Any regular Mahamudra webcasts?

[mindyourmind]

Are there any regular Mahamudra webcasts, such as the ones we find in the Dzogchen Community?

I know that there are ad hoc webcasts by the Karmapa, various schools and so on, but any on a regular basis?

[mindyourmind]

Nothing?

[Stewart]

Never seen any around...there is the Tergar online learning site...but as Mingyur Rinpoche is in retreat, it's all recorded teachings. It would be good if Tsoknyi Rinpoche or someone done and essence Mahamudra webcast.

[Clarence]

No, but have you seen this yet:



You can find the other parts yourself I am sure. Best of luck, C

[mindyourmind]

No, but have you seen this yet:



You can find the other parts yourself I am sure. Best of luck, C

Thanks, I loved this series, but the question is really about regular webcasts.

[Clarence]

Hmm, I don't know any regular broadcasts. Situ Rinpoche gives a yearly MM course in India. You can buy the DVD's for that. That is probably your best bet until some MM-lama will start doing MM-broadcasts like Norbu Rinpoche does with Dzogchen.

[mindyourmind]

Hmm, I don't know any regular broadcasts. Situ Rinpoche gives a yearly MM course in India. You can buy the DVD's for that. That is probably your best bet until some MM-lama will start doing MM-broadcasts like Norbu Rinpoche does with Dzogchen.

You can buy the cds? I'll have to look at that, then.

And yes, that's part of where my question is leading. It would be quite marvelous if someone does a regular webcast of MM and the teachings can be spread that way too.

[gregkavarnos]

DVD Mahamudra transmission? I hope that a teacher does NOT do webcasts for mahamudra transmission!

[mindyourmind]

:crying: DVD Mahamudra transmission? I hope that a teacher does NOT do webcasts for mahamudra transmission!

Agreed - not that far. But maybe just general teachings

[Clarence]

Noone said DVD MM transmission. There are teachings one can get on DVD. JUst like one can buy DVDs for green Tara practice once one has received the wang, lung and tri...

[mindyourmind]

Noone said DVD MM transmission. There are teachings one can get on DVD. JUst like one can buy DVDs for green Tara practice once one has received the wang, lung and tri...

Do you have an address for this close to hand?

[Clarence]

No, sorry. I saw them in a bookstore once. Though, that was not in the west.

[mindyourmind]

No, sorry. I saw them in a bookstore once. Though, that was not in the west.

Thank you, I will follow up on that.

[gregkavarnos]

Noone said DVD MM transmission. There are teachings one can get on DVD. JUst like one can buy DVDs for green Tara practice once one has received the wang, lung and tri...

The wang, lung and tri are included during the Dzogchen broadcasts.

[Astus]

Mahamudra is not as bound to transmissions as Dzogchen, when it is understood to be separate from the path of sutra and tantra. So it is very much acceptable to have books, DVD's and all the other forms spreading the teachings made available. It is, after all, a liberating instruction.

The Quintessence of Mahamudra says in the chapter "The Description of the Preparatory Exercises for This Meditative Path" (p. 123f)

"Regarding the manner of imparting the profound path [of mahamudra], the venerable Gampopa considered it to be an independent path of tantra. So he did not make the esoteric empowerment a prerequisite for receiving the mahamudra teachings. He spoke about the method of directly guiding the disciple toward the intrinsic reality of the mind."

and

"On the other hand, if one follows venerable Gampopa's system in elucidating mahamudra alone, it is not necessary to bestow the empowerment upon devotees. In keeping with his system one should adhere to the preparatory exercises he prescribed without incorporating the tantric meditation of Vajrasattva, the utterance of mantra, the transformation of oneself into yidam, and the visualization of one's guru in the form of Buddha Vajradhara, the source of the mystic empowerment."

And Thrangu Rinpoche's view related to this:

"I think that it is of far greater importance than the experience of dramatic instantaneous pointing out that people be taught mahamudra as a full system of instruction that they can implement on their own gradually through diligent application using either one of the three texts by the Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa—The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, or Pointing Out the Dharmakaya— or one of the texts by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal—either Moonbeams of Mahamudra or The Clarification of the Natural State.
In short, I think it is of far more importance that people receive this kind of complete and systematic instruction so that they can gradually develop experience on their own, than that some kind of dramatic pointing-out procedure be done. Of course, it is possible to give dramatic pointing-out instruction, and when you do so, some people do recognize their mind’s nature. But, if I may say so, I question the stability and, therefore, ultimately the value of that. It certainly is a dramatic experience for those people who achieve it, but I see no evidence of their kleshas diminishing as a result. And furthermore, they then carry away with them the arrogance of the thought, “I have seen my mind’s nature.” I think it is of far greater importance actually to practice meditation slowly and surely and make all possible use of the resources which this book in particular gives you. It is after all a big book and contains within it much instruction, much guidance, and a lot of questions that can help you to question and therefore refine your own experience."
(Ocean of Definitive Meaning, p. 127-128)

[gregkavarnos]

Aaaahhh, the old the gradual vs instant debate. I have to say I am with the old (pre-Gampopa) school on this issue!

[Jnana]

Mahamudra is not as bound to transmissions as Dzogchen, when it is understood to be separate from the path of sutra and tantra. So it is very much acceptable to have books, DVD's and all the other forms spreading the teachings made available. It is, after all, a liberating instruction.

The Quintessence of Mahamudra says in the chapter "The Description of the Preparatory Exercises for This Meditative Path" (p. 123f)

"Regarding the manner of imparting the profound path [of mahamudra], the venerable Gampopa considered it to be an independent path of tantra. So he did not make the esoteric empowerment a prerequisite for receiving the mahamudra teachings. He spoke about the method of directly guiding the disciple toward the intrinsic reality of the mind."

and

"On the other hand, if one follows venerable Gampopa's system in elucidating mahamudra alone, it is not necessary to bestow the empowerment upon devotees. In keeping with his system one should adhere to the preparatory exercises he prescribed without incorporating the tantric meditation of Vajrasattva, the utterance of mantra, the transformation of oneself into yidam, and the visualization of one's guru in the form of Buddha Vajradhara, the source of the mystic empowerment."

And Thrangu Rinpoche's view related to this:

"I think that it is of far greater importance than the experience of dramatic instantaneous pointing out that people be taught mahamudra as a full system of instruction that they can implement on their own gradually through diligent application using either one of the three texts by the Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa—The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, or Pointing Out the Dharmakaya— or one of the texts by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal—either Moonbeams of Mahamudra or The Clarification of the Natural State.
In short, I think it is of far more importance that people receive this kind of complete and systematic instruction so that they can gradually develop experience on their own, than that some kind of dramatic pointing-out procedure be done. Of course, it is possible to give dramatic pointing-out instruction, and when you do so, some people do recognize their mind’s nature. But, if I may say so, I question the stability and, therefore, ultimately the value of that. It certainly is a dramatic experience for those people who achieve it, but I see no evidence of their kleshas diminishing as a result. And furthermore, they then carry away with them the arrogance of the thought, “I have seen my mind’s nature.” I think it is of far greater importance actually to practice meditation slowly and surely and make all possible use of the resources which this book in particular gives you. It is after all a big book and contains within it much instruction, much guidance, and a lot of questions that can help you to question and therefore refine your own experience."
(Ocean of Definitive Meaning, p. 127-128)

[Josef]

Garchen Rinpoche is teaching more and more via webcast these days.
He may not explicitly be talking about Mahamudra but it is a large part of how he teaches. Dzogchen as well.

[Astus]

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche also gives regular teachings made available online, but it's not only Mahamudra of course.

I think that since hardly any teacher restricts the teachings to Mahamudra, it is unlikely that there will be anything more than perhaps a series of teachings on this subject. But, with some growth in interest, this might eventually change.

[mindyourmind]

Mahamudra is not as bound to transmissions as Dzogchen, when it is understood to be separate from the path of sutra and tantra. So it is very much acceptable to have books, DVD's and all the other forms spreading the teachings made available. It is, after all, a liberating instruction.

The Quintessence of Mahamudra says in the chapter "The Description of the Preparatory Exercises for This Meditative Path" (p. 123f)

"Regarding the manner of imparting the profound path [of mahamudra], the venerable Gampopa considered it to be an independent path of tantra. So he did not make the esoteric empowerment a prerequisite for receiving the mahamudra teachings. He spoke about the method of directly guiding the disciple toward the intrinsic reality of the mind."

and

"On the other hand, if one follows venerable Gampopa's system in elucidating mahamudra alone, it is not necessary to bestow the empowerment upon devotees. In keeping with his system one should adhere to the preparatory exercises he prescribed without incorporating the tantric meditation of Vajrasattva, the utterance of mantra, the transformation of oneself into yidam, and the visualization of one's guru in the form of Buddha Vajradhara, the source of the mystic empowerment."

And Thrangu Rinpoche's view related to this:

"I think that it is of far greater importance than the experience of dramatic instantaneous pointing out that people be taught mahamudra as a full system of instruction that they can implement on their own gradually through diligent application using either one of the three texts by the Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa—The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, or Pointing Out the Dharmakaya— or one of the texts by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal—either Moonbeams of Mahamudra or The Clarification of the Natural State.
In short, I think it is of far more importance that people receive this kind of complete and systematic instruction so that they can gradually develop experience on their own, than that some kind of dramatic pointing-out procedure be done. Of course, it is possible to give dramatic pointing-out instruction, and when you do so, some people do recognize their mind’s nature. But, if I may say so, I question the stability and, therefore, ultimately the value of that. It certainly is a dramatic experience for those people who achieve it, but I see no evidence of their kleshas diminishing as a result. And furthermore, they then carry away with them the arrogance of the thought, “I have seen my mind’s nature.” I think it is of far greater importance actually to practice meditation slowly and surely and make all possible use of the resources which this book in particular gives you. It is after all a big book and contains within it much instruction, much guidance, and a lot of questions that can help you to question and therefore refine your own experience."
(Ocean of Definitive Meaning, p. 127-128)

Thank you, Astus, some good points in there.