Awareness in Christ Retreat: Mahamudra

Awareness in Christ Retreat is a series of meditative explorations into key aspects of deeper meditation in the context of micro-retreat. We will cover salient dimensions of jhana (lucid concentration), aruppa (immaterial absorption), vipassana (deep insight), mozhao-chan  默照禅 (silent illumination), huatou-chan 话头禅 (critical phrase), mahamudra (nature of awareness), and dzogchen (pristine awareness in essence and effulgence)—all luminously held in the presence and power of Christ.

We shift from meditation of the early Buddhist texts and the Chan/Zen tradition into the highest practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Today's retreat focuses on mahamudra (the great seal) that focuses on the nature of mind—luminous, aware, and empty. In terms of method, Mahamudra bears close resonance with both mozhao (默照 ) or silent iluumination and huatou (话头) or critical phrase. In terms of essence, Mahamudra is the innate awakened nature of who we are, that is none other than the buddha-nature or suchness articulated in…