"According to the teachings and tradition of Lord Gampopa's lineage, there are three classifications of mahamudra: (1) sutra mahamudra, (2) mantra mahamudra, and (3) essence mahamudra. Sutra mahamudra is
primarily based on the sutra teachings, and mantra Mahamudra primarily on the mantra teachings. Essence mahamudra draws from both sutra and mantra, and in this sense can be included within sutra and mantra mahamudra,
but is traditionally distinguished as the devotional path based on blessings."
* * *
"The ninth Karmapa composed over ten major treatises on philosophy and practice, including philosophical commentaries based on the works of the eighth Gyalwang Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje, such as on the Madhyamakavatara
and the Abhidharmakosha.
"Amongst all these texts, the ninth Karmapa is most renowned for his three instruction books on Mahamudra meditation:
Mahamudra: Pointing Out the Dharmakaya (Chos sku mdzub tshugs)
Mahamudra: Illuminating the Darkness of Ignorance (Ma rig mun sel)
Mahamudra: The Ocean of Definitive Meaning (
Nges don rgya mtsho)
"Illuminating the Darkness of Ignorance is a condensed version of the Ocean of Definitive Meaning. Pointing Out the Dharmakaya is a summary of Illuminating the Darkness of Ignorance
and is the shortest. These three texts have had a major, continuing impact on the teaching of Mahamudra.
"The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, the most extensive in length of the Karmapa's three texts on
Mahamudra, is exceptional for providing not only the general view and practices of Mahamudra, but also the rich methods of the oral instructions for realizing the nature of one's mind, enlightenment. By writing this
profound text, the ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, preserved and passed on many of the oral instructions of the Mahamudra lineage, a living tradition that continues to this day."
