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 ... more info

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 ... more info

Guru Rinpoche was considered a second Buddha in Tibet because he was invited to Tibet buy King Trisong Detsen and brought Buddhism Tibet. He established Buddhism in Tibet in the 7th century CE, helped translate the Indian Buddhist works into Tibetan, built the first Budhist monastery in Tibet and established the first Tibetan lineage--the Nyingma lineage. Guru Rinpoche was not raised by parents, but is said to have appeared in Lake Dhanakosha in Orgyen on a lotus flower as a child. He was found by King Indrabhuti and raised to be a King. This picture shows Guru Rinpoche as Padmasambha ("lotus born") in the traditional manner. He is on a lotus floating in a lake and sitting on a moon disk in vajra posture. He is pictures as a magician with his trident staff with three heads on it with his right hand holding a vajra in the dispelling mudra and holding a long-life vase in his left hand. He wears a skull-cap and kings clothing. The dispelling mudra represents when Guru Rinpoche came to Tibet and dispelled all the negative and non-Buddist forces. The long-life vase represents his stay at Maratika in Nepal where he achieved deathlessness. This photo is of high quality (300dpi) and copyright free. You will get both the smaller 4 by 6 inch and the larger 8 by 10 inch photo each for $ 0.50 each.