Classic Kagyü Mahāmudrā Texts

[conebeckham]

^agreed!

[Jinzang]

Nitartha isn't exactly pushing the book in the marketplace, considering the prerequisites that have to be met before you can buy it.

After Lama Phurbu Tashi looked at the restrictions he wondered if he could meet them. So I found the original Tibetan on the Dharma Downloads site, printed it out, and gave it to him. So the text is only restricted if you can't read Tibetan.

[conebeckham]

True, dat.
It's easily found in the original Tibetan.

[Sönam]

I would also recommand "Mahamudra and Related Instructions - Core Teachings of The Kagyu Schools" in the collection The Library of Tibetan Classicals (translation Peter Alan Roberts) which is a compilation of texts. It includes :

- A String of Pearls (Gampopa)
- The Unrivales Instructions of Shang Rinpoché (Shönu La)
- The Ultimate Supreme Path of the Mahamudra (Lama Shang)
- A Record of Mahamudra Instructions (Drukchen Pema Karpo)
- Instructions for The Mahamudra Innate Union (Karmapa Rangjung Dorjé)
- Prayer for The Definitive Meaning, the Mahamudra (Karmapa Rangjung Dorjé)
- Oral Transmission of the Supreme Siddhas - A Commentary on the Prayer for the Definitive Meaning (Situ Tenpai Nyinjé)
- The Bright Torch : The Perfect Illumination of the True Meaning of the Mahamudra, the Essence of All the Dharma (Tselé Natsok Rangdröl)
- The Quintessence of Nectar : Instructions for the Practice of the Six Dharmas of Naropa (Shamarpa Chökyi Wangchuk)
- The Single Viewpoint : A Root Text (Sherap Jungné) ... in four parts.
- Light Rays from the Jewel of the Excellent Teaching (Dakpo Tash Namgyal)

The whole collection is a must ...

Sönam

[Greg]

I'd also like to put a plug in for Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in Mahamudra by Daniel P. Brown (http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1)

It's academically rigorous yet oriented toward the practitioner, a survey of all of the important texts of the tradition. Really an impressive and very useful piece of work.

[Astus]

I'd also like to put a plug in for Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in Mahamudra by Daniel P. Brown (http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1)

It's academically rigorous yet oriented toward the practitioner, a survey of all of the important texts of the tradition. Really an impressive and very useful piece of work.

I've pondered on buying it but his relationship with Ken Wilber eventually deterred me.

[Greg]

I know he co-edited a book with Wilber (back in 1986), but I'm not sure how deep the relationship goes. In any case, he doesn't particularly bring any sort of syncretism into the book above, so I don't imagine you'll find it too much of an issue.

[Jinzang]

I just checked and Peter Alan Roberts' book is now available in epub format.

[mindyourmind]

I'd also like to put a plug in for Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in Mahamudra by Daniel P. Brown (http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1)

It's academically rigorous yet oriented toward the practitioner, a survey of all of the important texts of the tradition. Really an impressive and very useful piece of work.

I've got that lying there in the "to read" bundle, it looks like a good addition to the library.

[Jnana]

I'd also like to put a plug in for Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in Mahamudra by Daniel P. Brown (http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1)

It's academically rigorous yet oriented toward the practitioner, a survey of all of the important texts of the tradition. Really an impressive and very useful piece of work.

I've got that lying there in the "to read" bundle, it looks like a good addition to the library.

Some of the translated passages in Brown's book are not very precise. IMO it's better to rely on the classic texts, especially the new one: Mahāmudrā and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyü Schools.

[mindyourmind]

I'd also like to put a plug in for Pointing Out the Great Way: The Stages of Meditation in Mahamudra by Daniel P. Brown (http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1)

It's academically rigorous yet oriented toward the practitioner, a survey of all of the important texts of the tradition. Really an impressive and very useful piece of work.

I've got that lying there in the "to read" bundle, it looks like a good addition to the library.

Some of the translated passages in Brown's book are not very precise. IMO it's better to rely on the classic texts, especially the new one: Mahāmudrā and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyü Schools.

Thanks, I have that also (I am reading it very slowly), and will compare the two. From skimming through a few of Brown's pages he seems to want to modernize his approach, to somehow make things easier to understand - nearly a condescending type of translation. But maybe I am being unfair, I should read the book first.

The "Core Teachings" is just a monster of a book, absolutely brilliant.

[Jnana]

From skimming through a few of Brown's pages he seems to want to modernize his approach, to somehow make things easier to understand - nearly a condescending type of translation. But maybe I am being unfair, I should read the book first.

Brown's book is worth reading, but the source texts are translated better by Roberts.

The "Core Teachings" is just a monster of a book, absolutely brilliant.

Yes, brilliant.

[username]

numerous openly hidden mahamudra pointing outs in simple language in each of these books:
http://www.amazon.com/Chogyam-Trungpa/e ... 425&sr=1-1

[Jinzang]

What Bardor Tulku said is certainly true: teachers are giving pointing out instructions all the time. For example, I took notes at Nubpa Rinpoche's teaching on the Uttaratantra Shastra, and there are pointing out instructions in it, if you read it closely.