Mahamudra Teaching - Dharma Media

When we realize Mahamudra, we can find no words by which to express it. So the great Brahmin
Saraha said, “When one puts a lot of emphasis or effort into organizing the mind according to the
instruction of the lama, then there is no doubt that one will realize the co-emergent wisdom. And that
is free from all the letters, symbols, and colors. It cannot be expressed in words. And there is no
metaphor to express that.” This is an embodiment of all the qualities, so how one can express it to
others?
So regarding the mind which is introduced, observe that when your past mind has past, it is no
longer here, and similarly, the future mind has not yet arrived, it is not yet here, and in the present
moment, this moment does not exist here either. So in that way mind is free from birth, abiding, and
cessation. It is so fresh, alert, and clear. That is called Mahamudra, and that is called Dharmakaya.
Just look at this, just look at this moment. The mind is free from all the boundaries. So this is a special
instruction or introduction to knowing your mind, to seeing your mind.
Questions and Answers
Intellectual Understanding vs. Actual Realization
Question: “How do we differentiate between intellectual understanding and actual realization?”
Answer: Intellectually understanding is like studying a map. When you want to go a certain place,
you study a map. You determine that you have to go from here to there and then from there to here.
You can see those things. This is similar to when you study and have intellectually understood
something. Now when you go through that, then you don’t always know what is next. So when you
drive according to the map which you understood, sometimes you see that things in real are more
detailed. Sometimes you see more things than you were able to pick up from studying the map. “Oh,
this is different.” You can get some glimpse of what it was that you understood that was right or how
things are a little different. Similarly, when you study practice, you get some idea that this is how it
looks like. You have not yet experienced it. You have all that knowledge in the head and maybe can
express these things. But then when you practice you see, “Oh, yes, this is what this means.”
Then sometimes, your experience may be a little different from that what you have studied. Up and
down, back and forth, some can go through faster, some may go slower. So whether one is going
slower or faster or having different experiences through the path, when you get the final realization
of Mahamudra, then there is no difference. You realize Dharmakaya, Mahamudra. One’s
Dharmakaya is the same as all the Dharmakayas.
For example, one person may study all the maps of the world. When he has studied all the maps of
the world then that person has some good knowledge, isn’t that so? He has a lot in his head. We also
may do that and get information about such and such place. We feel, “I must go see what is there.”
Then when you arrive at those places you know what kind of hotel do you want to stay at and what
kind of food you want to eat and the people you want to meet. So when you do this, that is kind of
experiencing it.
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