Sadhana of Mahamudra [Online]

“All thoughts vanish into emptiness, like the imprint of a bird in the sky.” - Chogyam Trungpa, The Sadhana of Mahamudra 

Full Moon Days

This powerful monthly practice at the time of the full moon is open to all. Participation is free of charge.

The Sadhana of Mahamudra is a practice text composed by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the founder of Shambhala. He wrote the Sadhana in a sacred cave in Bhutan in 1968 at an important turning point in his presentation of the Buddhist teachings in the West. This sadhana is considered terma, teachings concealed by the great Tibetan teacher Padmasambhava for the sake of future generations. Such teachings are discovered by tertöns, special teachers who are able to find the teachings during the times when they are most needed. Trungpa Rinpoche was one of the great modern tertöns and the Sadhana of Mahamudra is such a teaching.

Overcoming Spiritual Materialism

Chanting the sadhana, or liturgy, offers a means for renewing our spiritual strength and overcoming obstacles in our practice, our lives and the world that arise from physical, psychological and spiritual materialism and aggression. By practicing this we can rouse the power of our own wakefulness. Because the sadhana was written specifically for our time, its potency is particularly strong.

The sadhana is based on two main principles—the principle of space associated with the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and the principle of energy associated with the Kagyü school. The text is full of symbolism that may seem strange. Don’t expect to understand it fully the first time. You can simply chant the words and relax into the atmosphere that doing so creates.

"I think that in the future people will relate with this sadhana as a source of inspiration as well as a potential way of continuing their journey. Inspiration from that point of view means awakening yourself from the deepest of deepest confusion and chaos and self-punishment; it means being able to get into a higher level and being able to celebrate within that." 
– from Chogyam Trungpa’s Sadhana of Mahamudra seminar, November 30, 1975

Practicing Online

The practice lasts a little over an hour (7pm ~ 8pm) and involves both chanting and silent meditation. The sadhana will be shared over the Zoom call so that everyone will have access to it. Click below to join the Zoom practice:

Zoom Meeting ID: 817 700 397  |  Passcode: 108

For tips on Zoom best practices & etiquette, please see: Creating an Uplifted 'Zoom' Environment In Our Households

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