About this Course
This course offers the complete oral commentary on the “Ganges Mahāmudrā,” taught by His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. Rooted in the unbroken lineage of Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa, these teachings guide you into the direct experience of mind’s true nature—through view, meditation, conduct, and realization.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Tilopa’s Ineffable Mahāmudrā
Available on: 26-Sep-2025
Embark on your journey into the Ganges Mahāmudrā Pith Instruction with His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. In this lesson, you’ll learn about the nature of mind, dualistic thoughts, and how observing your own mind is akin to looking into the center of space. Tracing the lineage of this instruction from the great mahasiddha Tilopa to Naropa and Marpa Lotsawa, His Holiness covers the homage and promise to compose sections of the root text before delving into mahāmudrā’s ineffable quality and its connection to primordial wisdom.
Embark on your journey into the Ganges Mahāmudrā Pith Instruction with His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. In this lesson, you’ll learn about the nature of mind, dualistic thoughts, and how observing your own mind is akin to looking into the center of space. Tracing the lineage of this instruction from the great mahasiddha Tilopa to Naropa and Marpa Lotsawa, His Holiness covers the homage and promise to compose sections of the root text before delving into mahāmudrā’s ineffable quality and its connection to primordial wisdom.
Lesson 2: Immaterial as Space, Luminous as the Sun
Available on: 03-Oct-2025
Go deeper into the profound teachings of mahāmudrā with His Holiness. In this lesson, you’ll gain greater familiarity with the ever-present clarity of mind as well as its spacelike and sunlike nature in accordance with Tilopa’s explanation. Following along with the initial stanzas of the Ganges Mahāmudrā Pith Instruction, His Holiness explores the importance of resting without contrivance in mind’s natural state, generating realization (rtogs pa) on the basis of meditational experience (nyams), and avoiding excessive aspiration and expectation.
Go deeper into the profound teachings of mahāmudrā with His Holiness. In this lesson, you’ll gain greater familiarity with the ever-present clarity of mind as well as its spacelike and sunlike nature in accordance with Tilopa’s explanation. Following along with the initial stanzas of the Ganges Mahāmudrā Pith Instruction, His Holiness explores the importance of resting without contrivance in mind’s natural state, generating realization (rtogs pa) on the basis of meditational experience (nyams), and avoiding excessive aspiration and expectation.
Lesson 3: Like Ripples Upon Water
Available on: 10-Oct-2025
Identify the underlying mechanics of mahāmudrā practice. In this lesson, you’ll learn more about the luminous nature of mind, the necessity of relying on a qualified guru, and the need to dissolve obscurations to attain ultimate freedom. His Holiness provides further instructions on how to rest in the natural state of mind where all phenomena arise and effortlesslessly dissolve like ripples upon water.
Identify the underlying mechanics of mahāmudrā practice. In this lesson, you’ll learn more about the luminous nature of mind, the necessity of relying on a qualified guru, and the need to dissolve obscurations to attain ultimate freedom. His Holiness provides further instructions on how to rest in the natural state of mind where all phenomena arise and effortlesslessly dissolve like ripples upon water.
Lesson 4: A Lamp Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance
Available on: 17-Oct-2025
Progress toward transcending the dream-like illusions of samsara. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to dispel distraction, laziness, and dualistic conception by means of three so-called “kings.” His Holiness resumes his commentary on Tilopa’s pith instruction, broaching such topics as how worldly sufferings are completely futile, how abandoning and attaining can be spontaneously accomplished, and how your mind’s natural luminosity can dispel eons of ignorance akin to a lamp dispelling the darkness of a pitch-black room.
Progress toward transcending the dream-like illusions of samsara. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to dispel distraction, laziness, and dualistic conception by means of three so-called “kings.” His Holiness resumes his commentary on Tilopa’s pith instruction, broaching such topics as how worldly sufferings are completely futile, how abandoning and attaining can be spontaneously accomplished, and how your mind’s natural luminosity can dispel eons of ignorance akin to a lamp dispelling the darkness of a pitch-black room.
Lesson 5: Where the River Meets the Sea
Available on: 24-Oct-2025
Dive deeper into the process of dissolving discursive thoughts. In this lesson, you’ll learn more about how to rest in mind’s natural purity, transcend dualistic grasping, and merge the striving of your practice with the foundation of your primordial nature. His Holiness explores the supreme view (free of limits), meditation (boundless expanse), conduct (free of extremes), and fruition (self-liberation) while using vivid metaphors such as waterfalls and rivers to describe various stages of the meditative experience.
Dive deeper into the process of dissolving discursive thoughts. In this lesson, you’ll learn more about how to rest in mind’s natural purity, transcend dualistic grasping, and merge the striving of your practice with the foundation of your primordial nature. His Holiness explores the supreme view (free of limits), meditation (boundless expanse), conduct (free of extremes), and fruition (self-liberation) while using vivid metaphors such as waterfalls and rivers to describe various stages of the meditative experience.
Lesson 6: Until Awareness Dwells in its Nature
Available on: 31-Oct-2025
Enhance your practice by focusing and calming your awareness. In this lesson, you’ll familiarize yourself with breath and gaze practices to quiet discursive thoughts and overcoming obstacles to deepen meditation. His Holiness explores the importance of a disciplined awareness and the role of the karmamudrā in realizing bliss-emptiness.
Enhance your practice by focusing and calming your awareness. In this lesson, you’ll familiarize yourself with breath and gaze practices to quiet discursive thoughts and overcoming obstacles to deepen meditation. His Holiness explores the importance of a disciplined awareness and the role of the karmamudrā in realizing bliss-emptiness.
Lesson 7: A Refined Understanding
Available on: 07-Oct-2025
Distill your final insights into Tilopa’s profound mahāmudrā instructions. In this concluding lesson, you’ll gain further background to this teaching and learn how to harness devotion to attain realization. His Holiness wraps up the course by reflecting on Tilopa and Nāropā’s extraordinary hagiography and dedicating aspirational prayers for the teachings to flourish in the hearts of fortunate practitioners.
Distill your final insights into Tilopa’s profound mahāmudrā instructions. In this concluding lesson, you’ll gain further background to this teaching and learn how to harness devotion to attain realization. His Holiness wraps up the course by reflecting on Tilopa and Nāropā’s extraordinary hagiography and dedicating aspirational prayers for the teachings to flourish in the hearts of fortunate practitioners.
About the Teacher
His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa was born in Eastern Tibetan Derge during 1954 and was enthroned upon the Palpung Monastic Seat shortly thereafter. He was whisked away from the 1959 Chinese army threat by his attendant monks from Palpung Monastery, eventually reaching northeastern India. At this time, he took refuge vows at the feet of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Then, up until his 23rd birthday, His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa remained in the areas of Sikkim, West Bengal, and Bhutan, where he received ordination and numerous important transmissions and teachings. In 1976, he founded the Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, where he has bestowed teachings, transmissions, and vows upon qualified Buddhist teachers and students up until this day. In 1984, His Holiness established the Maitreya Institute in Hawaii, US "as a vehicle for inter-cultural exchange and understanding." Out of his great personal concern about issues such as geopolitical conflict, inter-religious disharmony, and environmental degradation, he founded the “Pilgrimage for Active Peace (One World, One Humanity)" program and himself embarked upon a worldwide pilgrimage in 1989. Having composed Tibetan-language works amounting to over 15 volumes, His Holiness is an accomplished scholar, philosopher, poet, and artist. He has also authored more than 20 books in English. His Holiness continues to tirelessly guide his students and devotees from all over the world, and Wisdom is overjoyed to have recently had the opportunity to collaborate with him and support his teaching activities.