Mahamudra originated among the mahasiddhas during the Pali Dynasty (760-1142) in India — adepts who were highly regarded for their mystical attainments. The first recorded teacher in the mahamudra lineage is the mahasiddha Saraha, who lived in the 8th century. He wrote a series of poems or songs (the Dohas) that set forth the principles and practices of this form of contemplative practice. The practice and teaching of mahamudra was transmitted from teacher to student, generation by generation. Of the many lineages that developed in medieval India, the one most relevant to us is the Kagyu lineage. This lineage comes from the mahasiddha Tilopa and his most famous student Naropa. Naropa was a leading scholar at Nalanda University. A visionary experience led him to gave up his position at Nalanda, take up life as a wandering religious mendicant, and train under Tilopa. Marpa, one of the key Tibetan translators of the 11th century, studied under Naropa and brought the mahamudra teachings and the Kagyu lineage to Tibet. His most famous student was Milarepa, the mountain hermit and a folk-legend to this day.
Milarepa’s most well-known student was the 12th century Kagyu master Gampopa. Since his time, two distinct streams of mahamudra have been practiced in Tibet, tantra mahamudra and sutra mahamudra. The tantra tradition relies on the use of magical and energy transformation practices to generate in states of intense bliss that function to power high levels of attention. Sutra mahamudra is based in the sutras, on the teachings of buddha-nature specifically. Through the cultivation of calm abiding and insight, the practitioner develops the skills and capacities in attention to know mind-nature directly.
The mahamudra practice presented here in a sequence of guided meditations is the sutra tradition of mahamudra. Developed by Donna McLaughlin who began teaching in 1990, they are based on the instruction and guidance she received from the late 20th century masters Kalu Rinpoche and Thrangu Rinpoche.
Links
“Mahamudra.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Jan 2024 last updated.
“Mahamudra.” Rigpa Wiki, Rigpa Sherda, 14 Sep 2024 last updated.