The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

THE THIRD GREAT PRELIMINARY GUIDE, TRAINING IN THE PRACTICE OF THE MANDALA OFFERING, THE GATEWAY TO ACCUMULATING THE COLLECTION OF MERIT AND ATTAINING AN ENLIGHTENED PURE LAND

       THE FOURTH GREAT PRELIMINARY GUIDE, TRAINING IN GURU YOGA, THE GATEWAY TO RECEIVING BLESSINGS

       THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF MAHAMUDRA

       HAVING IDENTIFIED OUR OWN MIND, MEDITATING ON TRANQUIL ABIDING

       HAVING REALIZED EMPTINESS, MEDITATING ON SUPERIOR SEEING

       MEDITATING ON THE CENTRAL CHANNEL, THE YOGA OF THE CENTRAL CHANNEL

       MEDITATING ON THE INDESTRUCTIBLE DROP, THE YOGA OF THE DROP

       MEDITATING ON THE INDESTRUCTIBLE WIND, THE YOGA OF WIND

       PART TWO: The Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land According to Highest Yoga Tantra

       Visualization

       Taking the Mahayana refuge vows

       Taking the Bodhisattva vow according to Highest Yoga Tantra

       Inviting the wisdom beings

       Requesting

       The seven limbs

       Reciting the Migtsema request prayer according to Highest Yoga Tantra

       Condensed Lamrim practice

       Transforming our own mind into the clear light of bliss of Heruka

       PART THREE: The New Essence of Vajrayana

       THE PRACTICE OF THE PRELIMINARIES

       THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF SELF-GENERATION

       Bringing death into the path to the Truth Body, Buddha’s very subtle body

       Bringing the intermediate state into the path to the Enjoyment Body, Buddha’s subtle Form Body

       Bringing rebirth into the path to the Emanation Body, Buddha’s gross Form Body, by accomplishing the five omniscient wisdoms

       Checking meditation on basis Heruka together with consort

       Checking meditation on the body mandala

       Meditation on the generation stage of non-dual appearance and emptiness

       PART FOUR: Essence of the Five Stages of Completion Stage of Heruka

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF BLESSING THE SELF WITH SEED

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF BLESSING THE SELF WITHOUT SEED

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF THE VAJRA OF VARIOUS QUALITIES WITH SEED

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF THE VAJRA OF VARIOUS QUALITIES WITHOUT SEED

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON RELYING UPON THE COMMITMENT MUDRA

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON RELYING UPON THE ACTION MUDRA

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON RELYING UPON THE PHENOMENON MUDRA

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON RELYING UPON THE MAHAMUDRA

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF DZÖLADHARA

       HOW TO MEDITATE ON THE STAGE OF INCONCEIVABILITY

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

       Appendix II Liberating Prayer

       Appendix III Quick Path to Great Bliss

       Appendix IV An Essential Commentary to the Eleven Yogas of Vajrayogini

       Appendix V The Blissful Path

       Appendix VI The Uncommon Yoga of Inconceivability

       Appendix VII Keajra Heaven

       Appendix VIII Prayers of Request to the Mahamudra Lineage Gurus

       Glossary

       Bibliography

       Study Programmes of Kadampa Buddhism

       Tharpa Offices Worldwide

Illustrations

      Vajradhara

      Buddha Shakyamuni

      Je Tsongkhapa and his two Sons descending from Tushita Pure Land

      Manjushri

      Je Phabongkhapa

      Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche

      Dorjechang Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche (included at the request of faithful disciples)

      Practitioner’s table showing inner offering, vajra and bell, damaru, action vase and mala

      Vajrasattva with consort

      Twelve-armed Heruka

      Nada and HUM

      Offering tormas for the assembly of Heruka

      Two-armed Heruka

      Heruka fire puja mandala

      Khatanga, victory vase, fire puja funnel and fire puja ladle

      One-pronged vajra

      HAM, OM, HUM, short-AH

      Quick Path to Great Bliss

      Guru Vajradharma

      Hero Vajradharma

      Venerable Vajrayogini

      Kinkara

      Dorje Shugden

PART ONE:

      The General Explanation of this Practice

      Vajradhara

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. What is enlightenment? Enlightenment is the inner light of wisdom that is permanently free from all mistaken appearance, and whose function is to bestow mental peace upon each and every living being every day. 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. This is the real method to solve our own inner problems – problems of ignorance, depression, anger and so forth – and is also the real method to benefit others practically.

      To