Geshe Kelsang Gyatso - The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra: The very essence of Buddhas teachings of Sutra and Tantra

The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra

Second Edition

About the Author

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche 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 perfectly transmit the ancient wisdom of Buddhism to our modern world. He has also founded over 1200 Kadampa Buddhist centres and groups throughout the world.

Find out more at www.tharpa.com

The International Temples Project

UK Kadampa World Peace Temple At Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, Ulverston
One of many Kadampa Temples established by the author

The International Temples Project was founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche with the aim to introduce the Buddhist faith and practice of the New Kadampa Tradition publicly, and to exemplify contemporary Buddhist practice through public service.

It achieves this through building traditional and non-traditional Temples, meditation centres and retreat centres, and through the activities of Kadampa Schools, World Peace Cafs and Tharpa Publications.

For more information on the International Temples Project, visit kadampa.org/temples

Also by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

Meaningful to Behold

Clear Light of Bliss

Universal Compassion

Joyful Path of Good Fortune

The Bodhisattva Vow

Heart Jewel

Great Treasury of Merit

Introduction to Buddhism

Tantric Grounds and Paths

Ocean of Nectar

Essence of Vajrayana

Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully

Eight Steps to Happiness

Transform Your Life

The New Meditation Handbook

How to Solve Our Human Problems

Mahamudra Tantra

Modern Buddhism

The New Heart of Wisdom

The New Guide to Dakini Land

How to Understand the Mind

This book is published under the auspices of the

NKT-IKBU International Temples Project

and the profit from its sale is designated for public benefit through this fund.

[Reg. Charity number 1015054 (England)]

Find out more:

tharpa.com/benefit-all-world-peace

Buddha Shakyamuni

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra

Second Edition

THE VERY ESSENCE OF BUDDHAS TEACHINGS OF SUTRA AND TANTRA

THARPA PUBLICATIONS

UK US CANADA

AUSTRALIA ASIA

First published 2015.

Second edition 2016.

The right of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means except for the quotation of brief passages for the purpose of private study, research, or review.

Tharpa Publications UK

Conishead Priory

Ulverston, Cumbria

LA12 9QQ, England

Tharpa Publications US

47 Sweeney Road

Glen Spey, NY 12737

USA

There are Tharpa Publications offices around the world, and Tharpa books are published in most major languages.

New Kadampa Tradition International Kadampa Buddhist Union 2015, 2016

Cover image: Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015957817

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-910368-36-7 paperback

ISBN 978-1-910368-24-4 ePub

Contents

Illustrations

( included at the request of faithful disciples )

Quick Path to Great Bliss

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 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 Tsongkhapas oral instructions of Mahamudra, his uncommon instructions of Mahamudra that he extracted from the Ganden Emanation Scripture .

Until the first Panchen Lama, Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, these instructions were not written in normal human language. The first Panchen Lama wrote the root text of the Mahamudra The Main Path of the Conquerors, and its autocommentary, 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 blessings and instructions to his disciple Togden Jampel Gyatso, and they were then transmitted through a continuous unbroken lineage until they reached Vajradhara 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.