Introduction
The Bodhi Path Buddhist Centre of Remetschwiel has now been
established. The main objective of the Centre is to give teachings
on the many subjects in Buddhism in general, and the teachings of
the Kagyüpa lineage of Buddhism.
Within the Kagyüpa lineage, two main streams of Buddhist practices
are upheld. There is the lineage transmitted from Tilopa to Naropa
of the Practice of the Six Yogas. The other is the lineage called
the Mahamudra received from Saraha. Saraha transmitted it to
Maitripa, the guru of Marpa. From Maitripa to Marpa, the
transmission then continued to Milarepa and then to Gampopa.
Gampopa combined Mahamudra with Atisha's Lodjong practice, and
taught it extensively. This combination, called the combined
lineage of Kadampa and Mahamudra, thus became a very special
lineage of Gampopa. Since then, it has been upheld as one of the
main streams of teachings of all Kagyüpas.
The Karma Kagyü Lineage of Mahamudra
Within the Karma Kagyü lineage, the Mahamudra is one of its
principal teachings. The Karmapas and other Karma Kagyü Lamas had
written various commentaries on Mahamudra. In particular, it was
the 9th Karmapa who had composed three volumes of Mahamudra
teachings: concise or small, medium and large. The concise volume
is called The Finger Pointing out the Dharmakaya (choeku dzubtsug).
The medium one is called Illuminating the Darkness of Ignorance
(marig munsal). And the third or large volume is called Ocean of
the Ultimate Meaning (ngedoen gyamtso). All three volumes teach the
Mahamudra.
The majority of the Kagyüpa Lamas were enlightened by the Mahamudra
practice. The name Mahamudra, is a Sanskrit word denoting a tantric
term. There is a particular tantric practice of Mahamudra related
to Tummo (inner heat yoga). Whether or not a practitioner combines
Mahamudra with the practice of tummo, depends on the individual.
Some of the realized Kagyüpa Lamas needed the support of Tummo or
the Six Yogas of Naropa to speed up the Mahamudra realization. Many
other Lamas, on the other hand, did not require such supports and
they simply became realized through the Mahamudra practice.
The Mahamudra lineage of Saraha's Mind-pointing -
meditation/Pointing out the Mind Meditation is very profound. This
teaching or method, precisely points to the nature of mind and
leads the practitioner in its special way. Saraha travelled as a
beggar. He gave Mahamudra instructions by singing songs with his
own guitar accompaniment. In his songs, he elucidated the nature of
mind. Many people, by listening to his songs, were enlightened with
Saraha's blessings. These people were able to attain the first
level of realization on the Mahamudra path.