Mahamudra Teaching - Dharma Media

teachings as the Buddha did, with a pure intention, and transmitted the teachings to benefit all
sentient beings, particularly those that are in the Samsara State. So because of that, these great
teachers are also manifestations of the Buddha and really no different than the Buddha.
Buddha said that his body is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma, and his mind is the Dharmakaya.
So even though historically speaking the Buddha took parinirvana and passed away and no longer
exists in a human body, the Buddha’s wisdom mind continues lineage after lineage in that way.
Because of that many great masters or great teachers were produced in so many different places. So
through Buddha’s teachings, there are great teachers who studied and practiced the Buddha’s
teachings and actualized the Buddha’s teachings by realizing the wisdom mind. So through the
actualization of the Buddha’s teaching, they attained the Dharmakaya. Therefore we call the precious
lama the embodiment of all the Buddhas. The lama’s body is the Sangha, the lama’s speech is the
Dharma, the lama’s wisdom mind is the Buddha, because all of the Buddha’s teachings are all there,
are all contained therein.
When we read the great life stories of the Kagyü masters, from Vajradhara, Tilopa, until now, we can
see that there were and are many great teachers. Within this lineage of great masters, today we will
study the Mahamudra teachings of Lord Jigten Sumgon, the teachings, which he taught and wrote.
Lord Jigten Sumgon is a manifest Buddha in the human form who gave all of these precious
teachings. Lord Jigten Sumgon’s teachings came through the lineage from Lord Jigten Sumgon’s time
up until now. Like myself, each one of these lineage holders studied all of Lord Jigten Sumgon’s
teachings and then practiced them. So now the transmission of the teachings taught by the Buddha
and Lord Jigten Sumgon will take place, here and now.
As for Lord Jigten Sumgon it is not that some of his followers are saying some great things about him
which do not exist, but it is something that Buddha explicitly prophesized in many sutric and tantric
texts. Because Buddha was omniscient, knowing everything, the past and future, he clearly perceived
all things without any error from within the mandala of wisdom. He prophesized Lord Jigten
Sumgon’s coming, the name of the place he would come from, the number of disciples, and the
essence of the teachings of the Buddha. From one perspective, this is what the Buddha prophesized.
As for the lineage, when you read the life stories of the lineage masters, Tilopa contacted Vajradhara
directly and was himself not different from Vajradhara. Tilopa had many disciples, but the foremost
disciple and the one who could take his place was Naropa. Naropa declared Marpa Lotsawa, the
great translator, to be the regent in Tibet and Marpa had many disciples. From among them the
foremost disciple was Milarepa who, as we know, also had so many disciples. From among them,
Gampopa held Milarepa’s complete teachings, and is like the sun among all the stars. Gampopa had
many, many disciples. From among them the one who held his vajra throne was Phagmo Drupa.
Again, Phagmo Drupa had many, many disciples, about 80,000, and from among all of his disciples;
Lord Jigten Sumgon was declared his Dharma heir and became the one who took his place on
Phagmo Drupa’s seat. Phagmo Drupa enthroned him as his regent. So that is how the lineage holds
through these great teachers. And that’s how they have the complete authority and realization of the
Buddha’s teachings.
In addition, it is not just the case that great teachers were limited to the 11th and 12th century in
history. Recently, for example, in my monastery my root lama, who was known as the great yogi
Chime Dorje, was someone who was highly accomplished and practiced Mahamudra as well as the
Six Yogas of Naropa. He had lived in retreat for twelve years. Because of that his meditation and