Sustaining, Not Straying, Enhancing
Shamatha Vipashyana in the Mahamudra Tradition, Part Four
Exploring Tashi Namgyal’s Moonbeams of Mahamudra
11 Tuesdays from January 14th thru Aril 1st, 2025, 7-9:15 pm EST
Based upon the text: Moonbeams of Mahamudra,
By Dakpo Tashi Namgyal, translated by Elizabeth Callahan
This course is the fourth in a series of five courses based on Moonbeams of Mahamudra by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal, which is widely recognized as the most thorough and widely celebrated text on the subject. As His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje says in his Preface: “Although…Moonbeams of Mahamudra by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal was composed in the sixteenth century it is still regarded as the definitive guide to Mahamudra, providing the blueprint for the practice itself and also clearly explaining the scriptural authority and logical reasonings that support the practice.”
This fourth segment presents detailed practical instructions for meditation. First, how to sustain meditation, once recognition of the nature of mind has developed through the three factors of mindfulness, alertness and conscientiousness, and how to sustain meditation in both equipoise and post-meditative attainment. Second, eliminating the four deviation, the three strayings and clearing away hindrances in meditation. Third, enhancing meditation by blending equipoise and postmeditative attainment and bringing all experiences to the path. Fourth, enhancing meditation concluding that the nature of mind is unborn.
Please note that the format of our classes is that of a close reading with commentary and discussion, rather than a presentation with Q&A. If you would like to participate, please register by email to dkolleeny@gmail.com and obtain a copy of the source text. If you are new to the Rime Shedra, please include a short description of your background in Buddhist practice and study, and please attend a few classes to make sure you would like to continue with the course before you offer any donation.
Core Materials:
Class Recordings: