Sounds of Innate Freedom: The Indian Texts of Mahamudra, Volume 3 (3)

The third volume in a historic six-volume series containing many of the first English translations of the classic mahamudra literature compiled by the Seventh Karmapa. Sounds of Innate Freedom: The Indian Texts of Mahamudra are historic volumes containing many of the first English translations of the classic mahamudra literature. The texts and songs in these volumes constitute the large compendium called The Indian Texts of the Mahamudra of Definitive Meaning , compiled by the Seventh Karmapa Chötra Gyatso (1456–1539). Translated, introduced, and annotated by Karl Brunnhölzl, acclaimed senior teacher at the Nalandabodhi community of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, the collection offers a brilliant window into the richness of the vast ocean of Indian mahamudra texts cherished in all Tibetan lineages, particularly in the Kagyu tradition, giving us a clear view of the sources of one of the world’s great contemplative traditions. This third volume contains twenty-four texts, the bulk of which are dohas by Saraha and commentaries on them, as well as works by other renowned Indian Buddhist mahasiddhas such as Naropa, Krsna, and Sakyasribhadra. The extensive commentaries brilliantly unravel enigmas and bring clarity to the songs they comment on as well as to many other songs of realization in the series. These expressive songs of the inexpressible offer readers a feast of profound and powerful pith instructions uttered by numerous male and female mahasiddhas, yogis, and dakinis, often in the context of ritual ganacakras and initially kept in their secret treasury. Displaying a vast range of themes, styles, and metaphors, they all point to the single true nature of the mind—mahamudra—in inspiring ways and from different angles, using a dazzling array of skillful means to penetrate the sole vital point of buddhahood being found nowhere but within our own mind. Reading and singing these songs of mystical wonder, bliss, and ecstatic freedom and contemplating their meaning will open doors to spiritual experience for us today just as it has for countless practitioners in the past. "A paragraph on the series: Sounds of Innate Freedom: The Indian Texts of Mahāmudrā is an historic five -volume series containing many of the first English translations of the classic mahāmudrā literature. The texts and songs in these volumes are excerpted from the large compendium of texts called The Indian Texts of the Mahāmudrā of Definitive Meaning, compiled by the Seventh Karmapa, Chötra Gyatso (1456-1539). In its modern Tibetan edition, this collection consists of five volumes containing seven kinds of texts: the Anāvilatantra (as a tantric source of Mahāmudrā attributed to the Buddha himself) and its commentary, songs of realization (dohā, caryāgīti, and vajragīti), commentaries on songs of realization and other texts, independent tantric treatises, nontantric treatises, edifying stories, and doxographies (presenting hierarchies of different Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophical systems). The collection offers a brilliant window into the richness of this vast ocean of Indian Mahāmudrā texts in the Kagyü tradition, as well as a clear view of the sources of one of the world's great contemplative traditions. It is for meant for anyone who appreciates Buddhist literature and Buddhist tantric practice. Reading these songs and texts that express the inexpressible and contemplating their meaning in meditation will open doors to experience, and possibly even awakening, just as they did for practitioners in the past. Description of volume 5: Volume 5 most closely follows Luminous Melodies and contains the most versified songs of realization, consisting of dohās (couplets), vajragītis (vajra songs), and caryāgītis (conduct songs), all luminously expressing the inexpressible, as well as commentary. The dohā lineage in tantric Buddhism began when Saraha (known as "the Great Brahmin") started singing songs of realization to his disciples: the royal family and the people of the kingdom. Since then, the great Mahāmudrā siddhas have continued to express their realization and instructions to their disciples in pithy songs composed and sung spontaneously. These songs display a vast range of styles, themes, and metaphors-providing readers a feast offering of profound pith instructions of great power that were uttered by numerous male and female mahasiddhas, siddhas, yogīs, and ḍākinīs, often in the context of gaṇacakras and initially kept in their secret treasury. This volume can stand on its own, at the same time as it provides a taste of the entire collection, offering a window into the richness of this vast ocean of Indian Mahāmudrā texts in the Kagyü tradition. The majority of songs and their commentaries are translated for the first time into English by Karl Brunnhölzl, brilliantly capturing the wordplay, mystical wonder, bliss, and ecstatic sense of freedom expressed by awakened Mahāmudra masters of India such as Saraha, Lūhipa, Kṛṣṇa (alias Kāṇhapa), Jaganmitrānanda (alias Mitrayogī), Virūpa, Tilopa, Nāropa, Maitrīpa, Nāgārjuna, the female mahāsiddhas princess Lakṣmīṃkarā, and Ḍombiyoginī, as well as many otherwise unknown figures of this rich Buddhist tradition. Karl Brunnhölzl's learned and lucid introduction situates the songs in their social, religious, and literary context. Mahāmudrā refers to perfect buddhahood in a single instant, the omnipresent essence of all phenomena that is nondual and devoid of all obscurations. Reading these songs that express the inexpressible and contemplating their meaning in meditation will open doors to experience, and possibly even awakening, just as they did for practitioners in the past. For besides the officially recognized mahāsiddhas, there were many other varieties of practitioners, and many lived and taught outside of the framework of institutionalized Buddhism in their time-evidence that the teachings and the path of mahāmudrā are accessible to and can be practiced by anyone from any walk of life, whether a king, a servant in a brothel, or a housewife, often without having to renounce their day jobs"-- Provided by publisher The first volume in an historic and noteworthy 6-volume series containing many of the first English translations of the classic mahamudra literature compiled by the Seventh Karmapa. Sounds of Innate Freedom: The Indian Texts of Mahamudra is an historic six-volume series containing many of the first English translations of classic Mahamudra literature. The texts and songs in these volumes constitute the large compendium called The Indian Texts of the Mahamudra of Definitive Meaning , compiled by the Seventh Karmapa, Chötra Gyatso (1456–1539). Mahamudra refers to perfect buddhahood in a single instant, the omnipresent essence of mind, nondual and free of obscuration. This collection offers a brilliant window into the richness of the vast ocean of Indian Mahamudra texts, many cherished in all Tibetan lineages, particularly in the Kagyü tradition, giving us a clear view of the sources of one of the world's great contemplative traditions. This first volume in publication contains the majority of songs of realization, consisting of dohas (couplets), vajragitis (vajra songs), and caryagitis (conduct songs), all lucidly expressing the inexpressible. These songs offer readers a feast of profound and powerful pith instructions uttered by numerous male and female mahasiddhas, yogis, and dakinis, often in the context of ritual ganacakras and initially kept in their secret treasury. Displaying a vast range of themes, styles, and metaphors , they all point to the single true nature of the mind—mahamudra—in inspiring ways and from different angles, using a dazzling array of skillful means to penetrate the sole vital point of buddhahood being found nowhere but within our own mind. The beautifully translated texts brilliantly capture the wordplay, mystical wonder, bliss, and ecstatic sense of freedom expressed by awakened Mahamudra masters of India. It includes works by Saraha, Mitrayogi, Virupa, Tilopa, Naropa, Maitripa, Nagarjuna, the female mahasiddhas princess Laksmimkara and Dombiyogini, and otherwise unknown awakened figures of this rich tradition. Reading and singing these songs that convey the inconceivable and contemplating their meaning in meditation will open doors to spiritual experience for us today just as it has for countless practitioners in the past.