Mahamudra - The Moonlight: Quintessence of Mind and Meditation

Mahamudra meditation is simultaneously the most profound of meditative disciplines and the most accessible for modern practitioners. Traditionally passed orally from teacher to disciple, mahamudra instructions point the meditator to the innate perfection of every experience. When it first appeared in 1986, Mahamudra: The Moonlight - Quintessence of Mind and Meditation was the first presentation in English of a major Tibetan Buddhist work on meditation. This classic guide was composed in the sixteenth century by an eminent lama of the Kagyu school and is so comprehensive and practical that it is still widely used today as a manual. Divided into two major sections, it presents first the common approach and then the mahamudra approach to tranquility (shamatha) and insight (vipashyana) meditation. Reviews "I am so delighted that this text is being published in the English language. It will greatly benefit English-speaking students of Buddhism. I myself have used this text in working with my students, and I have always found that it communicates, clearly and simply, the mahamudra teachings of the Practice Lineage."--Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche "This updated edition of an English translation of a great classic for mastering mind and meditation comes recommended by the Dalai Lama. Mahamudra is a profound meditative discipline that is most accessible to modern practitioners, and this book presents first the common approach, and then the Mahamudra approach to tranquility and insight. A fundamentally valuable addition to one's Dharma library."--Source: Mandala About the Author Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (1511-87), a lineage holder of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism who also trained in the Sakya school, was renowned as both a scholar and meditator. During his later years, he served as chief abbot of Daklha Gampo in southern Tibet. Lobsang P. Lhalungpa was born in Lhasa, Tibet. From 1940 until 1952, he was a monk-official in the service of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and of the Tibetan government. He established the first Tibetan-language program of All India Radio and dedicated his life to the promotion and preservation of Tibet's rich spiritual and cultural tradition. Lhalungpa translated The Life of Milarepa and was chosen by His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa to translate Mahamudra: The Moonlight. He authored Tibet: The Sacred Realm. He lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for many years before his death in 2008. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and a beacon of inspiration for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. He has persistently reached out across religious and political lines and has engaged in dialogue with scientists in his mission to advance peace and understanding in the world. In doing so, he embodies his motto, “My religion is kindness.”