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, 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.

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

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

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