Introduction to Mahamudra:
Shamatha Vipashyana in the Mahamudra Tradition, Part Two
Exploring Tashi Namgyal’s Moonbeams of Mahamudra
7 Tuesdays from May 21 thru July 9, 2024, 7-9:15 pm EST
Based upon the text: Moonbeams of Mahamudra,
By Dakpo Tashi Namgyal, translated by Elizabeth Callahan
In celebration of Rime Shedra NYC’s 20th year we are focusing on the main system for the practice of shamatha and vipashyana in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, which is most eloquently elaborated in the vajrayana buddhism tradition called Mahamudra. This course is the second in a series of four 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. His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje says in his Preface to the Translation: “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 course will include the meaning and exceptional qualities of Mahamudra; the varieties of Mahamudra systems; the practices that are traditionally completed in preparation for Mahamudra, known as the uncommon preliminaries; and the aspects and stages of Mahamudra Shamatha. We will conclude with an exploration of the presentation of sutrayana vipashyana by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in comparison to that presented by Tashi Namgyal in Segment One of this series.
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 let Derek know by email at dkolleeny@gmail.com and obtain a copy of the source text.