The Oral Instructions of Mahamudra Second Edition Contents Illustrations ...........................................................................ix PART ONE: 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 v 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 TWO: 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 THREE: 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 vi 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 FOUR: 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 vii 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 viii.