During our first cycle of work, from October 2004 to July 2006, our primary texts were Dakpo Tashi
Namgyal's Clarifying the Natural State and Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary, Crystal Clear:
Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators. At Thrangu Rinpoche's request we also studied
Shantideva's Way Of the Boddhisattva using several different English translations in parallel.
During our second cycle of work, from September 2006-May 2007, our primary text was Thrangu
Rinpoche's commentary on Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, a short Tibetan text on Mahamudra
practice by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. At Rinpoche's suggestion, participation in the
second cycle of the study group was limited to people who participated in the August 2006 Austin
retreat program in which he taught the material in this text.
Our third cycle started in September 2007, and Thrangu Rinpoche asked us to base this cycle on
his new commentary on the long root text by Wangchuk Dorje called An Ocean of the Ultimate
Meaning, available from Namo Buddha Publications and other online sources. We also read his
other commentary on the same text titled The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive Meaning which
is available in its entirety online or in printed form from Snow Lion Publications.
Our fourth and most recent cycle of work started in October 2008 and was based on two short
Mahamudra texts that Thrangu Rinpoche taught in his June 2008 Crestone Retreat Program.
These texts are the Amulet Mahamudra by Thangtong Gyalpo and Taranatha.
Suggested Prerequisites For Mahamudra Practice Group
The work of this group presumes you have a regular Buddhist meditation practice. In particular, it
assumes you have received instruction in, and have personal experience with, both shamatha and
vipashyana meditation as taught in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Students of Shambhala Training
should have completed at least Level V.
Since our focus is practice and experience, our members are encouraged to engage in dharma
study outside of this group.
Namgyal's Clarifying the Natural State and Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary, Crystal Clear:
Practical Advice for Mahamudra Meditators. At Thrangu Rinpoche's request we also studied
Shantideva's Way Of the Boddhisattva using several different English translations in parallel.
During our second cycle of work, from September 2006-May 2007, our primary text was Thrangu
Rinpoche's commentary on Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, a short Tibetan text on Mahamudra
practice by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. At Rinpoche's suggestion, participation in the
second cycle of the study group was limited to people who participated in the August 2006 Austin
retreat program in which he taught the material in this text.
Our third cycle started in September 2007, and Thrangu Rinpoche asked us to base this cycle on
his new commentary on the long root text by Wangchuk Dorje called An Ocean of the Ultimate
Meaning, available from Namo Buddha Publications and other online sources. We also read his
other commentary on the same text titled The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Definitive Meaning which
is available in its entirety online or in printed form from Snow Lion Publications.
Our fourth and most recent cycle of work started in October 2008 and was based on two short
Mahamudra texts that Thrangu Rinpoche taught in his June 2008 Crestone Retreat Program.
These texts are the Amulet Mahamudra by Thangtong Gyalpo and Taranatha.
Suggested Prerequisites For Mahamudra Practice Group
The work of this group presumes you have a regular Buddhist meditation practice. In particular, it
assumes you have received instruction in, and have personal experience with, both shamatha and
vipashyana meditation as taught in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Students of Shambhala Training
should have completed at least Level V.
Since our focus is practice and experience, our members are encouraged to engage in dharma
study outside of this group.
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Last updated: 12 May 09
| "I think that it is of far greater importance than the experience of dramatic instantaneous pointing out that people be taught mahamudra as a full system of instruction that they can implement on their own gradually through diligent application using any one of the three texts by the Ninth Gyalwang Karmapa - An Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning, Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance, or Pointing Out the Dharmakaya - or one of the two texts by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal - Moonbeams of Mahamudra or Clarifyng the Natural State." - Thrangu Rinpoche |
About Vajra Vidya Austin
Vajra Vidya Austin is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation group under the direction of
the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. We have been meeting weekly as
an ongoing mahamudra practice group since 2004.
Our primary work is progressive, detailed, and deliberate mahamudra meditation
practice. Our work frequently uses the online practice guide published by the
Mahamudra Meditation Center, which also publishes an excellent bibliography.
Vajra Vidya Austin is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation group under the direction of
the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. We have been meeting weekly as
an ongoing mahamudra practice group since 2004.
Our primary work is progressive, detailed, and deliberate mahamudra meditation
practice. Our work frequently uses the online practice guide published by the
Mahamudra Meditation Center, which also publishes an excellent bibliography.