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What is Mahamudra Meditation?
Deeply relaxed being

In the world of spiritual practice, we often hear about Mahāmudrā meditation. Sometimes called the “jewel” of Tibetan Buddhism, it is known for its profound insights, its focus on awakened activity (acting in the world), and for offering a path to inner peace in turbulent times. The Mahāmudrā path relies less on effort than on trust. What exactly is Mahamudra and how can this approach enrich my life?

The Essence of Mahamudra Meditation

Mahāmudrā is a meditative tradition in which composure and insight are cultivated as one, i.e. the collection of the mind with knowledge of being, in order to then rest in this knowledge and act from it. The origins of this tradition can be traced back to the great master Saraha in the 2nd century AD. Mahāmudrā emphasizes meditating in one’s natural being, without actively intervening in mental events. This becomes possible when we learn to see the true nature of all arising experiences – how they all dissolve by themselves and how the relaxed mind is naturally clear.

Worterklärung: Mahamudra

The word Mahāmudrā is composed of two terms. Maha means great, and mudra means seal; thus great seal. “Seal” expresses that all experiences enable an authentic experience of awakening. Every experience, no matter how constricting, bears the seal of the kindness of its true nature: an expression of the radiance of the mind and at the same time being incomprehensible, not a thing, not solid, without essence.

The Doctrine of Basis, Path and Fruit

Mahāmudrā is not just meditation, but a comprehensive path to full awakening. The Mahāmudrā teachings speak of three aspects: basis, path and fruit. The basis is our awakened nature (Buddha nature), which is covered by veils. The path consists of dissolving these veils and revealing the inherent awakened qualities. The fruit is the full presence of the now unveiled Buddha nature, which is called Buddhahood. More on this in the video:

The three pillars of the Mahamudra path: view, meditation, activity

The actual practice, the path, has three pillars: cultivating insight, meditation and activity. The insight is cultivated by listening to the Mahāmudrā teachings and through personal experience. We develop an understanding of the dynamic nature of being. In meditation, through alert non-doing, we learn to rest naturally in this view of the dynamic nature and self-liberation of all experience. This leads to an equally natural activity in the world, in complete freedom and deep resonance with everything in the world, active compassion free from self-preoccupation.

Combining work and spiritual development

The great scholar Nagarjuna, who wrote many treatises on the meaning of emptiness, attained the highest accomplishment of mahamudra although he interacted with many others daily. Other Mahasiddhas (great realized beings, both women and men) also practiced Mahāmudrā while going about their daily occupations. They were potters, arrow-makers, street sweepers, pimps and much more; they also included heads of state. They combined the practice of Mahāmudrā with the activities they performed. To do this, it is important not to create a contradiction between activity and meditation, but to make the respective activities a practice. In this way, the Mahāmudrā tradition spread first in India and later in Tibet, inspiring more and more people.

Mahamudra – The Joyful Path

The central element of Mahāmudrā practice is to make joy the way. Recognizing the dynamic and empty nature of all experience, not just pleasant experiences, releases a deep joy that is free from attachment and ego identification. It is an aspect of the basic nature of our being. Mahāmudrā encourages us to take joy and suffering as a path to this deeper, fundamental joy, to open ourselves to it again and again, and to use it as a path without clinging to it.Mit ruhigem Verweilen (Mahāmudrā Shamatha) und Einsichtsmeditation (Mahāmudrā Vipasyana) nähern wir uns dem natürlichen Sein an.

Mahamudra in the modern world

In a world often characterized by stress and distraction, Mahāmudrā meditation offers a path to inner peace and clarity. By learning to dwell in our natural being and experiencing the dynamic nature of our mind, we can live a life full of freedom and compassion – not only for ourselves, but also as an inspiration to others. We can apply the practice of Mahāmudrā in every profession, without exception.

Summary

Mahāmudrā meditation is a powerful tool on the path to awakening. Through its principles of non-doing, natural joy and the realization of the true nature of all phenomena, it enables deep insights into the essence of our existence. Whether you are just starting out or already have a lot of meditation experience, the Mahāmudrā approach is likely to inspire you to transform your view.
Our media library offers many guided meditations, numerous courses to listen to, videos and extensive text material on this topic. Below you will find a compilation of our media on Mahāmudrā.

Frequently asked questions about Mahamudra meditation

Ultimately, we can work with all states of mind. We notice that nothing has any real existence. Everything dissolves by itself. We notice no beginning and no end. Stress arises from a lack of awareness, which leads to fear. Various forms of fear can be found in all entangling emotions. Where can we find the person who is afraid? Where is the fear to be found? This direct looking can lead to a direct experience of the spacious quality of our being, in which neither subject nor object can be found. This allows for a deeper relaxation and the letting go of attachments and aversions that are associated with stress and fear.

We open ourselves to direct experience in which all the senses are open. In doing so, we may notice that our mind jumps from bodily perception to hearing, to thinking, to emotions. It is enough to be aware of this. Again and again, we return to direct experience without holding on to anything. Perceive and let flow. You may want to use the question “How?” as an aid. “How does it feel to be aware?” “How does it feel to live?” – “How do experiences arise and pass away?”
Feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and mental movements and moods, all six senses are wide open.
The experience does not stand still for a moment. Perhaps you also experience that the experience cannot be described, is not tangible, not a “thing”. It changes too quickly, already in the process of arising it changes into the next.

Is there anything that does not change? Is there any area of our experience in which there is no change, no process? Source: Excerpt from the text “Introduction to Mahamudra (4 lectures)”

Dzogchen and Mahamudra are advanced meditation practices within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Both aim at realizing the true nature of mind and at attaining enlightenment, but they come from different lineages and have different approaches and focuses.

Lineage and cultural context

Dzogchen, also called “the great perfection”, is mainly practiced in the Nyingma school, the oldest of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, and in the Bön tradition.
Mahamudra: Mahamudra is practiced in the three other schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Kagyü, Sakya and Gelug.

Methods

Dzogchen: Dzogchen emphasizes direct perception of the perfection inherent in the mind. It teaches spontaneous liberation, in which thoughts and emotions liberate themselves naturally, without suppression or manipulation. The practice of Dzogchen is often divided into preparatory practices (Ngöndro), main practices such as Trekchö (cutting firmness) and Tögal (skipping) and Atiyoga as the culmination.

Mahamudra: Mahamudra also focuses on realizing the nature of mind, but offers more structured meditations. It includes practices that gradually dissolve conceptual thought and dualistic perception, leading to a direct experience of emptiness and clarity. The Mahamudra path can be described with the terms basis, path and fruit, with specific practices at each level, including Shamatha (calm abiding), Vipashyana (special insight) and pointing out instructions by a qualified teacher.

Both methods emphasize recognizing and resting in the natural being free of subject and object. They actually have almost everything mentioned above in common.

For beginners:
Heart Instructions by Gedün Rinpoche

For beginners and advanced students:
Moonbeams of Mahamudra – Dakpo Tashi Namgyal

There are also teachings and guided meditations from the 7-year moonbeam transmission in the media library.

For advanced students:

Mahamudra – Ocean of true meaning by Karmapa Wangtchug Dordje

You can find teachings on this in the media library.

Overview of the media of Mahamudra

Our media library already contains numerous explanations and guided meditations on Mahamudra meditation. Please use our search & filter function for a detailed search. Here is an overview of our media: