Naked Awareness: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen

We know that kids go to see the same movie - generally action movies targeted at their age/gender group - several times, but how many adults do that? And for those of us adults that read (I have the gift of a Kindle to thank for that, after a 15 year hiatus from books), how many of us would re-read the book right after finishing it? "Naked Awareness" is the first book in my adult life that led me right back to page 1 after reaching the final page of the text (and the brief but excellent Glossary).Not much I can add to the above reviews and commentaries - and it's past time to send a very public thanks to Mr Pollock for the incredible service he's done for the reading public with his informative reviews - but this stunning text left me with several powerful thoughts and feelings:1. There have been plenty of writers from the Vajrayana world during the last 1300 years whose work is every bit as wonderful as anything from our Nobel Laureates. Karma Chagme's text "Naked Awareness" demonstrates just how powerfully teachers from hundreds of years ago can still introduce average Joes to the deepest understanding and even more, the experience, of the human condition. KC must have quoted from a hundred or so texts (didn't count them all) texts in writing this book, and has spun key bits and pieces from them into an exciting and accessible path for anyone interested.2. As if KC's original words aren't clear enough (Alan Wallace's translation is simply superb), Gyatrul Rinpoche's 20th century commentary somehow enables the subject matter to smoothly glide right into ones consciousness, as if you are speaking with a friend at a cafe (would recommend a cappuccino or two if you try to bite off more than one chapter at once).3. I subconsciously cringe every time I read a book, and the writer takes a swipe or two at "opposing philosophies" ... after all, many of these works from different perspectives such as Dzogchen and Mahamudra were written by people who knew a thing or two, and don't they teach us that the writings themselves are emanations of the same cosmic principle, in part meant for those of us with different types of understanding? Anyway, KC was able to see that Dzogchen and Mahamuda teachings complement each other perfectly, that they are part of a continuous flow of teaching taking us all the way to the Leapover of the Great Perfection.4. KC stresses that the steps along this path, while on one level involved with objects and constructs "outside" our bodies, are at the deepest level emanating from our own pure awareness. Mandala, Guruyoga, postures, visualizations......practice them, and one's experience will rapidly deepen. He explains how to do them step by step, so why not sit down and start doing them right now??? He makes it easy ... in short order, in this very lifetime, one will experience that the Path is the Goal, and that it's entirely possible to take it all the way to the end. It works.

This is one of the key texts for Tibetan Buddhists of the Shambhala Buddhism sangha (i.e. group, or family, or tribe). It's hard to be specific here, but it isn't probaby for beginners or people who are just interested in buddhism. This is for devoted practitioners. It's the best though -- full of luminosity and emptiness, and compassion. And if you read those words as familiar keys, then you can probably handle this. The writing glows, and the meaning is transformative. But as any teacher of any style of buddhism will tell you, practice is what makes it real. Please don't try to just make up some way to practice on your onw, doing what you like, or what makes you feel nice. Real Buddhism is nothing like that.And this book is real.It's one of the very best.But if you're new, and curious about buddhism, I highly recommend that you check out a Shambhala or any other kind of center in your area. I know about Shambhala, because that's been my affiliation for 35 years. They have talks, weekend workshops, all kinds of resources for new comers, and they will NOT reach out and try to grap you and get more money!OH -- important to say that when I say it's not for beginners, I do NOT mean to say that anyone is too stupid to understand it! Not at all, that's not the reason. The reason is that in reading about advanced rituals and other things before you have build up your own context in which to place them, you can injure your own steps toward buddhism, and really make a big mess, for yourself. You progress in the beginning is so important, you should treasure it.

This book is the initial portion of Gyatrul Rinpoche's commentary on a portion of Karma Chagme's 17th century text, "The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen." The 2nd volume is called, "A Spacious Path to Freedom." A related text (all 3 are translated by B. Alan Wallace) is entitled, "Natural Liberation" and is attributed to Padmasambhava. However, even the 3 together do not completely communicate the original text. Chokyi Rinpoche also wrote a small commentary on the original text entitled: "The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen." All 4 of these books are well worth reading. They are among the clearest and pithiest of currently available English translations of Mahamudra and Dzogchen texts and help one to not only understand their relationships, but more importantly to understand the underlying truths within them. Mahamudra is contended to be the highest teaching within the Kagyu tradition (among the 4 Tibetan Buddhist traditions). Dzogchen is similarly regarded for the Nyingma tradition. Thus, the original work can be said to address the very highest Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhist) teachings. It is obvious (even in translation) that Karma Chagme was a great, enlightened master. This may very well be the best of the 4 volumes cited above. It contains a wealth of material including Trekcho and Togal--the 2 primary Dzogchen practices. It is highly recommended.

One of the clearest and easily understood Dzogchen teachings, yet comprehensive and compassionate

Precise, clear and enriching for anyone looking for additional clarification on essential points!

perfect delivery

Precious pith instructions for practice by a realized master of Mahamudra and Dzogchen.

A book to be experienced and lived, clear concise words that point to what it is to simply be and the art of being.

"The Union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen by the 17th century adept Karma Chagme, is widely regarded as an unusually elegant synthesis of the leading Tibetan approaches to Buddhist meditation. Students and practitioners of meditation will be especially grateful to the Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche and his translator B. Alan Wallace for these ample and lucid elaborations of these instructions as they are traditionally taught."-- Matthew Kapstein, authorIn this classic 17th-century presentation of the union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, Karma Chagme, one of the great teachers of both these lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, begins with an overview of the spirit of awakening and the nature of actions and their ethical consequences. Next, drawing from his enormous erudition and profound experience, Karma Chagme gives exceptionally lucid instructions on the two phases of Dzogchen practice--the "Breakthrough" and the "Leap-over"--followed by an accessible introduction to the practice of the transference of consciousness at the time of death.The concluding chapters of this treatise present a detailed analysis of Mahamudra meditation in relation to Dzogchen practice. This tour de force of scholarly erudition and contemplative insight is made all the more accessible by the lively commentary of the contemporary Nyingma Lama, Gyatrul Rinpoche. Although this book stands alone, it is the concluding section of a single body of teachings by Karma Chagme, the earlier section published under the title A Spacious Path to Freedom.Karma Chagme was a major teacher of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and his writings have also become central to the Payul Nyingma order, making him an ideal figure to integrate these two great meditation systems.Born in 1925 and recognized as a reincarnation of the great Payul contemplative Sampa Kunkyap, Gyatrul Rinpoche was educated in Payul Dhomang Monastery in Eastern Tibet. Trained by renowned adepts, he spent much of his life in Tibet in meditative retreat. Since the early 1970's, Gyatrul Rinpoche has taught thousands of students in North America, where he has established several centers for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.B. Alan Wallace is a student of Gyaltrul Rinpoche and a seasoned scholar and translator of Buddhist texts.

It is very readable, warmly written. Although most readers will never reach the higher stages of this meditative practice, it is still useful to know, because it teaches the gradual steps. It sounds almost easy reading this text. Readers should know, you have to have genuine shamatha to be able to start on this path. Without having produced first shamatha, there is neither Dzogchen nor Mahamudra. It is also not enough to have some experience. You need the real thing.