Five-fold Profound Path of Mahamudra Of the Glorious Drigung Kagyu Lineage In the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Mahamudra or the "Great Seal" is considered the essence of the Buddhas' teachings. It is also sometimes referred to as the highest and most profound teaching of the Buddhas. This Mahamudra is sometimes compared to Dzogchen ("Great Completeness") — the essence of the Buddhas' teachings according to the Nyingma lineage. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of figures in the history of Tibetan Buddhism who taught the synthesis or union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Others mastered both but taught them separately to different students as they saw fit. There are yet others — in the majority — who focused on mastering either Dzogchen or Mahamudra.

The Mahamudra lineage can be traced according to the "far-lineage" as well as the "near-lineage." The "far-lineage" is traced from the current holders of this profound lineage back all the way to the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The "near-lineage" on the other hand is traced from the current holders back to the Indian mahasiddhas such as Saraha, Maitripa, Tilopa and Naropa who received Mahamudra teachings directly from Buddha Vajradhara. However, it should be pointed out that although these Indian mahasiddhas received Mahamudra teachings directly from Buddha Vajradhara (and hence is part of the "near-lineage") they are also holders of the "far-lineage" as they also received Mahamudra teachings from human teachers who were holders of this "far-lineage." Hence, the Mahamudra lineages that are currently held by the various Kagyu lineages are both of the "far" as well as "near" lineages. It should be pointed out that Mahamudra lineages are also found in the Gelug tradition as several past masters of this tradition also received Mahamudra instructions from holders of the Mahamudra in the Kagyu tradition. This lineage of the Mahamudra is known as the "Gelug-Kagyu Mahamudra" lineage — sometimes translated as the "Gelug Whispered Mahamudra" or he "Gelug Oral Mahamudra" lineage.

Most of Kagyu Mahamudra lineages stem from the Mahamudra teachings that were given by Gampopa (1079-1153) to his students. Gampopa himself received Mahamudra from his root-teacher Milarepa (1052-1135) who in turn received it from his root-teacher Marpa (1012-1096). Marpa was a Tibetan who traveled to India and Nepal and received many teachings from the Indian mahasiddhas — the most important being Naropa and Maitripa who transmitted to Marpa the complete Mahamudra ground, path and fruition. Gampopa himself combined the profound teachings of Mahamudra with the graduated approach of practice as taught by the Kadam tradition. The Indian pandit Atisha founded the Kadam tradition in Tibet. Gampopa was a monk in the Kadam tradition before he became Milarepa's disciple. Although there are many scholarly debates in Tibetan Buddhist history over the status and types of Mahamudra, Gampopa seemed to have mainly advocated two possible approaches to Mahamudra. According to Gampopa, Mahamudra can be approached via the way of sutra as well as via the way of tantra. Hence, there is sutra-Mahamudra and tantra-Mahamudra. Sometimes it is said that Gampopa also taught a third approach to Mahamudra which is neither sutra-based nor tantra-based.

From Gampopa onwards, many different Mahamudra lineages began to crystallize according to the different styles of Mahamudra taught by Gampopa and his spiritual descendents. Some of the Mahamudra traditions that can be traced back to Gampopa or his descendents are the tradition of "Simultaneous Production and Union," the "Six Equal Tastes," the "Four Letters" and the "Fivefold Profound Path." These traditions are still upheld by the four surviving Kagyu lineages (Karma, Taglung, Drukpa and Drigung Kagyu).

In the Drigung Kagyu, the main Mahamudra system is that known as the "Fivefold Profound Path of Mahamudra" or also known as the "Possessing Five." Although Gampopa himself also taught this particular approach of Mahamudra, its name was given by his successor Phagmo Drupa (1110-1170) who was the root-teacher of the founder of the Drigung Kagyu, Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon. Although this system of the Five-fold Profound Path is chiefly held by Drigung Kagyupas, Phagmo Drupa himself also authored a text on this system known as "Verses on the Fivefold Path." Masters of Trophu Kagyu (this particular Kagyu lineage no longer survive as an independent lineage) and Taglung Kagyu have also written on this particular system. Gyalwa Yang Gonpa, a teacher of the Drukpa Kagyu wrote the "Drop of Nectar: the Fivefold Path." The Omniscient Pema Garpo of the Drukpa Kagyu also wrote about this system in his "Kernel of Mind." Situ Chokyi Jungne also wrote extensive commentaries on the Fivefold Profound Path. In his "Preface" to Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche's book "The Garland of Mahamudra Practices," (a translation of Gyalwang Kunga Rinchen's [1475-1527] "Clarifying the Jewel Rosary of the Fivefold Profound Path.") His Holiness Drigung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche points out that these days those who rely on this system mostly follow the commentaries given by Drigung Dharmakirti. Many other Drigung Kagyu teachers of the past also wrote extensive commentaries on this system of the Mahamudra. It goes without saying that Kyobpa Rinpoche himself also wrote several texts and many songs on this subject.

According to this system then, the five "folds" of this profound path of Mahamudra are

bodhicitta — the altruistic intention of liberating all sentient beings from samsara,

yidam — practice of visualizing oneself as a supremely enlightened being,

guru-yoga — seeking union with the wisdom-mind of the Teacher,

mahamudra — actual engagement of Mahamudra and finally,

dedication — perfect dedication of one's virtues.

Before one can begin to engage in the practices laid out in this system, one first needs to focus on the foundational practices. Practice of the first "fold" assumes the prior completion of what is known as the "foundational practices" (Tib. ngondro). These foundational practices are divided into the outer and inner. The outer foundational practices refer to the "Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind" taught by Gampopa. These are establishing in one's mental-continuum the four realizations of

the good fortune of obtaining a precious human birth,

the universality of impermanence,

the infallible workings of cause and effect and

the nature of samsara as unsatisfactoriness.

After a firm foundation on these four thoughts has been established in one's mental-continuum, one can begin to engage in the inner foundational practices.

These are:

going for refuge which confirms and establishes one's commitment to the Triple Jewel,

Vajrasattva purification practice for the eradication of one's negative karma and karmic imprints,

mandala-offering for the profound accumulation of merit necessary for attainment of complete Buddhahood and

guru-yoga for the inspiration-blessings of the root and lineage teachers.

Only after these practices have been "completed" (100,000 practices of each of the four) does one properly begin the first fold of the Five-fold Profound Path — bodhicitta.

Regarding bodhicitta, Kyobpa Rinpoche sang in one of his many vajra-songs:

"If the steed of love and compassion

Does not run for the benefit of others,

It will not be rewarded in the assembly of gods and humans.

Attend therefore to the preliminaries."