6. Mahamudra: How to Discover Our True Nature - Sunday Session 4

Venerable Robina Courtin teaches on "Mahamudra: How to Discover Our True Nature.", a book of Lama Yeshe's teachings edited by Venerable Robina. The original teachings by Lama Yeshe were given in Bendigo, Australia in 1981; hosted by Atisha Centre.

Lama Yeshe tells us that mahamudra is “the universal reality of emptiness, of nonduality...with mahamudra meditation there is no doctrine, no theology, no philosophy, no God, no Buddha. Mahamudra is only experience.” (http://bit.ly/MahamudraFPMTShop)

Chapter 9 "Now seek the self and find Mahamudra" (4:26)

Now let's meditate on Mahamudra: The mindfulness fish... (18:09)

Ego is like a thief (22:30)

The label cannot be the parts (26:09)

Identifying the nuclear energy of ego...(29:51)

"Learn to like a problem like you like ice-cream" (35:27)

The mindfulness fish captures egos concept! (43:52)

Seeing the truth annihilates the lie (48:59)

When you cut the root, you end fear (59:59)

Q: How do you know if you are a reincarnation of someone? (1:01:40)

Q: Is realisation of emptiness synonymous with nirvana? (1:03:13)

Q: What is non duality (1:05:11)

Q: What is the personality- is it just a bundle of tendencies . Lama Zopa and Lama Yeshe seem so different in nature. (1:06:07)

Q: How do I work with the process of recognising my delusions and applying the teachings? [Paraphrasing the question] (1:10:50)

Q: Buddhas will manifest in the aspect (with respect to personality or style) that is most beneficial for the beings that they have a strong karmic connection with, correct? (1:16:24)

Q: How do you know what your yidam is? (1:20:46)

Q: If there is no inherent self, how then does karma manifest to us personally from past lives whether good or bad? Wouldn't that karma be attached to something that has continuity? Wouldn't that karma stop at the cessation of that person's existence? (1:22:22)

Q: Am I accurate in assuming that developing the wisdom wing is what helps change conditioning and eventually karma? Are karma and conditioning interdependent? (1:25:03)

Q: How are Sutra and Tantra different in the focus on realizing emptiness? How important is this realisation on each Path? (1:29:59) Q: What do we do when we think we know what our main delusion is? (1:31:38)

Q: Would it be better to focus on pureland rebirth or human? (1:32:28)

Q: What is it about Tantra that makes it faster and more effective? (1:35:59)

Q: Is there an ending of this process – death, birth, endeavour for enlightenment, become a buddha – are there endless beings that will need to do this so it is endless? And when did this start or has happened always? (1:44:19)

Q: Is there an indicator to let us know we're ready to practice Tantra, or can we start anytime? (1:49:34)

Recitation of the root text: Highway of the Conquerors - The Mahamudra Root Text of the Precious Genden Oral Tradition (1:51:35)

*** May anyone who sees, hears, thinks of, remembers or has anything to do with even a moment of these teachings, create the causes for enlightenment within their mindstream. The merit created through the uploading and accessing, viewing, listening to or remembering of these teachings is dedicated to the long life and continued teaching of all teachers of the Mahayana, to the immediate rebirth of Judy (and all those beings who have recently died) into Amitabha’s pure realm, to the benefit of the people whose names were added to the dedication list during the weekend course and to all beings in all the six realms.