Sadhana of Mahamudra
Please see zoom invitation at bottom!
The Sadhana of Mahamudra is a practice written by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the founder of Shambhala, while he was on retreat in Bhutan in 1968. This was an important turning point in his presentation of the Buddhist teachings in the West. Many students seemed fascinated by Tibetan Buddhism but were somehow missing the point.
According to the teachings, we all as humans possess innate goodness which we can discover within. However we can instead fall into a mistaken tendency to use spirituality to try to create a “spiritual” façade.
This tendency, known as “spiritual materialism”, only succeeds in alienating us even further from our genuine nature. The central theme of the sadhana is to cut through spiritual materialism and discover our innate wisdom.
The sadhana is considered terma, hidden teachings which can be uncovered by tertöns: specially gifted teachers who are able to discover them at the time when they are most needed. Trungpa Rinpoche was one of the great modern tertöns and the Sadhana of Mahamudra is such a teaching. Because it was meant for this time, its potency is particularly strong.
The practice involves recitation of the sadhana text and periods of silent meditation. The text is full of vivid imagery which may at first seem strange. As with all dharma teachings, understanding develops through patience and contemplation. So we encourage newcomers to come in and experience how a sadhana practice feels. Simply recite the words and relax into the atmosphere that it creates. The chant leader is available to answer any questions and will give a brief explanation of how to do the practice before it begins.
