Courses / Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, Shamatha, Vipashyana and Mahamudra /

62 Understanding Your Mind

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Fall 2015 Stage of Generation

B. Alan Wallace
30 Jul 2015 – 24 Sep 2015
Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia

This eight-week retreat will focus on stage of generation, shamatha, vipashyana and mahamudra.

Participants in this retreat should have a sound understanding of the Sutrayana teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, and have experience in the practices of shamatha, the four applications of mindfulness, and the four immeasurables.

Please read the text, A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga, by the great 17th-century master Karma Chagmé (from the chapter “The Stage of Generation” up through “Mahamudra”). The book can be purchased from SBI here.

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B. Alan Wallace, 04 Sep 2015

For Mahamudra and Dzogchen, the one important thing is to understand the nature of your mind. We have been following the yogic approach to understanding your mind. To be fully qualified, to gain benefit from the Vipashyana questions we have been asking you must have achieved shamatha. When resting in the substrate consciousness, these questions can be used to break right through to rigpa. You are asking questions from the eight extremes of conceptualization to break through to pristine awareness that transcends conceptualization.

The meditation has you invert your awareness on itself and see what you see. Do this for a short time, rest and then question again.

After the mediation Alan turns to the text (p. 99-101). Alan then provides an overview of the 4 Yogas of Mahamudra.

The meditation starts at 33:42

Course notes, other episodes and resources for this retreat are available here The text for this retreat can be purchased via the SBI Store. Finally, Please contribute to help us afford the audio equipment we rent to make these, and future podcasts freely available.

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