Boundless Wisdom: A Mahamudra Practice Manual

by Shamar Rinpoché, Martina Draszczyk (Editor)

This book offers precise guidelines for meditation. In it, Shamar Rinpoche extracts the meditation-oriented teachings from Moonlight of Mahamudra, a comprehensive treatise on the practice of Kagyu Mahamudra composed by Dagpo Tashi Namgyal, a renowned sixteenth-century master of the Kagyu tradition. Shamar Rinpoche produced this book in order to compile a written manual for his students, which incorporates teachings and transmissions that he gave on the source text in the 1990s. He provided new explanations for the final manuscript and continued refining it up until close to his death in 2014.

Shamar Rinpoche, Mipham Chokyi Lodro (1952–2014), was the 14th Shamarpa. Born in Derge, Tibet, Shamar Rinpoche was recognized by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa in 1957 and by the 14th Dalai Lama. He was an accomplished Buddhist master and teacher, respected and cherished by many students of Buddhism the world over. In one of his last interviews, Shamar Rinpoche said that things would change because everything and everyone is subject to impermanence. He encouraged his students to focus on their spiritual practice and emphasized that the cure to the suffering associated with change is within oneself. Meditation, he said, is the natural antidote to all delusion and ignorance. Boundless Wisdom: A Mahamudra Practice Manual was one of the important and precious instructional texts that he authored with these sentiments in mind.

A preface to this book was written by Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. In this letter, Karmapa highlights the extraordinary depth of Shamar Rinpoche’s knowledge of the Buddha Dharma, and the way in which he was able to put it into almost any context that was understandable and engageable for all of us.

Also featured is a short Mahamudra prayer by Shamar Rinpoche, handwritten by him in Tibetan and translated into English. The editor and translator for this book, Tina Draszczyk, was a longtime student of Shamar Rinpoche, who received guidance and inspiration from him for over thirty years.

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2018

About the author

SHAMAR RINPOCHE was born in 1952 in Eastern Tibet to the elder brother of the late 16th Karmapa. He was recognized as a reincarnation of the Shamarpa by the 16th Karmapa, and confirmed by the 14th Dalai Lama. The Shamarpa lineage is the second-oldest reincarnate lineage in Tibetan Buddhism and dates back to the 13th century. Historically, during the life of the 10th Shamarpa, the 18th century Emperor Qianlong of China imposed a law to ban the continuation of the Shamarpa institution, due to the 10th Shamarpa’s allying with the Nepalese government when the emperor was attacking Nepal.

According to this history, the present 14th Shamarpa is the 11th throne holder. The present day Shamar Rinpoche was enthroned in 1965 by the 16th Karmapa in Sikkim. He had a Buddhist education in Sikkim and, since age 29, has been teaching worldwide. In addition, he has founded several non-profit organizations worldwide engaged in charitable activities such as schooling underprivileged children and promoting animal rights.

Reviews

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like to give it 5 stars but I have to say I don't understand 2nd part of the book, the mahamudra meditation. Without disrespect to Shamar Rinpoche, whom I learned a lot from, I need to deduct one star. As for the first part, this is most concise and clear instructions & advice on meditation that I've ever read.

I don't feel lacking about missing the 2nd part because I believe I am on the path to awakening (pun intended from Rinpoche's other book) and being not on the level of mahamudra meditation means there is a lot that I need to work on. Judging from clear disposition throughout the book, I have high confidence that someone whom is on mahamudra meditation will find it valuable in the 2nd part as much as I find it valuable in regular meditation from the 1st part of the book.

[Jampa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book profoundly helpful. The detailed instructions and explanations on foundational meditation practices in the early chapters are indispensible, as well as the second half of the book focusing on Mahamudra. I found the “How to verify if the level has been attained?” extremely helpful. I think something many practitioners might wonder how to verify. Perhaps not that they’re enlightened but if we are practicing accordingly to the instructions given or studied, and developing as practitioners. Highly recommend this wonderful manual. Will revisit again and again. Cheers!

[Everett Grandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

straight or broken

wisdom is always linear it is corporeal intellect that attempts to break its resonance by grasping at ungraspable...relax need to be analytically extreme and just go with flow of emotion revealed in your... isness... turn these pages

[Rick Hoines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and consise instructions

For serious Vajrayana practices looking to expand and continue their practice after finishing Ngondro.
The advice and practices given in the text require both a qualified teacher and supportive sangha to help the student along the path.