A Fine Blend of Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka

Download or read book A Fine Blend of Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka written by Klaus-Dieter Mathes and published by Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The collection of 26 texts on non-imaginary realization is the result of a synthesis of the essence and tantric Mahāmudrā teachings of Saraha, Nāgārjuna and Śavaripa with a special form of the Madhyamaka philosophy called Not-Founded (apratiṣṭhāna), which addresses the fundamental overcoming of any conceptual determination of reality. This is accomplished by subtracting attention from the duality of an object to be perceived and a subject perceiving. The result is a "radiant self-initiation, " according to Maitrīpas (986-1063), who finally analyzed the term amanasikāra. The collection of texts on non-conceptual realization plays an important role, since together with Naropa's teachings it forms the main source of the bKa 'brgyud traditions. The edition and translation of this collection is followed by another text attributed to Maitrīpa, the * Mahāmudrākanakamālā, which was translated into Tibetan by Mar pa Lo tsā ba Chos kyi blo gros (11th century). The * Mahāmudrākanakamālā takes up the themes of the text collection and shows that all aspects of Maitrīpa's mahāmudrā were indeed conveyed to the early bKa 'brgyud masters. In addition to an English translation and analysis, the present publication contains a new edition of the existing Sanskrit texts based on Haraprasad Shastri's editio princeps, the edition of the Studying Group of Sacred Tantric Texts at Taisho University, the Nepalese manuscript NGMPP B 22/24 and Manuscript No. 151 of the Todai University Library. The Tibetan edition of all texts is based on the Derge and Peking bsTan 'gyur and the dPal spungs edition of the collection of Indian Mahāmudrā works (Phyag rgya chen po'i rgya gzhung) from the seventh Karma pa Chos grags rgya mtsho (1454-1506).