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Mahamudra

Mahamudra, meaning Great Seal in Sanskrit, is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation tradition focused on realizing the true nature of mind and reality. It emphasizes direct experiential insight into the mind’s luminous, empty nature and the inseparability of appearance and emptiness. Although present in several schools, Mahamudra is most closely associated with the Kagyu tradition.

Traditionally traced to Indian and Tibetan sources, the Mahamudra lineage centers on figures such as Tilopa,

The essential view holds that mind, or rigpa, is open, clear, and beyond dualistic concepts; realization comes

Practice typically proceeds within a framework of view, meditation, and conduct. A qualified teacher provides a

In the Tibetan tradition, Mahamudra is taught within Kagyu lineages, including Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu,

Marpa
the
Translator,
and
Milarepa,
with
later
formulations
by
Gampopa
and
the
Kagyu
lineages.
The
practice
is
transmitted
through
a
lineage
of
teachers
and
students,
with
initiation
and
guidance
playing
a
central
role
in
preparing
a
practitioner
for
direct
realization.
from
experiencing
the
non-conceptual
nature
of
awareness.
The
goal
is
to
realize
the
true
nature
of
mind
and
to
bring
that
realization
into
everyday
life,
freeing
attachment
to
thoughts
and
phenomena.
direct
introduction
to
the
nature
of
mind,
after
which
the
practitioner
rests
in
the
natural
state,
free
from
fixation
on
thoughts
or
external
objects.
This
rests
on
calming
and
stabilizing
the
mind,
followed
by
gradual
development
of
experiential
insight
into
emptiness
and
interdependence.
and
continues
to
be
studied
by
practitioners
worldwide.
It
is
often
pursued
in
conjunction
with
other
tantric
practices
and
ethical
training,
emphasizing
personal
realization
and
responsible
conduct.