Classic Kagyü Mahāmudrā Texts

[Jnana]

Here are links to some of the important Mahāmudrā texts (mostly Karma Kagyü) available in English translation:

Karma Kagyü Ngöndro

Ngöndro Sādhana: The Chariot that Carries Us Along the Noble Way by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

Ngöndro Sādhana: The Chariot for Traveling the Noble Path by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (alternate translation of same text as above).

Short Ngöndro Sādhana: Nectar of the Simple Yogi by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé.

The Torch of Certainty (Ngöndro Commentary) by Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé.

Kagyü Mahāmudrā Compilation of Texts by Various Authors

Mahāmudrā and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyü Schools.

Mahāmudrā Texts by Karmapa Rangjung Dorje

The Eighth Situpa on the Third Karmapa's Mahāmudrā Prayer with Commentary by the 8th Tai Situpa.

The Third Karmapa's Mahāmudrā Prayer with Commentary by the 12th Tai Situpa.

Mahāmudrā Texts by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje

Mahāmudrā: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive Meaning (Commentary on The Ocean of Definitive Meaning) by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Mahāmudrā: Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

Mahāmudrā: Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance (Commentary on Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance) by Thrangu Rinpoche (MP3 CD).

Mahāmudrā: Pointing Out the Dharmakāya by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

Pointing Out the Dharmakāya (Commentary on Pointing Out the Dharmakāya) by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Mahāmudrā Texts by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal

Mahāmudrā -- The Moonlight -- Quintessence of Mind and Meditation by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal.

Essentials of Mahāmudrā : Looking Directly at the Mind (Commentary on The Moonlight) by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Clarifying the Natural State by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal.

Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Mahāmudrā Meditators (Commentary on Clarifying the Natural State) by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Mahāmudrā Texts by Karma Chagme

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, Vol. 1 by Karma Chagme.

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, Vol. 2 by Karma Chagme.

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, Vol. 3 by Karma Chagme.

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, Vol. 4 by Karma Chagme.

A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahāmudrā and Atiyoga by Karma Chagme.

Naked Awareness: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen by Karma Chagme.

Quintessence of the Union of Mahāmudrā and Dzokchen by Karma Chagme.

Mahāmudrā Texts by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl

Heart Lamp: The Heart of the Matter and Lamp of Mahāmudrā by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl.

Empowerment and the Path of Liberation by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl.

[mindyourmind]

Thank you, Jnana

[tobes]

That's some fine work Jnana.

[heart]

You forgot this one http://www.nitartha.org/mahamudra.html The complete text of the The Ocean of Definitive Meaning.

/magnus

[Jnana]

Here are a few teachings related to the above texts which are available online:

Tilopa's Mahāmudrā Instructions to Naropa: Teachings on Mahāmudrā Upadesha by Thrangu Rinpoche (PDF).

Sustaining the Nature of Mind from Songs of Naropa by Thrangu Rinpoche.

The Very Essence of Mind, Mahāmudrā, the One Sufficient Path by Je Gampopa with Commentary by Tenga Rinpoche (PDF).

Commentary on the Third Karmapa's The Aspiration Prayer of Mahāmudrā by Tai Situ Rinpoche (PDF).

Commentary on the Ninth Karmapa's Mahāmudrā: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning by Thrangu Rinpoche (PDF).

Mahāmudrā Eliminating the Darkness of Unawareness by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

Directly Experience the Nature of Mind from Crystal Clear: Practical Advice for Mahāmudrā Meditators by Thrangu Rinpoche.

Commentary on the Ninth Karmapa's Pointing Out the Dharmakāya by Thrangu Rinpoche (PDF).

The Union of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen Commentary on Karma Chagme's text (i.e. the Union text published as A Spacious Path to Freedom).

[Jnana]

You forgot this one http://www.nitartha.org/mahamudra.html The complete text of the The Ocean of Definitive Meaning.

Didn't forget it. It's there.

[Silent Bob]

Tony Duff and his Padma Karpo Translation Committee have published a number of books of mahamudra source materials: http://www.tibet.dk/pktc/transpaper.htm

Mr Duff is a very capable lotsawa, one of the best. Personally, I find his habit of finding fault with the work of other translators to be intrusive and off-putting, but it may not affect other readers that way and it's only obvious in some of his books.

[Silent Bob]

Thrangu Rinpoche's "Vivid Awareness" is an instant classic and belongs on any list of essential books on Mahamudra: http://www.namsebangdzo.com/Vivid_Aware ... /16719.htm

[heart]

You forgot this one http://www.nitartha.org/mahamudra.html The complete text of the The Ocean of Definitive Meaning.

Didn't forget it. It's there.

Now I see, sorry.

/magnus

[Pero]

Tony Duff and his Padma Karpo Translation Committee have published a number of books of mahamudra source materials: http://www.tibet.dk/pktc/transpaper.htm

Mr Duff is a very capable lotsawa, one of the best. Personally, I find his habit of finding fault with the work of other translators to be intrusive and off-putting, but it may not affect other readers that way and it's only obvious in some of his books.

Hehe I found it educational but I also found myself a little annoyed sometimes. I feel I should add a warning that you can't really trust the number of pages he lists for the books. Not that there aren't that many pages, however the actual text can be only a small percentage of those pages, the rest being his various comments, glossary, a little advertisement for his other works and the Tibetan text. Oh and you'll also have to pay some kind of extra tax and handling. I have to say I was pretty shocked when I bought my first book from him, felt a little cheated actually, but I think the quality is good.

[Chaz]

You forgot this one http://www.nitartha.org/mahamudra.html The complete text of the The Ocean of Definitive Meaning.

/magnus

It should be noted that it's a restricted text. From the Nitartha site:

Important: purchase of the text is restricted to certain persons who have permission from their teachers to read the book, or have met certain mahamudra qualifications. As The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche says in his Introduction to the text: "All readers should closely heed and respect the restrictions on using this instruction treatise set forth by the author, the ninth Gyalwang Karmapa, and other living lineage masters."

Otherwise, it's my understanding that this is one of the definitive works on the subject.

[Astus]

It should be noted that it's a restricted text.

While at the same time you can get a couple of to the point and in depth explanations without any problem. Strange thinking, perhaps it's a marketing thing to make it look more important and more esoteric.

[heart]

It should be noted that it's a restricted text.

While at the same time you can get a couple of to the point and in depth explanations without any problem. Strange thinking, perhaps it's a marketing thing to make it look more important and more esoteric.

I got the book, some part of it contains remarks that makes it more in to a teachers manual rather than a disciples manual. Such as what the student is supposed to answer to certain questions if they got it and if they didn't get it. Apart from that it cover the same things as his shorter texts. I

/magnus

[Astus]

I got the book, some part of it contains remarks that makes it more in to a teachers manual rather than a disciples manual. Such as what the student is supposed to answer to certain questions if they got it and if they didn't get it. Apart from that it cover the same things as his shorter texts. I

/magnus

Isn't that supposed to be the part of the pointing out instructions, as a next point after analysing, just like in Wangchuk Dorje's other two manuals? Clarifying the Natural State also has the "correct answers".

[Silent Bob]

It should be noted that it's a restricted text.

While at the same time you can get a couple of to the point and in depth explanations without any problem. Strange thinking, perhaps it's a marketing thing to make it look more important and more esoteric.

Nitartha isn't exactly pushing the book in the marketplace, considering the prerequisites that have to be met before you can buy it. Thrangu Rinpoche's two volumes of commentary on the Ngeton Gyamtso, "An Ocean of Ultimate Meaning" and "Ocean of Definitive Meaning", from Shambhala and Snow Lion respectively, are unrestricted and as informative or more so than the source text. With these available, there's no reason to lust after the hard-to-get Ngeton Gyamtso, except for the dubious appeal of owning a "double super-secret" text that no-one else can see.

Chris

[heart]

I got the book, some part of it contains remarks that makes it more in to a teachers manual rather than a disciples manual. Such as what the student is supposed to answer to certain questions if they got it and if they didn't get it. Apart from that it cover the same things as his shorter texts. I

/magnus

Isn't that supposed to be the part of the pointing out instructions, as a next point after analysing, just like in Wangchuk Dorje's other two manuals? Clarifying the Natural State also has the "correct answers".

Not really. During the pointing-out instructions there is outlined a number of instructions and questions that the teacher should ask the student and also a number of possible answers and what the further instructions should be for a student answering this or that. Never seen anything similar in any other text.

/magnus

[Astus]

Not really. During the pointing-out instructions there is outlined a number of instructions and questions that the teacher should ask the student and also a number of possible answers and what the further instructions should be for a student answering this or that. Never seen anything similar in any other text.

I see, so it's more elaborated there, just as you said: a teacher's manual.

[conebeckham]

Both Ngedon Gyamtso and Chakchen Dawai Ozer are "manuals," and both do present the sort of "question and answer" method. Ngedon Gyamtso, however, is the more complete of the two in this regard. The aim is to help the teacher facilitate the student's exploration. And, as someone said, "Dakpo Tashi Namgyal's "Clarifying" is more explicit, and "contains the correct answers," so to speak.

Dawai Ozer, besides being such a manual, also contains a great deal of polemic in support of the so-called "Self-Sufficent Single Remedy" that has been a bone of contention.

I second Silent Bob's recommendation of those books by Thrangu Rinpoche--they contain everything a student/practitioner really needs to understand about the path of Mahamudra, if one is not going to be "teaching" it. The two "shorter" works by 9th Karmapa are also very beneficial for anyone who wants to understand the Karma Kagyu presentation of Mahamudra.

The reason some of these texts are restricted is because certain "catch-phrases" or "answers" can be learned, and there is the potential pitfall of a student answering questions by rote, or from a position of "intellect only," and not from experience. Knowing the answers can actually get in the way of finding them out for oneself. Though sometimes not.

[Chaz]

Both Ngedon Gyamtso and Chakchen Dawai Ozer are "manuals," and both do present the sort of "question and answer" method. Ngedon Gyamtso, however, is the more complete of the two in this regard. The aim is to help the teacher facilitate the student's exploration. And, as someone said, "Dakpo Tashi Namgyal's "Clarifying" is more explicit, and "contains the correct answers," so to speak.

Dawai Ozer, besides being such a manual, also contains a great deal of polemic in support of the so-called "Self-Sufficent Single Remedy" that has been a bone of contention.

I second Silent Bob's recommendation of those books by Thrangu Rinpoche--they contain everything a student/practitioner really needs to understand about the path of Mahamudra, if one is not going to be "teaching" it. The two "shorter" works by 9th Karmapa are also very beneficial for anyone who wants to understand the Karma Kagyu presentation of Mahamudra.

The reason some of these texts are restricted is because certain "catch-phrases" or "answers" can be learned, and there is the potential pitfall of a student answering questions by rote, or from a position of "intellect only," and not from experience. Knowing the answers can actually get in the way of finding them out for oneself. Though sometimes not.

@conebeckham & @ silentbob: When would you recommend a practitioner read those boks by Thrangu Rinpoche?

[Silent Bob]

@conebeckham & @ silentbob: When would you recommend a practitioner read those boks by Thrangu Rinpoche?

For you, my friend, now would be a perfect time.