Mahamudra Meditation Center was established at the encouragement
of one of the leading Tibetan Buddhist teachers, the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche,
to facilitate the study and practice of Mahamudra. At the request of H. H. the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and based on his own judgement,
Rinpoche actively teaches the view and practice of this profound, and yet simple and direct "path of
liberation." He is a recognized master of Mahamudra and serves as the personal tutor to H. H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage.
"In my experience and judgement Mahamudra is especially appropriate and beneficial in this modern age, in particular for
people in the West who are very busy. It is a path that is extremely simple, meaning that it does not require a lot
of preparation or devices, so it can be practiced at any time or in any situation, provided one possesses mindfulness and alertness."
Mahamudra Study and Practice Programs
We offer regular Dharma study and practice programs with emphasis on the practice of Mahamudra.
The Senior Spiritual Advisors of Mahamudra Meditation Center (MMC) are:
For ongoing and/or scheduled events, please click on the following link:
In general, our programs are organized into four series:
- Jewel Ornament of Liberation - The Teachings of Gampopa
- Moonbeams of Mahamudra - The Mahamudra Teachings of Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
- Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance - The Mahamudra Teachings of Wangchug Dorje
- Songs of the Mahasiddhas - Heart Instructions from the Lineage
For an overview of our curriculum and recommended reading list, please click on the following link:
Our study and practice classes are as short as one day or may involve commitment to nine months of study and practice. For an example of a one-day Mahamudra
practice retreat, please see
Sample Practice Retreat Schedule. For a detailed example of one of our nine-month programs,
please see MMC's Member Meditation Manual at
An Online Guide to Mahamudra Meditation.
Programs are led by faculty of MMC.
Summary of Historical Activities
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the founding Senior Spiritual Advisor of Mahamudra Meditation Center and provides the primary guidance for our activities. For access to his official website, please click here.
For Namo Buddha Publications, please click here. Since the start, we have also been strongly supported by Khenchen Könchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, who has provided us with a wide
range of Dharma teachings and served as a continual source of inspiration. Many of his texts and translated
works are available through Vajra Publications. We are extremely fortunate in that we have had the continual guidance of these two leading
abbots of the Karma and Drikung Dakpo Kagyu lineages from 1990 up until the present day.
Our founding director met Thrangu Rinpoche in 1989 at the first Karma Mahasiddha Ling retreat on Moonbeams of
Mahamudra. This classic text had been called "the most important sacred text" by his former teacher Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche, tutor to the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, and had been published under the title Mahamudra: The Quintessence of Mind and Meditation in 1986.
Over a period of several years, Thrangu Rinpoche gave extensive teachings and transmissions on this classic and a number of related texts.
One evening, on a porch overlooking Lake Big Bear, he shared his thoughts. "Now that it had been translated into English, per His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa's (16th) request,
and the corresponding oral instructions have been given, as I have been doing in fulfillment of his wishes, the most important thing is to put it into practice." It was with this in mind that Mahamudra Meditation Center was established in
California in 1991 as a non-profit religious corporation and was operated as such until 2007. Our mission has been to facilitate the instruction, study, and practice of this path of awareness and kindness.
Since its inception, we have conducted annual nine-month mahamudra study and
practice programs. In addition, we have held a variety of retreats ranging anywhere
from one-to-ten days long. Texts which have frequently served as the basis for nine-month programs include:
- Jewel Ornament of Liberation -
Gampopa (1074-1153)
- Moonbeams of Mahamudra - Dakpo Tashi
Namgyal (1512-1587)
- Clarifying the Natural State -
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
- Pointing-out the Dharmakaya -
Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603)
- Eliminating the Darkness of
Ignorance - Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje
- Aspiration of Mahamudra - Third
Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339)
Over the years, Rinpoche has repeatedly expressed his appreciation to us for cultivating Mahamudra
practice. In 2004, we felt fortunate to help host Rinpoche's visit to San Francisco including his empowerments
and teachings on Mahamudra and Chakrasamvara. In 2005, we
held the first group Mahamudra retreat at
Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado.
For photos from some of our recent events, please click here.
In 2006, at the encouragement of Rinpoche, a new Dharma study and practice center was formed,
The Mahamudra Center. It is located
on a private property on top of a scenic Northern California coastal ridgeline.
This affiliated center hosts weekly meditations and regular Mahamudra study and practice programs. Please
click here for further details and/or contact information.
Affiliated Teachings are sometimes included in our program schedules. These typically
consist of select programs from our spiritual advisors. In addition, students of Nyingma lineage practices of our center are referred to teachings by
Loppön Jigme Rinpoche. Loppön Rinpoche received the complete Tersar tradition
from H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche, the complete Kama tradition from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the complete Longchen Nyingthig tradition from Chatral Rinpoche. Since 2005, he has most generously been available to support our members
in their Dharma studies and practice and has also provided a wide range of teachings to Dharma students in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Unfortunately, in 2008, program offerings were reduced significantly due to restrictions in faculty
availability and center resources. The 18th annual mahamudra program continues into 2008 and it is our hope
that this annual class will continue to be offered in the years ahead.
Finally, our center is registered with H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley at The Official Website of H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa.
In addition, we are listed by The Office of Tibet, New York, The Official Agency of H.H. the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Government in Exile to the Americas at Office of Tibet, New York and
by Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, The North American Seat of H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa, on the Practice Center List.
For Further Information
As a matter of general interest, most of our members are lay practitioners and so an area of focus is
integration of practice with daily life/issues. We come from "every walk" of life.
Some members have gone on to become dharma teachers and/or have helped establish
other centers in California and other States. We typically meet at a group member's house in
Petaluma or Sonoma, California, and occasionally rent facilities for
practice space or short retreats. We do not have residential facilities or a residential program.
Please contact Keith (Keith Hale) at
khale@hannacenter.org if
you have any further questions.
Go to Mahamudra Centers:
chagchen.com
Go to www.rinpoche.com:
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