Mahamudra Teachings of the Supreme Siddhas
The author, the Eight Situpa Tenpa'i Nyinchay, was the most accomplished of all the Situ emanations. He established the seat of the Situ line at Palpung in 1727, and founded the famous printing house of Derge that produced an edition of the Kangyur and Tangyur, which he also edited. Out of his vast knowledge of practice and ritual has grown the entire Palpung system that has flourished in tandem with the Tsurpu system in the Karrna Kagyu school over the past two hundred and fifty years. His collected writings fill many volumes.
The Third Gyalwa Karmapa RangJung Dorje, was a central figure in both the Kagyu and Nyingtik traditions of Tibet. He was a highly renowned practitioner of mahamudra and secret mantra, famous for taking rebirth from his previous incarnation as Karma Pakshi without even a moment's loss of awareness.This book presents all of the stages of instruction on the path of rnahamudra. It is a concise and complete teaching with formal instructions on the ground, path and fruition of mahamudra practice. The eighth Situpa was a remarkable scholar and practitioner and his commentary is both vast and profound.

Mahamudra Teachings of the Supreme Siddhas, Eighth Tai Situpa, Snow Lion Publications, 1995, 208 Pages, Paperback, $19.95

The Eighth Situpa Tenpa'i Nyinchay was the most accomplished of all the Situ emanations. He established the seat of the Situ line at Palpung in 1727, and founded the famous printing house of Derge that produced an edition of the Kangyur and Tangyur, which he also edited. Out of his vast knowledge of practice and ritual has grown the entire Palpung system that has flourished in tandem with the Tsurpu system in the Karma Kagyu school over the past two hundred and fifty years. His collected writings fill many volumes. The Third Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Dorje was a central figure in both the Kagyu and Nyingtik traditions of Tibet. He was a highly renowned practitioner of Mahamudra and Secret Mantra, famous for taking rebirth from his previous incarnation as Karma Pakshi, without even a moment's loss of awareness.

	Contents: Mahamudra Teachings of the Supreme Siddhas, by The 8th Tai Situpa
	Foreword	9
	Preface	11
	Introduction by Ven. Khenchen Trangu Rinpoche	15
	The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra of Definitive Meaning: Root Verses, by the Third Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje	21
	Teachings of the Supreme Siddhas, by the Eighth Tai Situpa, Tenpa'i Nyinchay
I.	PREPARATION FOR THE ASPIRATION PRAYER (VERSE 1)	30
II.	THE MAIN BODY OF THE PRAYER	31
	A. General Dedication of Merit Towards Perfect Enlightenment (VERSE 2)	31
	B. Specific Components of the Aspiration Prayer	35
	1. Aspiration for an Outstanding Support for the Path	35
	a. Common Aspiration for an Outstanding Support for the Path (VERSE 3)	35
	b. Uncommon Aspiration for an Outstanding Support for the Path (VERSE 4)	36
	2. Aspiration for Prajna That Understands the Path (VERSE 5)	41
	a. Prajna That Arises from Study	42
	b. Prajna That Arises from Reflection	43
	c. Prajna That Arises from Meditation	44
	d. A Condensed Version of These Three Aspiration Prayers	46
	3. Aspiration for the Path That Is Not Mistaken (VERSE 6)	46
	a. The Poles of Existence and Nonexistence	47
	b. The Extremes of Embellishment and Discredit	49
	c. The Limits of Conditioned Existence and Serenity	50
	d. Summary Aspiration for the Path That Neither Errs nor Misleads	51
	4. Aspiration for Putting the Path into Practice Correctly	51
	a. Concise Discussion of What Must Be Understood (VERSE 7)	51
	i. The Ground Where Purification Takes Place	52
	ii. The Yoga That Effects Purification	54
	iii The Stains to Be Purified	59
	iv. The Result That Is Attained Through Purification	59
	b. The Meditation That Is to Be Practiced	60
	i. Brief Explanation of the Meditation That Is to Be Practiced (VERSE 8)	60
	ii. Extensive Explanation of the Meditation That Is to Be Practiced	61
	A'. How to Cut Off Embellishments of the Ground with the View	61
	1'. Brief Treatment (VERSE 9)	61
	2'. Expanded Treatment	61
	a'. Resolving That Perceptible Objects Are Mind (VERSE 10)	62
	i'. Explicit Topic	62
	aa'. How the Mistaken Duality of Subject and Object Arises	62
	bb'. How That Impels Circulation Within Samsara	66
	cc'. The Need for Exposing the Hidden Recesses of That Confusion	67
	ii'. Implicit Topic	67
	b'. Gaining Conviction That Mind Has No Self-Nature	70
	i'. Abandoning the Limitation of Existing or Not Existing (VERSE 11)	71
	ii'. Abandoning the Limitations of Being or Not Being Something (VERSE 12)	75
	c'. How the Unity of Emptiness and Interdependence Is Not Paradoxical (VERSE 13)	77
	d'. The Need for Investigation with Discerning Prajna to Sever Embellished Claims About the Ground (VERSE 14)	78
	B'. How to Achieve Certitude, Through Meditation, About the Meaning of Severing All Embellished Claims About the Ground	79
	1'. Concise Explanation (VERSE 15)	79
	a'. How to Begin Meditation	79
	b'. How to Rest Steadily	81
	i'. The Pertinent Points of Body	81
	ii'. The Pertinent Points of Mind	82
	c'. How to Sustain That State	87
	2'. Expanded Explanation	87
	a'. Yogas of Serene Abiding and Higher Insight	87
	i'. Serene Abiding (VERSE 16)	88
	ii'. Higher Insight	92
	aa'. Main Explanation (VERSE 17)	92
	bb'. Severing the Root (VERSE 18)	95
	iii'. Yoga of Unified Serene Abiding and Higher Insight, with a List of Synonymous Terms	97
	aa'. Main Explanation (VERSE 19)	97
	bb'. Additional Discussion of How the Two Are Unified	104
	b'. How They Give Rise to Experiences and Realization	108
	i'. How Experiences Occur (VERSE 20)	109
	ii'. How Realization Occurs (VERSE 21)	111
	c'. The Practice of Unified Compassion and Emptiness	114
	i'. Identifying Compassion (VERSE 22)	115
	ii'. How It Is United with Emptiness (VERSE 23)	116
	5. Aspiration for the Fruition upon Completing the Path (VERSE 24)	120
	a. The Main Part	120
	i. Explanation of Eyes and Paranormal Cognition	120
	ii. Explanation of Fulfillment, Maturation and Cleansing	122
	b. Short Tangential Discussion of the Stages of the Path	125
III.	A CONCLUDING SUMMARY OF THE PRAYER (VERSE 25)	129
	Author's Colophon	134
	Notes	135
	Appendix 1: Glossary of Technical Terms	147
	Appendix 2: Transliteration of Tibetan Names and Terms	159
	Bibliography of Works Cited	163
	Tibetan Text	175