Meditation Level 2 — Mahamudra

In the authentic Tibetan tradition, you will learn and practice the challenging yet extremely rewarding Mahamudra meditation. This class is not for the recreational meditator but serious training for the committed practitioner. I recommend you take this class only after you have completed Meditation Made Simple, or with my approval. Includes printed materials.

As this is an advanced class, I have included an explanation of Mahamudra in some detail as follows:

Mahamudra means "great seal" and is one of the highest teachings in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Mahamudra practice leads one to shunyata (emptiness). Emptiness in this sense does not mean some static void removed from the world, but rather a constant, clarified state of unfiltered lucidity in which all perceptions are cleansed. One is then able to live and act in the world from this clarified state on a daily basis. Shunyata allows one to transcend hatred, fear, craving, and other psychological delusions. While this may sound like a fantastic claim, it is completely do-able-if you practice the meditations. Let it be said from the outset that this will require a steady effort, but it does not have to be difficult. You must simply develop a realistically challenging pace that works for you.

Mahamudra training consists of two overall steps, shamatha and vipashyana. Briefly, shamatha emphasizes taming and calming the mind, eventually leading to a finely concentrated state in which one is at first totally absorbed in the object of meditation, and then later totally absorbed in meditation with no support object.

Once this is mastered, one can then begin working on the second step, vipashyana or "special insight." Many programs, tapes, and books developed in the West start students out on vipashyana meditation, and use the term quite loosely. But in the proper Mahamudra tradition, we learn that vipashyana is only begun after one has developed shamatha to a considerable degree.

Vipashyana involves meditations that lead to a personal experience of the transitory and impermanent nature of all thoughts, perceptions-and of the mind itself. One realizes that all things are without a self or "empty," as noted above. Understand that such realizations are neither nihilistic nor pessimistic, but rather, are blissful and allow one to affirm the world completely as it is, with all its happiness and sorrow.

In this class we are not concerned with any metaphysical or ceremonial components of what has become the "religion" of Buddhism. In fact, the Buddha only taught cures for psychological suffering and rejected all metaphysical arguments. Nevertheless, it is the various sects of the Buddhist religion that have perpetuated his methods, so it is to them we must go with great respect. I will do my best to distill the essential philosophy and methods of Mahamudra from my source materials, and pass them along to you.

Offered twice yearly at the Mindful Medicine Center. To stay apprised of upcoming events get on the monthly email list!

dance@mindfulmedicine.com

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