Home > Society > Religion in India > Stages in Mahamudra
Stages in Mahamudra
Stages in Mahamudra comprises of causal-time Mahamudra and resultant-time Mahamudra. This distinction is made according to Secret Mantra.

Share this Article:

Stages in MahamudraMahamudra meditation which is a body of teachings can be explained according to the completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. According to Secret Mantra, Mahamudra is the union of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness. According to Secret Mantra, Mahamudra is divided into two stages: causal-time Mahamudra and resultant-time Mahamudra.

Causal-time is the time spent on the path leading to full enlightenment. It is for this reason that the causal-time Mahamudra is the Mahamudra practised before the attainment of Buddhahood. Resultant-time Mahamudra is the Union of No More Learning, which is the actual state of Buddhahood.

Causal-time Mahamudra is further divided into two successive stages: the Mahamudra that is the amalgamation of spontaneous great bliss and emptiness and the Mahamudra that is the union of the two truths. The first union takes place when the subjective mind of spontaneous great bliss recognizes emptiness as its object. This emptiness is regarded as same in both Sutra and Secret Mantra. The only thing that differs is the mind realizing this emptiness. It is the subjective mind of spontaneous great bliss that makes Secret Mantra meditation superior to Sutra meditation. For the attainment of complete enlightenment one needs to realize the emptiness with the mind.

The spontaneous great bliss can be experienced only when with the force of meditation one can cause the winds to enter and dissolve within the central channel. As a result of this action the white drop melts and flows through the central channel. This form of realising the emptiness through the spontaneous great bliss was essentially practised by the great Secret Mantra Masters of ancient India such as Saraha, Nagarjuna, Tilopa, Naropa, and Maitripa.

The second stage of causal-time Mahamudra is the Mahamudra that is the union of the two truths: the conventional and the ultimate. Here the pure illusory body is known as conventional truth. Combining these two truths within one person`s field is known as the Mahamudra. This Mahamudra is known as the the union of bliss and emptiness. Causal-time Mahamudra therefore contains both a cause and a result. Through the force of accomplishing this two-stage causal-time Mahamudra we will attain the resultant-time Mahamudra, or actual Buddhahood possessing the seven pre-eminent qualities of embrace. This concludes the explanation of the general paths of Secret Mantra.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in Religion in India

Religion in Indus Valley Civilization
Religion in Indus Valley Civilisation included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Details about the religion in Indus Valley Civilization have been gathered from archaeological artefacts.
Shaivism Religion
Shaivism is the second largest “religious community” in modern India with its roots deeply seated in the Hindu Vedic belief.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is among the more popular denominations of Hinduism, with its own distinctive ideas about spirituality and morality. Vaishnavism concentrates on worshipping god Vishnu and of his incarnations.
Hinduism Religion
Hinduism is more of a philosophy which is a way of living according to the understanding of the principles of Vedas and Upanishads.
Islam
Islam is a religion that beliefs in Allah as the one and only God and creator of the Universe. Islamic law or Sharia is characterised by the five pillars of Islam which comprise the essential duties of every Muslim.
Christianity
Christianity is a religion based on the teachings and life of Jesus Christ and it is the largest religion in the world.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and a philosophy that encompasses a wide variety of beliefs, practices and traditions that are chiefly based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha and its later disciples.
Jainism
Jainism chronologically preceded the religion of Buddhism. It is considered as one of the oldest religions of India. Jainism in India shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. It is an integral part of South Asian religious belief and practice, but it is not a Hindu sect and not a Buddhist heresy, as earlier scholars believed.
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism, closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam was founded by Zoroaster.
Sikhism
Sikhism is a religion started by Guru Nanak in land of Punjab in 15th century A.D.
Iyer Brahmin
Iyer Brahmins are originally from Tamil Nadu of South India. The Iyers have always taken an interest in preserving the arts and sciences.
Barai Caste
Barai Caste is the professional cultivator caste of betel leaf. Tamboli and Pansari are the terms used indifferently to the people of Barai Caste. The diversity of names of the sub-divisions of Barai Caste highlights the mixed elements that formed the caste.
Dangi Caste
Dangi Caste is largely distributed in the high land regions, and the word Dangi is said to have originated from the geographical features of their territory. Main occupation of the members of Dangi Caste is cultivation.
Nadar Caste
One of the most renowned castes of Tamil Nadu is the Nadar caste. The Nadar community is a mixture of sub-castes and classes of different origins, which came under one banner of Nadar caste gradually.
Kumbhakar Caste
Kumbhakar is the potter caste who manufactures all kinds of earthen vessels.
Gujjars in Maharashtra
Gujjars in Maharashtra have several sub-castes. Here, in this state the Gurjars are listed as a separate caste. They are included in the Maharashtra OBC list.
Awasthi Brahmin
Awasthi is a surname or a family name of a particular sub-caste of Brahmins in the Indian continent.
Bhoyar Caste
Bhoyar Caste is largely found in the Central Provinces of the country. Traditional occupation of Bhoyars is agriculture. They are good cultivators and mostly grow sugarcane.
Gujjars in Mughal Era
Gujjars in the Mughal era enjoyed great power. Further their power increased with the decline of Aurangzeb, Mughal emperor.
Origin of Vaishnavism
Origin of Vaishnavism shares its attributes to many sources and religious evolution, dating back to pre-Vedic epoch.
Gotra in Hinduism
In Hinduism, gotra refers to a lineage system tracing descent from ancient sages, primarily through the paternal line. Originating from Vedic tradition, it plays a crucial role in identity and marriage customs. Individuals from the same gotra are considered to share a common ancestor and are traditionally prohibited from intermarrying.