The Real Meaning Of Mahamudra (大手印的意义)

For tantric practitioners, the word ‘mahamudra’ is a meditative practice belongs to the 4^th empowerment. If we were to translate ‘mahamudra’ to general term; then it would be the ‘great seal’.

In early 80’s, there were people in Taiwan and China who made some hand gestures and claimed that those hand gestures were ‘mahamudra’. Of course this sounds to be a joke these days. Perhaps a slap on their faces would be more appropriate to call the ‘great seal’.

Actually, the word ‘mahamudra’ refers to the meditative practice that simulates the process of dying according to ‘Tibetan Book Of The Dead’. After the dissolution of 5 elements, the life energy/wind moves into the central channel (中脉). At this point, the white bodhicitta (白菩提) representing the father element falls down from the crown chakra into the heart chakra and everything turns into white. After that the red bodhicitta (红菩提) representing the mother element rises from the base chakra into the heart chakra; everything transforms into red. Both of the red and white bodhicittas meet at the centre of the heart chakra and this is known as the ‘first primary luminosity’ (第一光明).

Holding into this first primary luminosity is the ultimate aim of every mahamudra practitioner as beyond this point, the environment would become dark as if during dusk. And when the environment turns into pitch dark, the decease’s consciousness will become dull and it falls into 3~4 days of deep sleep. Beyond this point, there is nothing a practitioner can do but to depend on others to perform other deliverance rituals to save him/her.

If one misses the union of red and white. The white bodhicitta would move downwards and exit the decease’s body through reproduction organ as yellowish liquid. Likewise, the red bodhicitta exits through one’s nose, mouth ears or eyes as yellowish liquid.

At this point if a practitioner is observant, then he/she can recollect the deceased’s bodhicittas into his/her own heart chakra and perform the  ‘slow phowa’ (慢颇瓦) method; that too will save the deceased’s soul from the torment of going through the intermediate state (中有).

The duration of ‘first luminosity’ varies depending on each individual. It is somewhere between a flash of lightning for a person with bad karma to 7 days for a mahamudra practitioner. Generally speaking, for average person; the duration is about 10 minutes or enough for a person to eat a bowl of rice.

Let’s return to the discussion of mahamudra: Basically mahamudra practitioners try to force their life force energy into their central channels using vase breathing techniques. This will produce the near death experience and through repetitive exercises; the practitioner will master of the best timing when his own pure light unite with the pure light of the universe. It is through this union of lights that a practitioner achievers ‘liberation’ from reincarnation.