Sadhana of Mahamudra

Many thanks to Joanne and Walter for hosting the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Sadhana of Mahamudra. It is SO heartwarming to read (and hear) that talk by the Vidyadhara on the Sadhana again, Carolyn Gimians's commentary on it, and Richard Arthure's memoir of the experience of the Taktsang retreat.

This Sadhana has been a profound influence on my path and outlook since I first read it. This occurred upon my first visit to a Dharmadhatu (Palo Alto) in 1974. I just 'happened' to arrive on the evening that that little sangha was practicing the Sadhana of Mahamudra. I had met Rinpoche in 1972 and had read Meditation in Action, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, and other things by him. So I already felt he was the teacher for me. But reading the SOM blew my mind and lit a fire of deep conviction and devotion in my heart.

I was so inspired by Rinpoche's description of the dark age and the path of sanity through it, because I already knew that this world was entering a dark age (though most people still don't recognize it) and my fervent longing was to find a teacher who could help me to find sanity AND help the world. The Sadhana confirmed for me that Trungpa Rinpoche was the one who could both help me and help this world.

As for the question, "Is spiritual materialism an artifact of the 60s?" - That seems like a silly question if one realizes that the SOM was prophetic, and not just talking about Tibet. Spiritual
materialism has become more pervasive and entrenched in North American and Europe than it was in the 1960s. I was right in the middle of the California-dreamin' 'spiritual supermarket' in the 1960s, and now I am in Europe. The river of spiritual materialism has definitely burst its banks and people are drowning in its confusion.

I've come to regard the propagation of fairy-tale fantasies and the avoidance of the sharp points and rough edges of reality to be two of the main characteristics of spiritual materialism at this time: the 'love-and-light-only' approach. Spirituality that is ungrounded and avoids facing the very real and dark realities of our time is not preparing people to 'hold their seats' as things get worse. It is making them more vulnerable to trauma. Trungpa Rinpoche didn't avoid the sharp edges and the dark realities, and he tried his best to prepare us for what's coming. I will be forever grateful and devoted to him.

May the great mind mandala of Mahamudra be present,

Suzanne Duarte