More than Mindfulness—Mindless Mahāmudrā with Mitra Dean Karl Brunnhölzl Part II

Please Note: This is the second talk in a series on Mahamudra by Mitra Dean Karl Brunnhölzl. When you register for this talk you will receive an email with links to recordings of the first talks and the Zoom link for this upcoming talk.

Languages

This talk will be in English with French and Spanish translation available.

Mahamudra Meditation

“Meditation” does not mean meditating on something; rather, it means to become familiar with the nature of our mind. (Milarepa)

“Let your mind be in its uncontrived natural state, evenly and free of effort, like a great garuḍa soaring in the sky.” (Mahāmudrā Without Letters)

In this second talk in a series exploring the meaning of Mahāmudrā (explained as “the gift of pleasure” in one of Nāropa’s texts), we will focus on the mahāsiddha Saraha’s fourfold pith instructions on Mahāmudrā. These are called

(1) “minding” (or “mindfulness”),

(2) “nonminding” (“mindlessness”),

(3) “unborn,” and

(4) “beyond mind”

These appear in several of his dohās (songs of realization).

The practice of Mahāmudrā provides us with tools to directly click in to the spontaneously present clarity and vast openness of our own buddha mind. In Mahāmudrā shamatha, we familiarize with this through resting the mind in its natural state, which is open, spacious, and relaxed, yet very vibrant. In Mahāmudrā vipashyana, we take a closer look at the mind when it rests in such a way and also when it starts moving and experiences external and internal objects.

By engaging in these profound practices with a genuine sense of trust in our own buddha nature and the teachers that point it out to us, the birth of unborn mind—the warm and all-pervasive glow of emptiness with a heart of compassion—can become a direct experience.

About The Teacher

Mitra Karl was born in Munich, Germany, and originally trained as a physician before becoming a Buddhist translator and teacher. After  completing five-years of training in Buddhist philosophy, he went on to receive Buddhist and Tibetan language training, as well as study Tibetology, Buddhology, and Sanskrit. In 1989, Karl began serving as a translator, interpreter, and Buddhist teacher in Europe, India, and Nepal. He is the author and translator of several Buddhist books, including The Center of the Sunlit Sky, The Heart Attack Sutra, and A Lullaby to Awaken the Heart.

Mitra Karl first met Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche in 1986 during Rinpoche’s first European teaching tour. He served as Rinpoche’s personal translator during his tours in Europe from 1999 to 2005. In 2021, Karl moved back to Germany where he currently works as a Tibetan and Sanskrit translator.

Mitra Dean Karl supervises Nalandabodhi’s Path of Study courses, leads Path of Study classes, presents weekend courses and open house talks, offers teachings to practice communities, and provides personal guidance as a Practice Instructor. He also teaches weekend seminars and courses at Nalandabodhi centers in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Mitra Karl is especially enthusiastic about the teachings on Mahamudra, Dzogchen, Yogacara, Buddha Nature, and the doha (songs of realization) tradition. Currently, Karl is focused on translating the collection of Indian Mahamudra texts compiled by the Seventh Karmapa, which includes the vast majority of songs of realization in the Tibetan canon.

For questions about this event email help@nalandabodhi.org.