Mahamudra

Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit, Tibetan: Chagchen, Wylie: phyag chen, contraction of Chagya Chenpo, Wylie: phyag rgya chen po) literally means "great seal" or "great symbol." It "is a multivalent term of great importance in later Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism" which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism."

The name refers to a body of teachings representing the culmination of all the practices of the Sarma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who believe it to be the quintessential message of all of their sacred texts. The mudra portion denotes that in an adept's experience of reality, each phenomenon appears vividly, and the maha portion refers to the fact that it is beyond concept, imagination, and projection.

History and semantic field

The usage and meaning of the term mahāmudrā evolved over the course of hundreds of years of Indian and Tibetan history, and as a result, the term may refer variously to "a ritual hand-gesture, one of a sequence of 'seals' in Tantric practice, the nature of reality as emptiness, a meditation procedure focusing on the nature of Mind, an innate blissful gnosis cognizing emptiness nondually, or the supreme attainment of buddhahood at the culmination of the Tantric path."

Mahamudra (Hatha Yoga)

Mahamudra is a hatha yoga gesture (mudra) whose purpose is to improve control over the sexual potential. The sexual potential, associated with apana, is essential in the process of awakening of the dormant spiritual energy (Kundalini) and attaining of spiritual powers (siddhi).

Execution

Pressure is exerted with the heel on the perineum. This zone is considered to be closely involved in the control of the vital and sexual potential. At the same time, the throat is compressed (Jalandhara Bandha) activating the throat chakra (Vishuddha Chakra) - center of the akashic energies of void.

Effect

By activating the energies of akasha and simultaneously stimulating the energies of Muladhara Chakra, Kundalini awakens and raises through the central channel, Sushumna Nadi. The void is considered to be a substrate, an intermediary state in any transformation. Here it projects the lower energies up the spine, transforming them in spiritual energies instead. Thus Mahamudra is a gesture of alchemical transformation and elevation of the sexual potential, and at the same time a method of awakening of the supreme energy of the body, Kundalini.

Mahamudra (band)

Mahamudra is a Trance/electronic project based in the south of Israel. Members are: Ran Malka(1979), Eyal Cohen(1977) and Sagiv Ben-Giat(1982). They have released several tracks on different compilations and their debut album "reality is just a myth" released on 20 February 2007 in "Utopia Records". Their live act includes electric guitar(Yotam Peretz), vocals(Yonit Tzarfati) drums and percussion(Gili Aizenman) and of course keyboard/synth and live effects. With the release of their first album they are already marked as the rising star of the Trance scene.

Discography

About the album

Mahamudra's debut album "Reality Is Just a Myth" presents three perceptions of electronic music that is combined into one harmonic piece. Inspired by everything from Rock, Classical, jazz, 80's pop, ethnical and oriental to electronic music, Mahamudra sounds like nothing you’ve heard before. All tracks were produced with strictness and organized respectively in the album plot. Each and every track was made individually yet formed nicely to the story of the album. It should be mentioned that none of the Mahamudra members had any musical background what so ever, yet this album sums up the amazing journey of the musical education that they have achieved.