Mahasiddha Practice: From Mitrayogin and Other Masters

Book

Mahāsiddha Practice, the sixteenth volume of Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye's The Treasury of Precious Instructions (gdams ngag rin po che'i mdzod), presents a selection of teachings and practices (40 texts) centered on the mahāsiddhas, Indian tantric masters. The mahāsiddha Mitrayogin, whose work forms the majority of this volume, visited Tibet in the late twelfth century. His ritual texts along with instructions are here translated from Tibetan, including sādhanas, empowerments, guru yogas, authorization rituals for protector deities, and detailed compositions on Mahāmudrā practice, or resting in the nature of mind. In addition to instructions given by mahāsiddhas, this volume includes ritual practices to visualize them and transmit their blessings, beginning with a devotional text composed by Jamgön Kongtrul himself. (Source Accessed Feb. 25, 2022). You can access the Tibetan texts translated in this book here.

Citation	Gethin, Stephen (Padmakara Translation Group), trans. Mahāsiddha Practice: From Mitrayogin and Other Masters. Vol. 16 of The Treasury of Precious Instructions: Essential Teachings of the Eight Practice Lineages of Tibet (gdams ngag rin po che'i mdzod), compiled by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Taye ('jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas). Tsadra Foundation Series. Boulder, CO: Snow Lion, 2021.

Foreword by the Seventeenth Karmapa ix
Series Introduction xi
Translator’s Introduction xv
Technical Note xxi

Part One: The Eight Great Chariots of the Practice Lineage
1. The Source of All Blessings, Accomplishments, and Qualities 3

Part Two: The Eighty-Four Mahāsiddhas
2. The Stream of Accomplishment 49
3. The Source of Accomplishments 99
4. Collecting the Essence Drops of Accomplishment
5. A Precious Necklace 165

Part Three: Mitrayogin’s Empowerments and Authorization Rituals for the Six Deities
6. A River of Great Compassion 213
7. An Offering Arrangement for the Empowerment Ritual of Noble Avalokiteshvara, “The Glowing Jewel,” together with the Revelation of the Mandala 249
8. Authorization Ritual for Lord Mañjughoṣha 257
9. A Mine of Blessings: Authorization Ritual for Lord Vajrapāṇi
10. Authorization Ritual for Lord Amitāyus 279
11. Authorization Ritual for Tārā 289
12. Authorization Ritual for Noble Jambhala 295
13. Routing the Hordes of Obstacle Makers 305

Part Four: Mitrayogin’s Instructions on the Practices of the Six Deities
14. Vajra Verses on the Graded Path of Avalokiteshvara
15. A Stream of Nectar 319
16. A Banquet of Nectar 351
17. The Luminous Golden Wand of Pith Instructions
18. The Wheel of Ornaments of Gnosis That Makes Wisdom Grow 401
19. The Spreading Rays of Light That Vanquish the Hordes of Demons 417
20. Accomplishing the Immortal Vajra Body 439
21. Liberation from the Perilous Path of Samsara 455
22. A Shower of Accomplishments 471
23. Ocean of Blessings 485
24. Sādhana of the Dharma Protector Draklha Gönpo

Part Five: Mitrayogin’s Mahāmudrā Instructions
25. Resting in the Nature of One’s Own Mind 499
26. The Quintessence 505
27. Correlations between the Root Verses of the Great Seal Text Resting in the Nature of Mind and the Scriptural Sources in the Sutras and Tantras 535
28. Notes on Resting in the Nature of Mind
29. Nectarous Moonbeams 569
30. The Nectarous Light of the Words of the Teacher 573
31. A Prayer to the Lineage Teachers of Resting in the Nature of Mind in the Places Associated with Them 589
32. A Supplement for the Visualization of the Lineage Teachers in the Guru Yoga 595
33. Thirty Verses Expressing Realization 599
34. An Explanation of the Words of the Vajra Song Thirty Verses Expressing Realization 605
35. Three Essential Introductions: A Pith Instruction That Is Like Distilled Ambrosia
36. Cherished Essence: The Most Precious Pith Instruction, Also Called The Three-by-Three Pith Instruction 627
37. The Root Vajra Verses of the Pith Instruction on the Three Quintessential Points 635
38. Bestowal of the Supreme Blessings 639
39. The Chariot of Supreme Accomplishment 643
40. An Essential Recitation Text for the Daily Practice of Mitrayogin’s Tradition of the Great Compassionate One’s Direct Instructions 651

Appendix 655
Abbreviations 661
Notes 663
Bibliography 689
Index 697

40 texts representing the complete volume 16 of the gdams ngag rin po che'i mdzod.