Mahayoga (maha Yoga)*

Mahayoga is the first of the ‘inner tantras’ in the 9 yana system. The yana focuses primarily on visualizing the deity as a means of accumulating merit and wisdom and of purifying obscurations to realization.

I love Mahayoga. Some people dislike it because it is quite effortful. The amount of effort required to get any experience is daunting, to be sure. But in my experience, once a proper effort is made, the outcome is fantastic. The world appears and feels completely different. Life becomes pure and smooth.

The world is vivid and resonant with meaning. Emptiness as luminous presence peeks out everywhere. I tend to feel almost made of light, and nothing seems impossible. Mind becomes quite still and focused. Body becomes pliant, less thick, more cottony. Sometimes it feels almost vaporous, as if I could simply dissolve into rays of light.

I feel like wisdom is very real at these times. It feels accessible, almost tangible, but perpetually just out of reach. Almost frustratingly so. And yet all-pervasive at the same time.

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Mahayoga Summary

Central Node: Mahayoga (Tibetan Buddhism term)

Type: Meditation practice, Yoga (path) within Dzogchen

Goal: Liberation, enlightenment, realization of rigpa (primordial awareness)

Parent: Dzogchen (Tibetan Buddhist tradition emphasizing inherent wakefulness)

Key Features:

Gradual approach compared to other Dzogchen yogas (Anuyoga, Semde)
Emphasis on cultivating pure perception and emotional balance
Utilizes preliminary practices to purify mind and prepare for direct experience of rigpa

Practices:

Outer Tantras: Ritual practices focused on deity visualization and mantra recitation
Inner Tantras: Practices working with subtle channels, winds, and essences within the body
Mind Training: Techniques to cultivate compassion, ethical conduct, and positive mental states

Relationship to Other Dzogchen Yogas:

Anuyoga: Direct and powerful approach to experiencing rigpa, often seen as pinnacle of Dzogchen
Semde: Focuses on recognizing rigpa within everyday experiences

Possible Connections:

Similarities to other Vajrayana Buddhist practices that utilize deities, mantras, and subtle energy channels
Concepts within Mahayoga teachings might connect to Buddhist philosophy on emptiness and skillful means

Additional Notes:

Mahayoga is considered a foundational practice within Dzogchen, building a strong foundation for the more advanced yogas.
A qualified Dzogchen teacher’s guidance is essential for practicing Mahayoga effectively.

Mahayoga Explained

Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga work with aggression, passion, and ignorance respectively. Mahayoga is associated with Father Tantra, hence emphasizes purification of aggression. By seeing the world as self-luminous, empty in essence Buddha fields, aggression has nowhere to be. It becomes irrelevant and is purified in the genuine realization of truth. When all thoughts and appearances are considered sacred, what cause could exist for anger?

Mahayoga is the essential manner of doing kyerim, or development stage practice. Visualization is the core activity. By visualizing yourself as the deity and the world as the mandala, ordinary perceptions of good and bad dissolve. Impurity becomes an illusion, a thought, and fades away.

We normally engage in ‘ordinary’ visualizations of self and other, but these are not real in a deeper way. Mahayoga therefore takes the tendency to ascribe character to the world, to visualize, and remakes it into an approximation of how the Buddha experiences the world. Mahayoga is practice in seeing as the Buddha sees, feeling as the Buddha feels.

Key tantras of mahayoga

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Guhyagarbha Tantra covers all the key points of all Mahayoga tantras. Topics include mantra, mandala, the 5 essences, samaya, and visualization. Mipham wrote an excellent commentary called Luminous Essence.

The full set comprises 18 tantras, including Guhyagharba tantra. The 5 tantras of Body, Speech, Mind, Quality and Action are the root tantras. The 5 practice tantras are Hayagriva, Heruka, Compassion, Nectar Practice, and the 12 Kilayas. 5 Activity tantras and 2 final tantras round out the 18.