Devotion & Crazy Wisdom: Teachings on the Sadhana of Mahamudra

The Sadhana of Mahamudra is an extraordinary, poetic practice text that beautifully and powerfully expresses the essence of the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s dharma transmission to the West. In this class, we will start by reviewing the structure of this text as it follows the traditional pattern of vajrayana sadhana practices and exploring the major dharma teachings that it expresses. We will then go through a line by line commentary as well as the details of the practice.

Sources will include the recently published commentary on the sadhana by Trungpa Rinpoche called Devotion and Crazy Wisdom, the alternative, literal translation of the text by the Nalanda Translation Group, and a sourcebook of selected writings by the Vidyadhara and other Kagyu and Nyingma authors. After full participation in this course, practitioners may purchase a copy of the text and study and practice it on their own.

Core Materials

  1. Course Syllabus

Supplemental Materials

  1. Rime Shedra Chants

  2. "The Blue Pancake" by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

  3. "Dorje Trolo and the Three Styles of Transmission" from Crazy Wisdom by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

  4. "The Sadhana of Mahamudra: Thoughts on the Practice at the 2016 Profound Treasury Retreat" by Carolyn Gimian

Class Recordings

  1. July 11, 2017

  2. July 18, 2017

  3. July 25, 2017

  4. August 1, 2017

  5. August 8, 2017

  6. August 15, 2017