Introduction
The Bodhi Path Buddhist Centre of Remetschwiel has now been established. The main objective of the Centre is to give teachings on the many subjects in Buddhism in general, and the teachings of the Kagyüpa lineage of Buddhism.
Within the Kagyüpa lineage, two main streams of Buddhist practices are upheld. There is the lineage transmitted from Tilopa to Naropa of the Practice of the Six Yogas. The other is the lineage called the Mahamudra received from Saraha. Saraha transmitted it to Maitripa, the guru of Marpa. From Maitripa to Marpa, the transmission then continued to Milarepa and then to Gampopa.
Gampopa combined Mahamudra with Atisha's Lodjong practice, and taught it extensively. This combination, called the combined lineage of Kadampa and Mahamudra, thus became a very special lineage of Gampopa. Since then, it has been upheld as one of the main streams of teachings of all Kagyüpas.
The Karma Kagyü Lineage of Mahamudra
Within the Karma Kagyü lineage, the Mahamudra is one of its principal teachings. The Karmapas and other Karma Kagyü Lamas had written various commentaries on Mahamudra. In particular, it was the 9th Karmapa who had composed three volumes of Mahamudra teachings: concise or small, medium and large. The concise volume is called The Finger Pointing out the Dharmakaya (choeku dzubtsug). The medium one is called Illuminating the Darkness of Ignorance (marig munsal). And the third or large volume is called Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning (ngedoen gyamtso). All three volumes teach the Mahamudra.
The majority of the Kagyüpa Lamas were enlightened by the Mahamudra practice. The name Mahamudra, is a Sanskrit word denoting a tantric term. There is a particular tantric practice of Mahamudra related to Tummo (inner heat yoga). Whether or not a practitioner combines Mahamudra with the practice of tummo, depends on the individual. Some of the realized Kagyüpa Lamas needed the support of Tummo or the Six Yogas of Naropa to speed up the Mahamudra realization. Many other Lamas, on the other hand, did not require such supports and they simply became realized through the Mahamudra practice.
The Mahamudra lineage of Saraha's Mind-pointing - meditation/Pointing out the Mind Meditation is very profound. This teaching or method, precisely points to the nature of mind and leads the practitioner in its special way. Saraha travelled as a beggar. He gave Mahamudra instructions by singing songs with his own guitar accompaniment. In his songs, he elucidated the nature of mind. Many people, by listening to his songs, were enlightened with Saraha's blessings. These people were able to attain the first level of realization on the Mahamudra path.