Mahamudra - Buddhism Today Magazine

An Interview with Lama Ole following the Parinirvana of the 16th Karmapa

By Lama Ole Nydahl / April 20, 2023

The following is an interview with Lama Ole Nydahl that took place on the occasion of a visit to Munich in early March, 1982. It was conducted soon after the passing of the 16th Karmapa, and was published in April 1982 in the German magazine Esotera under the title “A Danish Lama in Civilian Clothes.” It has historical significance and can be seen in light of the era of the early 1980s, but also shares a timeless view that is still relevant today.

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The Preliminary Practices for Mahamudra

By Hannah Nydahl / December 9, 2022

This article is based on a question and answer session that Hannah Nydahl gave during a Preliminary Practices (Tib. Ngön Dro or Ngöndro) course. The Extraordinary Preliminary Practices, also known as the Foundational Practices, consist of four meditations done one after another. Each of them is repeated 111,111 times. They prepare one’s mind for more advanced meditation.

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Boundless Wisdom: A Mahamudra Practice Manual

By Shamar Rinpoche / February 15, 2019

The following are selections from Boundless Wisdom: A Mahamudra Practice Manual, by the 14th Shamarpa Mipham Chokyi Lodro, published in 2018. It is republished with the kind permission of Bird of Paradise Press.

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Meditation, Mahamudra, Post-Meditation

By Hannah Nydahl / August 20, 2017

In the last issue of Buddhism Today, there was an article by Hannah Nydahl on meditation, which was a transcription of a talk that she gave in San Francisco in 2002. That talk was followed by a question and answer session, which is presented here. Special thanks to Detlev Göbel for providing us with this text.

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Lama Shang: The Enlightened Warrior, Part 2

By Detlev Göbel / May 11, 2017

Here, we explore the great life of the Mahamudra master, Lama Shang.

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Lama Shang: The Enlightened Warrior, Part 1

By Detlev Göbel / November 15, 2016

What appears here is Part I of an article that appeared in the German magazine Buddhismus Heute. It is a summary of information from existing sources, which are cited at the end of this article. Part II will appear in the next issue of Buddhism Today. Manfred Seegers and Jim Rheingans were consultants for this project. Translation by Bruce Underhill.

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Lama Shang (Interview with Lama Ole Nydahl)

By Lama Ole Nydahl / September 19, 2016

This interview was conducted by the editors of the German magazine Buddhismus Heute. See the next article by Detlev Göbel for an explanation of who Lama Shang was and how he fits within the Karma Kagyü lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

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Mahamudra Soldier: The Life and Teachings of Lama Shang

By Artur Przybyslawski / June 18, 2014

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

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The Mahamudra (Transmission from the 3rd Karmapa)

By Lama Ole Nydahl / February 22, 2014

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).

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Mind and Mahamudra

By Kalu Rinpoche / January 3, 2014

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.

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