The Mahamudra, or Great Seal, teachings are the highest and most profound instructions given by the Buddha. Although the explanations of the Mahamudra are often very detailed and profound, it is said that the experience of the Mahamudra transcends even the concepts one may have about it. Ultimately the understanding of the Mahamudra, like any other experience, cannot be fully contained in words or ideas. In the Karma Kagyu Diamond Way tradition, this is why the teacher is so important.
The qualified teacher should have the direct experience of the Mahamudra and then be able to guide their students, through a variety of methods, towards experiencing it for themselves. It is through this process that we can see that understanding the Mahamudra is not simply an intellectual pursuit but a living one, brought about through shared experiences between teacher and student.
In this issue, we feature three significant teachers on the topic of Mahamudra.
First, we present a previously unpublished teaching on Mahamudra by Kalu Rinpoche, extracted from a transcript of a New York City radio program in 1974. Secondly, we offer an introduction to the 3rd Karmapa’s “Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra” by Lama Ole Nydahl and finally Hannah Nydahl’s commentary on a Vajra Song from the great Yogi Milarepa. Additionally we have an excellent piece on the bodhisattva attitude by Shamar Rinpoche and a short biography on the wild Mahamudra master Lama Shang. Finally, as an example of Buddhist values in action in the world today, we have a profile on the newly acquired Dakini Ranch in Colorado.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and wish you a summer full of joy and rich experiences.
I will explain today what a bodhisattva is and how to take the Bodhisattva Promise. Taking the Bodhisattva Promise means that you are following the bodhicitta attitude. It has been taken by all the past buddhas. Buddha Shakyamuni also took the bodhicitta commitment toward the […]
The Bodhisattva Attitude Read More »
At the very beginning of the Karma Kagyu lineage in India, one of the first teachings given directly from master to student was Tilopa’s invitation to Naropa to jump from a roof. After such an unusual start, it was clear
Mahamudra Soldier: The Life and Teachings of Lama Shang Read More »
During the time of Milarepa, the tradition of “Vajra-Songs” was very common. It was kind of a custom that the yogis would explain their experiences through poetry. These “Vajra-Songs” are not normal songs, but based on meditation experience and realization.
Milarepa’s “Family” (Commentary on a Vajra-Song of Milarepa) Read More »
We are driving back on U.S. Highway 285 through the San Luis Valley in the shadows of the stunning 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains and, for the first time in this months-long process, we
Dakini Ranch: Fulfilling the Lama’s Dream Read More »
Interview conducted for Buddhism Today by Jonathan Bradley, November 2009.
Understanding Devotion in Diamond Way Buddhism Read More »
The 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), achieved great fame and attracted many disciples. A practical man, he built bridges as well as meditation centers, benefiting his countrymen in their daily lives as well as in their spiritual lives. For posterity, he wrote many texts and commentaries, preserving many of the teachings in a form we use today.
One of his important texts is the Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra. Mahamudra is known today as the “Great Seal.” What follows here is taken from Lama Ole Nydahl’s book, The Great Seal: Limitless Space & Joy: The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism (Firewheel Publications, 2011).
The Mahamudra (Transmission from the 3rd Karmapa) Read More »
The following is excerpted and edited from a talk and an interview with Kalu Rinpoche (1905-1989) that was conducted by Lex Hixon in New York City. It was broadcast on Hixon’s “In the Spirit” radio program on station WBAI in 1974.
Mind and Mahamudra Read More »
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