settled mind. One repeatedly looks at the mind's still state, possibly posing questions to arouse awareness, such as "what is its nature? It is perfectly still?"
- Looking at the moving or thinking mind. One tries to closely examine the arising, existence, and ceasing of thoughts, possibly posing oneself questions so as to better understand this process, such as "how does it arise? What is its nature?"
- Looking at the mind reflecting appearances. One looks at the way in which phenomena of the external senses occur in experience. Usually, a visual object is taken as the subject. One repeatedly looks at the object, trying to see just how that appearance arises in the mind, and understand the nature of this process. One possibly asks questions such as "what is their nature? How do they arise, dwell, and disappear? Is their initial appearance different from how they eventually understood?"
- Looking at the mind in relation to the body. One investigates questions such as "what is the mind? What is the body? Is the body our sensations? What is the relation of our sensations to our mental image of our body?"
- Looking at the settled and moving minds together. When the mind is still, one looks at that, and when the mind is in motion, one looks at that. One investigates whether these two stages are the same or different, asking questions such as "if they are the same, what is the commonality? If different, what is the difference?"
The practices for "pointing out the nature of mind" build on these. One now looks again at each of the five, but this time repeatedly asks oneself "What is it?" In these practices, one attempts to recognize and realize the exact nature of, respectively:
- The settled mind,
- The moving or thinking mind,
- The mind reflecting appearances,
- The relation of mind and body,
- The settled and thinking mind together.
The above practices do not have specific "answers"; they serve to provoke one to scrutinize experience more and more closely over time, seeking to understand what is really there.
Four yogas of mahāmudrā
Mahāmudrā is sometimes divided into four distinct phases known as the four yogas of mahāmudrā (S. catvāri mahāmudrā yoga). They are as follows:- one-pointedness (S. ekāgra, T. rtse gcig)
- simplicity (S. niṣprapāncha, T. spros bral) "free from complexity" or "not elaborate."
- one taste (S. samarasa, T. ro gcig)
- non-meditation (S. abhāvanā, sgom med) The state of not holding to either an object of meditation nor to a meditator. Nothing further needs to be 'meditated upon' or 'cultivated at this stage.
These stages parallel the four yogas of dzogchen semde.
The four yogas of mahāmudrā have been correlated with the Mahāyāna five paths
Bhumi (Buddhism)
The bodhisattva's path of awakening in the Mahayana tradition progresses through ten hierarchically arranged stages, referred to as the "bodhisattva bhūmis"...
(S. pañcamārga) as follows:
According to Tsele Natsok Rangdrol (Lamp of Mahāmudrā ):
- Outer and inner preliminary practicesNgöndroNgöndro refers to the preliminary, preparatory or foundational 'practices' or 'disciplines' common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and also to Bön...
: path of accumulation - One-pointedness: path of application
- Simplicity: paths of seeing and most of the path of meditation (bhūmis one through six)
- One taste: last part of the path of meditation, most of the path of no-more-learning (bhūmis seven through nine)
- Nonmeditation: last part of the path of no-more learning (tenth bhūmi) and buddhahood (bhūmis eleven through thirteen)
According Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
- Outer and inner preliminary practices and one-pointedness: path of accumulation
- Simplicity: path of application
- One taste: paths of meditation & no-more-leanining
- Nonmeditation: path of no more learning & buddhahood
According Je Gyare as reported by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
- One-pointedness: paths of accummulation and application
- Simplicity: path of seeing (first bhūmi)
- One taste: paths of meditation and part of the path no-more-learning (bhūmis two through eight)
- Nonmeditation: rest of path of no-more-learning, buddhahood (bhūmis nine through thirteen)
According Drelpa Dönsal as reported by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Moonlight of Mahāmudrā)
- One-pointedness: paths of accummulation and application
- Simplicity: path of seeing (first bhūmi)
- One taste: paths of meditation and no-more-learning (bhūmis two through ten)
- Nonmeditation: buddhahood (bhūmis eleven through thirteen)
Six Words of Advice
TilopaTilopa
Tilopa was born in either Chativavo , Bengal or Jagora, Bengal in India. He was a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He developed the mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerates the process of attaining bodhi...
was a Bengali mahasiddha
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha is a term for one who cultivates those teachings that lead to becoming perfect. They are a type of eccentric yogini/yogi in both Sanatan Dharma and Vajrayana Dharma, given by Siddhartha. Mahasiddhi are those practitioners, or tantrikas who have gained sufficient understanding and are so...
who developed the mahāmudrā method around 1,000 C.E. Tilopa gave Naropa
Naropa
thumb|right|NaropaNāropā was an Indian Buddhist yogi, mystic and monk. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. Naropa was the main teacher of Marpa, the founder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism...
, his successor, a teaching on mahāmudrā meditation called the Six Words of Advice.
In the following chart a translation is given of the Tilopa's Six Words of Advice.
| First short, literal translation | Later long, explanatory translation | Tibetan (Wylie transliteration) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don’t recall | Let go of what has passed | mi mno |
| 2 | Don’t imagine | Let go of what may come | mi bsam |
| 3 | Don’t think | Let go of what is happening now | mi shes |
| 4 | Don’t examine | Don’t try to figure anything out | mi dpyod |
| 5 | Don’t control | Don’t try to make anything happen | mi sgom |
| 6 | Rest | Relax, right now, and rest | rang sar bzhag |
See also
- MysticismMysticismMysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
- ShunyataShunyataŚūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
- emptiness, nondual nature - DzogchenDzogchenAccording to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
- similar practice in the NyingmaNyingmaThe Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
school of Tibetan BuddhismTibetan BuddhismTibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan... - Jhana - Hindu term for nondual abiding
Further reading
- Chagmé, Karma (2009). a Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga. Commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche. Translated by A. Wallace. Ithaca: Snow Lion. ISBN 1-55939-340-8
- Ray, Reginald (2000). Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1-570-62166-7, ISBN 0-399-14218-5
- Namgyal, Dakpo Tashi (2004). Clarifying the Natural State. North Atlantic Books. ISBN 9627341452, ISBN 978-9627341451
- Dzogchen Ponlop RinpocheDzogchen Ponlop RinpocheThe 7th Dzogchen Ponlop, Rinpoche is an abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, president of Nalandabodhi, the founder of Nitartha Institute, a leading Tibetan Buddhist scholar, and a meditation master...
, "Three Classifications of Mahamudra" http://dpr.info/media/www.DPR.info-ThreeClassificationsOfMahamudra.pdf - Wangchug Dorje, "Mahamudra: The Ocean of True Meaning", transl. Henrik Havlat http://www.mv-buchshop.de/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1258
External links
- A Guide To Shamatha Meditation
- Dhagpo Kagyu index of teachings
- Mahamudra Meditation Guide
- Mahamudra in Dr.Berzin Archives
- Heart of the Mahamudra (Song of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa)
- Teachings related to the Mahamudra Curriculum (By Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche)
- Luminous Emptiness (a mahamudra practitioner blog)