Author(s): THRANGU, KHENCH

Mahamudra | Tibetan Buddhism

In 29 lines, the "Mahamudra Lineage Prayer" lists the great adepts of the Karma Kagyu lineage, reviews the common and special preliminaries, provides instructions for calm abiding and special insight meditation, sets forth the essentials of Mahamudra meditation, and finally makes an aspiration to achieve enlightenment. It thus summarizes the key elements of the path to enlightenment. Khenchen Thrangu's oral teachings on this prayer have been collected and edited to form a complete commentary on the prayer that emphasizes Mahamudra meditation as especially suitable for Western practitioners who complain of having little time for practice. Many chapters include questions from the audience and his replies, which give the book an intimate feeling. Appendices that give details on related topics and the explanatory endnotes make this an invaluable resource for Mahamudra practitioners.