Fri, 12 Jun 2009
Mahamudra and Devotion
What distinguishes mahamudra from other similar Buddhist paths is that mahamudra centers on devotion to the teacher through the practice of guru yoga. I know that the concept of devotion puts many people off because it has a cultish flavor. But devotion is simply the sincere admiration for the good qualities your teacher and the aspiration to develop the same qualities in yourself. I say sincere admiration because often admiration is only egotism in disguise: I am great because I have such a great teacher. The value of devotion is, first, that it's a virtuous frame of mind, and second that it encourages practice. According to abhidharma virtuous and unvirtuous mentl factors cannot exist in the same mental frame, so by cultivating devotion we temporarily subdue our mental afflictions. And devotion is easier to cultivate than impartial love or unselfish charity or other profound virtuous states. So devotion and the practice of mahamudra are the swift path to realization.
