Shamatha & Vipashyana: The Core Practice Manuals of the Indian and Tibetan Traditions of Meditation
In this course, we will explore the core practice manuals on Shamatha and Vipashyana in the Indian and Tibetan traditions that we inherit as supports for deepening our own practice of meditation. In particular, we will explore: the main Mahayana Sutra presentation attributed to the Buddha: The Maitreya Chapter of the Samdhinirmocana Sutra; the foundational trilogy on meditation composed by Kamalashila in the eighth-century for the purpose of providing the Tibetan world both the background and the specifics of the practice of meditation; and a key Mahamudra presentation, The Mahamudra Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance by the ninth Karmapa, Wanchuk Dorje. Additionally, we will explore some supplementary material on the progression of the practice of Shamatha and how it differs from, supports and leads into the practice of Vipashyana.