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Mind at Ease: Self-Liberation through Mahamudra Meditation

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I am a student of Tibetan Buddhism focusing on Mahamudra as my main practice, so I read many wonderful materials, modern and traditional, to support my (admittedly infantile) practice.

This book is an absolute treasure for any practitioner of Mahamudra. Traleg Rinpoche is a teacher of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and has lived in the West for some time. His sensitivity to the cultural concerns of Westeners coming to Buddhism, along with his skill in transmitting the Dharma directly in English add to his comprehensive command of the subject and practical experience, yielding an unbeatable combination.

As Traleg Rinpoche (along with all the realized masters of the lineage) repeatedly stresses, Mahamudra should not be practiced purely "by the book," that is, without the guidance of a genuine spiritual teacher in an authentic unbroken lineage of Mahamudra. For those who have the great fortune to have such a teacher, the explanations and exercises in this text will be a magnificent companion to their direct teachings. The text follows very closely the structure and presentation of the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's "Ocean of Definitive Meaning," the quintessential text on Mahamudra practice.

Traleg Rinpoche summarizes each of the stages, in a contemporary voice, presenting the principles and practices in gracefully elegant language that is nevertheless to the point. He also devises meditation exercises to go with many of the individual stages of the practice, so one can follow the exercises one by one as a complement to one's teacher's instructions. He clearly explains the structure of a meditation session. Moreover, Rinpoche presents the stages of the Mahamudra path in the broader context of spiritual seeking and the nature of the path. The text ends up a sublime blending of traditional meditation instruction and modern understanding, and may well be the best contemporary Mahamudra practice manual available.

As a result, despite the caveat regarding the need for a teacher in order to practice Mahamudra, the text is helpful to those who are not practicing under the direct guidance of a spiritual master--to the extent that it provides a thorough overview and glimpse at the nuts-and-bolts aspects of Mahamudra practice. It would be a great starting point for someone interested in learning more about the practice before finding or committing oneself to a teacher. No doubt the book will be invaluable in encouraging dedicated students to do just that! Nothing could be more worth the effort.

Traleg Kyabgon is a Tibetan who directs the Kagyu-Evam Buddhist Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He has studied extensively in the West. He says in his introduction that he is attempting to keep the book simple and accessible. He succeeds, IMHO. As he says on page 225, "in approaching the spiritual path, we need some understanding of what the journey involves." This deep book is incredibly easy to read and understand, despite its stated lack of personal experiences. Unlike many others, the author includes the reasons behind the practices, the whys and wherefores as well as the how. He also includes many, many exercises/meditations with very fine descriptions of the practices. He also defines terms amazingly well-shining light on them with great clarity. His Glossary is wonderfully written. I especially liked his definition of "Interested Humility" (page 242) vs. "devotion." Within the text, he beautifully defines and describes such important experiences as Bliss, Clarity, and Mental Spaciousness (page 199) as well as delineating important distinctions such as meditative experiences and realizations (page 198). The only point I still have a problem with (despite his quoting the Dalai Lama on page 125) is the difference between soul and Buddha nature. It seems to me that they are addressing the Hindu atman which is not necessarily the idea in the West. For example, Jung's archetype of the Anima or Animus differs from the atman. It would be interesting to hear a Mahamudra analysis of such Jungian ideas.

Additionally, the author introduces some new terminology which is helpful to the student's understanding. For example, "conceptual overlays" (page 195) and mystical Mahayana (Mahamudra, Dzogchen, and some Zen sects on page 137); also he explains the relationships among memory, mindfulness, and being in the now (page 146). Throughout the book is practical. It even includes suggestions for using a zafu (small round cushion for the buttocks) on top of a zabuton (larger square cushion to help the ankles) on page 144. Furthermore, he provides a fine description of the use of the Four Immeasurables (pages 92-117) as an prelude to the main Mahamudra meditation and refers to the applicability of them and Lojong (mind training: see Pema Chodron's "Start Where You Are" for particulars on this and "Noble Heart" for another view of the Four Immeasurables) for the Mahamudra practitioner (page 218). I don't think I've heard that anywhere before either in Lojong books/tapes or Mahamudra & Dzogchen ones. Nevertheless, as the author explains on page 202, insight does not come from purely from learning.

The author's explanation of the value of differing perspectives is well worth quoting at length:
"In Buddhism, it is openly conceded that having different terminologies and different concepts gives us a different understanding of something. Multiple perspectives are valued because particular perspectives will necessarily yield corresponding understandings. Sometimes people become annoyed by these multiple perspectives and begin to question which one is real and which ones are false. The Buddhist position is that they are all true within their given context. They are also necessary because in Mahayana Buddhism the teachings have to accommodate the needs of a diverse range of people, all potential beneficiaries of the Dharma. Any single perspective that is dogmatically thrust upon a multitude of diverse individuals will fail to inspire many and is unlikely to benefit more than a few. [however] Different perspectives have to form a coherent whole with an underlying thematic link between the variations, otherwise they would cease to be perspectives on the same thing" (page 136).

Finally, the appendix (pages 229-35), "Precious Sun" Padma Karpo's Spiritual Advice is poetic, insightful, profound, and enlightening.

Traleg Kyabgon's instruction in Mahamudra meditation is a lucid, highly-readable and practical explication of the Kagyu way of meditation. The author is a wonderful communicator whose mastery of both the philosophical and practical aspects of these teachings is guided by his "discriminating wisdom" in imparting them to lay people in the modern western world (although his home base of Australia is arguably more southeastern than western). One of the key points he makes is that despite all the talk in Buddhism about meditation as empiricism, the practices are actually ways of recognizing and internalizing the Buddhist view of reality. After giving us a "crash course" in that view with an eye to practice, he outlines the three meditation approaches of shamatha-mindfulness / tranquility, vipashyana-insight / analysis, and mahamudra-direct experience of the mind, which actually extends to the entire spectrum of experience. Having said this, I must add that I did not read this book because I was searching for this information; rather, I had hoped to find a sort of "universal" practice for spiritual realization that might coalesce with any religious point of view. As one who believes in God and the soul (not that I claim to understand either), I soon recognized that this is not the case with Mahamudra -- nor can it be the case. Every system or path has its own unique character, and it is a mistake to try to "mix and match" as if one were in the supermarket picking out food items for the coming week. Traleg Kyabgon is very out front about this and many other common misconceptions and confusions. Yet despite my getting what I was not looking for, I found that there was much to learn from this volume and recommend it to anyone who wishes to explore the endless mystery of the mind.

I have been practicing mahamudra meditation for over thirty years, and "Mind at Ease" is by far the clearest exposition of mahamudra I have encountered. In this book the reader is not confronted with any content that might confuse a direct understanding of mahamudra as can be the case with some translations of classical mahamudra texts. Not to belittle those texts--they are amazing and certainly very useful, but if the motive is to find encouragement to undertake mahamudra meditation practice, you can do no better than start with this book.

I have practiced Buddhist meditation for decades and this book changed my meditation practice in a profound way.

Practices I formerly considered unimportant are now part of my daily practice. For example, contemplation of the four preliminaries has renewed my motivation to practice and to do so daily without fail, which is absolutely essential if meditation is to be effective. There is always time for this, even if it is necessarily short. Continuity is far more important than how long one meditates. They also remind me of why I am practicing.

Contemplation of the four immeasurables further deepens this motivation and, most importantly, helps me to develop bodhicitta, the aspiration to practice in order to become able to help all others without exception. Expanding my own experiences of the love, compassion and joy to encompass the entirety of existence is extremely powerful.

Rinpoche's instructions in shamatha and vipashyana have been of great benefit to my own practices of them. This book is written from the viewpoint of the Mahamudra version of these practices, which carry a different meaning than that of other Buddhist shamatha and vipashyana practices. Although it is not explicitly stated, shamatha without attributes is also included in his instructions on shamatha without object.

Concluding each meditation session by dedicating the merit was something I only did when meditating with the sangha and because I did not understand its value as a means of reducing one's fixation on the notion of self as well as developing bodhicitta. Without overcoming that fixation it is impossible to gain insight into the fundamental nature of reality. The reason for this is that the fixation on self coemerges with the fixation on other and this mistakenly divided mind not only causes constant suffering, either overt or subtle, it prevents the fundamental unity from manifesting. Think of the times when you have experienced unity and you will see this to be true. It is always spontaneous and unpremeditated.

Give it a shot. Kyabgon Rinpoche is one of the finest teachers alive today.

Warm wishes,

John

This book reveals a respected member of the Kagyu lineage's meditation techniques, which is not only a pleasure to read, but brings in a type of continuum into meditation, which can be plagued with subtle fixations, such as "discursive thoughts" being the enemy of Tranquility Meditation, rather than an accepted part of the mind to which we apply awareness and by which tranquility settles in.

I recommend this book more for the experienced meditator because the observations and distinctions can be more readily appreciated with experience and background in meditation. This endorsement is not to discourage the newbie from reading this book at all.

The "great seal" of Mahamudra is for all. Thank you, Traleg Kyabgon, for writing this wonderful book.

Excelellent book; i thank Traleg Kiabgon for his inspiration and teaching. A book with excelent items for practicing insight meditation, not only for reading.