The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra: The Very Essence of Buddha's Teachings of Sutra and Tantra

by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Overview

Tharpa Publications is delighted to announce The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra Second Edition. In this special edition, Venerable Geshe-la has made numerous revisions and clarifications to guide the reader ever more confidently through the profound and world-transforming practice of Mahamudra - the very essence of Buddha's teachings of Sutra and Tantra.

This precious book reveals the uncommon practice of Tantric Mahamudra of the Ganden Oral Lineage, which the author received directly from his Spiritual Guide, Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche. It explains clearly and concisely the entire spiritual path from the initial preliminary practices to the final completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra that enable us to attain full enlightenment in this life.

Following the root text of Mahamudra, The Main Path of the Conquerors by the First Panchen Lama, this remarkable book provides extremely clear and easy to understand explanations and insights based on the author's experiences during many years of retreat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781910368367
Publisher:	Tharpa Publications
Publication date:	07/25/2016
Edition description:	2
Pages:	294
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is a fully accomplished meditation master and internationally renowned teacher of Buddhism who has pioneered the introduction of modern Buddhism into contemporary society. He is the author of 22 highly acclaimed books that transmit perfectly the ancient wisdom of Buddhism to our modern world. He has also founded over 1200 Kadampa Buddhist Centers and groups throughout the world.

In his teachings, Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life. He reveals practical methods for developing wisdom, cultivating a good heart and maintaining a peaceful mind through which we can all find true and lasting happiness. Demonstrating these qualities perfectly in his own life, Geshe Kelsang has dedicated his whole life to helping others find inner peace and happiness.

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Introduction

This book principally presents the practice of meditation, through which we can develop and maintain a peaceful mind all the time. If our mind is peaceful all the time we will be happy all the time. So, if we really wish for ourself and others to be happy all the time we must learn to practise meditation. Eventually, through practising Mahamudra meditation we will be able to benefit each and every living being every day. There is no greater meaning than this.

The function of meditation is to give rise to mental peace. The supreme permanent mental peace is enlightenment. Only human beings can attain this through practising meditation. How fortunate we are!

Meditation is a scientific method to transform human nature from bad to good. Everybody needs to be good-natured with a good heart. Having these is the real methods to solve our own inner problems - problems of ignorance, depression, anger and so forth - and also the real methods do benefit others practically.

To ensure that our meditation is effective, each meditation practice is presented in two stages: the contemplation and the actual meditation. We should memorize the contemplation and during the meditation session mentally repeat it again and again. Through this we will generate or find the object of the actual meditation. Having found the object we then hold it strongly and meditate on it single-pointedly. This way of meditating is very practical and important, so we should keep this advice in our heart.

In the term 'Mahamudra', 'Maha' means 'great' and refers to great bliss, and 'mudra' means 'non-deceptive’ and refers to emptiness. The actual Mahamudra, therefore, is the union of our own great bliss and emptiness.

The instructions of Mahamudra presented in this book are based on Je Tsongkhapa's oral instructions of Mahamudra, his uncommon instructions of Mahamudra that he extracted from the Ganden Emanation Scripture.

Until the First Panchen Lama, these instructions were not written in normal human language. The first Panchen Lama Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen wrote the root text of the Mahamudra The Main Path of the Conquerors and its auto-commentary based on the Ganden Emanation Scripture. From then on the Ganden Oral Lineage instructions of Mahamudra were gradually taught publicly.

These instructions are very blessed. Je Tsongkhapa received them from Wisdom Buddha Manjushri. He passed the lineage blessing and instructions to his disciple Togden Jampel Gyatso, and they were then transmitted through a continuous unbroken lineage until they reached Dorjechang Trijang Rinpoche, who is a manifestation of Buddha Heruka. Through the great kindness of this precious lama we now have the opportunity to listen to and practise these precious instructions. We should rejoice in our good fortune.

The Ganden Emanation Scripture is a holy scripture emanated by Wisdom Buddha Manjushri that reveals the uncommon instruction of the Ganden doctrine. There are emanation scriptures, just as there are emanation Teachers and so forth. For example, in the Sutras Buddha says, 'In the future you will meet Spiritual Guides in the aspect of ordinary beings. You should know they are my emanations.' In fact, there are countless emanation scriptures, emanation Teachers and so forth. Emanations of Buddhas can be anything, animate or inanimate. There is not a single place that is without emanations of Buddhas. This is one of the main reasons to prove that Buddhas have the ability to benefit each and every living being every day through their countless emanations.

Through the oral instructions of Mahamudra presented in this book we should know the special characteristics of Je Tsongkhapa's doctrine. In Prayer for the Flourishing of the Doctrine of Je Tsongkhapa, the great scholar Gungtang says:

The emptiness that is explained in Buddha's Sutra teachings

And the great bliss that is explained in Buddha's Tantric teachings-

The union of these two is the very essence of Buddha's eighty-four thousand teachings.

May the doctrine of Conqueror Losang Dragpa flourish for evermore.

In Je Tsongkhapa's teachings we find a clear, unmistaken and complete explanation of emptiness, and also a clear, unmistaken and complete explanation of great bliss. This is the special characteristic of Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine. Understanding this, we should rejoice from the depths of our heart in our good fortune at having met Je Tsongkhapa's doctrine.

It is said that the unmistaken Dharma is Mahamudra, Lamrim and Lojong, or training the mind. Therefore, we should put great effort into practising ourself and teaching to others these instructions, which are the very essence of Buddhadharma. If we do this we will accomplish the real purpose of having met Je Tsongkhapa's doctrine.

In the root text it says, 'Geden Kagyu'. This means "Ganden Oral Lineage'. The doctrine of Je Tsongkhapa is called 'Ganden', which means 'Joyful One’, and practitioners who follow this doctrine are called 'Gandenpas'.

In the Sutras Buddha explained the four seals, or mudras, of the definite view, but he does not explain the four great seals, or Mahamudra, of the definite view. The actual great seal, or Mahamudra, is the great seal, or Mahamudra, explained in Buddha's Tantric teachings. Some texts explain emptiness as the 'great seal' or 'Mahamudra', but 'Mahamudra' is simply the name given to emptiness. The real Mahamudra is the union of great bliss and emptiness.

Mahamudra, or the union of great bliss and emptiness has two parts: great bliss and emptiness. In Highest Yoga Tantra great bliss is necessarily a bliss that arises through the melting of the drops inside the central channel due to the inner winds entering, abiding and dissolving into the central channel through the force of meditation. Only Highest Yoga Tantra practitioners and Buddhas experience such bliss.

The second part of this union, emptiness, was explained by Buddha in the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and, following Nagarjuna's texts, Je Tsongkhapa explained clearly and in detail the meaning of the subject of emptiness.

In this context, the meaning of 'union' is that this great bliss and emptiness are not two objects but just one. This is extremely profound and subtle, and these days those who understand the meaning of this union through experience are as rare as stars appearing during the day.

Great bliss is appearance and emptiness is empty. The union of these two is the union of appearance and emptiness. Conventional truth is appearance and ultimate truth is empty, and the union of these two is also the union of appearance and emptiness. We should know that there are many levels to this union of appearance and emptiness.

In short, when through the force of meditation our mind transforms into the mind of great bliss as explained above and this mind realizes emptiness directly, this is the union of great bliss and emptiness, the actual realization of Mahamudra. Then we will definitely become enlightened in this life.

It is true that many of Je Tsongkhapa's disciples and their disciples in turn become enlightened Buddhas in their life by attaining the realization of the union of great bliss and emptiness through practising the instruction of the Ganden Oral Lineage. However, it is difficult for people to believe this because their minds are obstructed by ordinary appearance.

Table of Contents

Illustrations ix

Part 1 The General Explanation of this Practice 1

Introduction 3

The Practice of the Preliminaries 9

Training in Sincerely Going for Refuge, the Gateway to Entering Buddhism; and Training in the Compassionate Mind of Bodhichitta, the Gateway to Entering the Mahayana, the Main Path to the State of Enlightenment 9

Training in Purification Practice, the Gateway to Purifying Non-virtuous Actions and Obstructions 18

Training in the Practice of the Mandala Offering, the Gateway to Accumulating the Collection of Merit and Attaining an Enlightened Pure Land 19

Training in Guru Yoga, the Gateway to Receiving Blessings 21

The Actual Practice of Mahamudra 27

Having Identified Our Own Mind, Meditating on Tranquil Abiding 30

Having Realized Emptiness, Meditating on Superior Seeing 36

Meditating on the Central Channel, the Yoga of the Central Channel 50

Meditating on the Indestructible Drop, the Yoga of the Drop 51

Meditating on the Indestructible Wind, the Yoga of Wind 53

Part 2 The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land According to Highest Yoga Tantra: The Guru Yoga of Je Tsongkhapa as a Preliminary Practice for Mahamudra 63

Visualization 65

Taking the Mahayana Refuge Vows 66

Taking the Bodhisattva Vow According to Highest

Yoga Tantra 66

Inviting the Wisdom Beings 66

Requesting 67

The Seven Limbs 67

Reciting the Migtsema Request Prayer According to Highest Yoga Tantra 72

Condensed Lamrim Practice 72

Transforming Our Own Mind into the Clear Light of Bliss of Heruka 79

Part 3 The New Essence of Vajrayana: Heruka Body Mandala Self-Generation Practice, an Instruction of the Ganden Oral Lineage 81

The Practice of the Preliminaries 85

The Actual Practice of Self-Generation 94

Bringing Death into the Path to the Truth Body, Buddha's Very Subtle Body 94

Bringing the Intermediate State into the Path to the Enjoyment Body Buddha's Subtle Form Body 97

Bringing Rebirth into the Path to the Emanation Body Buddha's Gross Form Body, by Accomplishing the Five Omniscient Wisdoms 97

Checking Meditation on Basis Heruka Together with Consort 98

Checking Meditation on the Body Mandala 99

Meditation on the Generation Stage of Non-dual Appearance and Emptiness 104

Part 4 Essence of the Five Stages of Completion Stage of Heruka 121

How to Meditate on the Stage of Blessing the Self With Seed 124

How to Meditate on the Stage of Blessing the Self Without Seed 129

How to Meditate on the Stage of the Vajra of Various Qualities With Seed 135

How to Meditate on the Stage of the Vajra of Various Qualities Without Seed 136

How to Meditate on Relying upon the Commitment Mudra 138

How to Meditate on Relying upon the Action Mudra 139

How to Meditate on Relying upon the Phenomenon Mudra 139

How to Meditate on Relying upon the Mahamudra 139

How to Meditate on the Stage of Dzöladhara 140

How to Meditate on the Stage of Inconceivability 145

Appendix I Guidelines for the Practice of the Four Great Preliminary Guides of Mahamudra 149

Appendix II Liberating Prayer 159

Appendix III Quick Path to Great Bliss, the Extensive Self-generation Sadhana of Vajrayogini 161

Appendix IV An Essential Commentary to the Eleven Yogas of Vajrayogini 213

Appendix V The Blissful Path, the Condensed Self- generation Sadhana of Vajrayogini 223

Appendix VI The Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability 233

Appendix VII Keajra Heaven, the Essential Commentary to the Practice of The Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability 241

Appendix VIII Prayers of Request to the Mahamudra Lineage Gurus 249

Glossary 258

Bibliography 272

Study Programmes of Kadampa Buddhism 277

Tharpa Offices Worldwide 282

Index 284