For our practice to proceed correctly, we have to possess a proper understanding of the view which is called Mahamudra. Mahamudra is the very essence of all the teachings of the Buddha including the words of the Buddha, the Middle Way teachings practiced in Buddhist universities of India, and the Vajrayana techniques that examine the mind directly.

The texts of Mahamudra were often written by highly accomplished siddhas who explained their realization after many years of meditation. To help their student's realization, they would condense their experience into spiritual songs called dohas which are still taught and have been sung with a tune by lamas today. These spiritual songs often contain profound instructions using metaphors of great beauty that make Buddhist insights easily understood.

This Spiritual Song of Mahamudra by Jamgon Kongtrul is a doha or spiritual song that covers the entire path of Maha-mudra. However, to fully understand this spiritual song, we need a teacher accomplished in Mahamudra to explain its full meaning. Thrangu Rinpoche who not only established the curriculum of the Kagyu lineage after 1959 , but he has also taught major Buddhist teachers that included the third reincarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul.

Mahamudra begins with the practice of Shamatha to prepare the mind so that it can focus on a thought without distrac-tion. Once this is achieved, Vipashyana is practiced by looking directly at the mind without any conceptualization. As most practitioners know, this is not an easy thing to do. But by taking slow careful steps they will gradually realize that the mind itself is insubstantial or, as it is said, “empty.” Once they have truly realized that mind and all outside phenomena are insubstantial, they can begin to progress on the path of a bodhisattva to complete enlightenment.

The paperback book of 140 pages available for $ 7.00.