Sun, 04 Oct 2009
Four Mudras
I've been reading Khenpo Karthar's teaching on Moutain Dharma, and he provides a clear explanation of the four mudras. I thought I'd summarize what he said, but in reverse order, as that seems a more natural progression. Mahamudra is the practice of seeing your own mind as the buddha. It straddles the border between sutra and tantra, or could be seen as the essence of both. Of course, it is what the Ganges Mahamudra is all about. Having gained confidence that one's own mind is buddha, one is fit to practice Jnanamudra, where one visualizes oneself in the form of a deity. This is the practice of the generation stage of deity meditation. When one can clealy viualize one's body as the body of the deity, one is fit to practice Samayamudra, which is the yogic practice of chandali (tummo), where one masters the inner winds, channels, and drops. And when one has fully masterd chandali has complete control over these three, one can practice Karmamudra, where one practices sexual union with a consort. It's this practice which has made tantra notorious, even though only a very few are qualified to do it. Through the practice of the four mudras, one can attain complete enlightenment in a single life and it is these practice that make Vajrayana the unexcelled path of practice.
