The Significance of Mudra

By Sri Kamakoti Mandali on Nov 16, 2012 | In Oriental/New Age

- Jamgn Mipham
The Tantra of the Secret Essence states:
Completely perfect through the magical net,
Everything is sealed with supreme enlightenment.
As the secret reality ascertained,
The seal of the essence is difficult to transgress.
The word seal derives from the Sanskrit term mudra, which means either to
implant and symbolize, or a seal that is difficult to transgress. This refers to
the extraordinary means that symbolize the enlightened body, speech, mind,
and activities of great beings. When something is implanted with such a
symbol, it becomes an embodiment of it and is difficult to transgress.
There are three seals of the (1) ground, (2) path, and (3) fruition. As for
theseals of the ground, the natural seal of reality is the primordial purity of
the nature of mind. Within the state of the great seal, sights, sounds, and
awareness dwell as the nature of the deity, mantra, and dharma body.
The temporary seal of the path is used to refine ones experience of this
nature. To this end, one establishes body, speech, and mind to be the play of
the three secrets. This is done within the state of vajra wisdom, the reality of
mind, the great seal of co-emergent great bliss.
The ultimate seal of the fruition occurs when one has discovered all aspects of
the body of self-occurring wisdom. At this point one acts with the
inconceivable enlightened body, speech, mind, and activities for the welfare of
all infinite sentient beings that fill the entirety of space.
In the development stage, there is the great seal of enlightened form, the
dharma seal of enlightened speech, the samaya seal of enlightened mind, and
the action seal of enlightened activity.
In the completion stage, the seals are explained in terms of (1) the support of a
spiritual consort, (2) the path where the seals manifest, and (3) the fruition of
the four wisdoms. First is the support of the spiritual consort. Here the
dharma seal is emptiness, the nature of all phenomena. This feminine
perfection of knowledge is the true spiritual partner. The action seal refers to
everyone that appears in female form with long hair, breasts, and so forth.
The samaya seal is the mudra of wisdom, the goddess emanated from ones
own mind. The great seal is the empty form of the energetic mind, the nature

of which manifests as the goddess. Sealing with these mudras brings about the
attainment of unchanging bliss.
Second is the path where the seals manifest. Here the action seal serves as the
support for the attainment of great bliss, symbolic wisdom. This includes
union with a spiritual consort. Through such acts one comes to experience a
mere approximation of the great bliss of the basic space of phenomena. This
experience is the dharma seal. The great seal is to be free of all conceptual
thought and to directly experience the innate. That which appears out of this
state as the mandala of enlightened body, speech, and mind in the ensuing
attainment is the samaya seal.
This can also be applied to the four joys: joy, supreme joy, innate joy, and
joyless joy. In the tantras, joyless joy is presented as the third stage.
Nevertheless, here this refers to the state of joylessness that occurs once the
pangs of desire have been exhausted. One may then wonder whether or not
this contradicts the four joys as presented in all other scriptures. There is,
however, no contradiction. Both systems hold that innate refers to an instant
of wisdom that transcends any dichotomies of desire and non-desire, bliss
and non-bliss. This occurs in the interval between the complete and total
culmination of joy, which is brought about by bodhicitta descending to the tip
of the jewel vajra, and the initial onset of desirelessness. Therefore, there is no
contradiction in presenting the first three joys as four divisions, nor is there
any contradiction in condensing the four joys into three instances. These
correlations are discussed in Nagarjunas Ascertaining the Four Seals.
Third is the fruition of the four wisdoms. Here the vajra body of appearance
and emptiness is the action seal. The vajra speech of clarity and emptiness is
the dharma seal. The vajra mind of bliss and emptiness is the samaya seal.
The vajra wisdom of awareness and emptiness - the essential indivisible
equality of all of these - is the great seal.
Hand mudras serve to represent all the various forms of enlightened body,
speech, mind, and activities of the wisdom deity. Since this also carries the
meaning of non-transgression, here a general term is applied to a specific
instance. The subclassifications of this division also encompass the four seals.
The essence of the mudra that is being shown is the samaya seal. Acts, such as
transforming and releasing, are the action seal. Visualizing such things as the
seed and reciting mantra is the dharma seal. Finally, ones own presence as
the form of the deity is the great seal.
The foundation of all mudras that are held by joining the two palms together
is to either join ones palms or to perform the vajra gesture, which is made by
interlacing the fingers and joining the palms. The foundation of all mudras
that are held with the hands apart is the vajra fist, in which the thumbs are
placed inside and with the other fingers wrapped around them. Various root
and subsidiary mudras derive from these. Root mudras include those of

peaceful deities, such as those of the five buddha families, as well as those of
wrathful deities. The various subsidiary mudras include those of invitation,
bestowal of empowerment, and making offerings. In a beautiful and elegant
manner, such mudras should be integrated with the revolving lotus, the
dancing lotus, and other such mudras. Once completed, they should be
released with a snap of the fingers.
Seals can be classified in six ways according to scripture and the viewpoints of
specific individuals. The first position holds that mantras and mudras are
differentiated in terms of their relation to ripened body or speech. In other
words, a physical feature is termed mudra, whereas a verbal expression is
termed mantra. Hence, they state that such physical and verbal expressions
are merely perceptible instances of the ordinary body and speech.
The second position holds that these are symbols that represent the
enlightened body, speech, and mind of the victorious ones, just as meaning
can be conveyed through a gesture of the hand or a name.
The third holds that such symbols possess the ability to bring about the
spiritual attainments of activity and wisdom. Hence, they are thought of as
mere instances of infallible interdependent origination.
In the fourth position, mudras and mantras are considered to be expressions
of ones own karma and, thus, included within ordinary body and speech.
Nevertheless, such expressions are also recognized to manifest from the
strength of the blessings of the thus-gone ones. Take, for example, the evil
demon that was blessed by Majusri and subsequently gave teachings on the
great vehicle. The sounds of his words were part of his own being, yet they
also manifested from the blessings of the Noble One. Just so, those who hold
this position consider mudras and mantras to manifest from the blessings of
the thus-gone ones, while being mixed with ones own karmic perceptions.
In the fifth position, mudra and mantra are likened to the moons reflection.
When the moons reflection appears in a bucket of water, its image may seem
to be in the water. Nevertheless, it is nothing more than the moons
manifestation. Similarly, mantras and mudras manifest from the blessings of
the thus-gone ones and have the potential to bring about spiritual
attainments. When those with samaya imagine themselves to be the deity
itself and practice accordingly, a connection with the actual deity occurs in
correspondence with their grasping. In this sense, mudras and mantras
function without fail, in the same way that an actual object can be brought
about through grasping at an object universal. In a similar manner, those who
hold this position think that the deity itself can be accomplished from these
symbols.
The sixth position holds that mantras and mudras are the manifestation of the
ultimate form of the victorious ones, the great wisdom of totality. Wisdom

appears in this way having been blessed by the power of compassion and
aspiration, just as the mind itself may manifest as objects and forms due to
habitual tendencies. Hence, those who hold this position consider mantra and
mudra to be divine in essence. In other words, they hold that there is no
actual difference between mantra and mudra and a deity that has attained the
form of wisdom.
Each of these six is superior to the previous position. Those who hold the sixth
position, which is supreme to all the rest, accurately understand the principles
of mantra and mudra. Hence, the principles of mantra and mudra should be
understood in this way alone.
We should now discuss (1) the reason for sealing and (2) the way to seal. First,
as for the reason for sealing, in outer mantra, mudras have three aspects. In
terms of cause, they are emanated images of the utterly pure basic space of
phenomena and great wisdom. In essence, they represent the infinite
gateways to complete liberation. In terms of result, they have the potential to
bring about all activities and spiritual attainments. Hence, mudras are the
signs of great beings. They cannot be transgressed or destroyed by anyone or
anything. They are the extraordinary seal of the sovereign king of dharma and
are able to accomplish all forms of buddha activity.
Therefore, when ones being is sealed with a mudra, it will be freed from its
bonds. The city of ignorance, the great negative force, will be conquered. The
body will be stable and negative forces will be completely unable to affect it.
Empowerments that are bestowed will be attained and activities will be
accomplished without going to waste. If one does not lose sight of their
nature, the samayas will not degenerate. Furthermore, since mudras also
possess the symbol of the feminine, they are the hidden form of female
deities. If they are shown to someone, they will be delighted by the very
essence of samaya. Mudras are used to seal for these and other reasons.
Mudras also fulfill these same purposes in inner mantra as well. Nevertheless,
according to this system they are primarily used to seal for the following
reasons: Within the state of great wisdom - the spontaneously present mudra
- emanated mudras are applied to rouse the awakened mind of great bliss, the
indivisible nature of all bliss-gone ones and sentient beings, which dwells in
the hearts of all beings. They also bring about the effortless attainment of
extraordinary mastery and carry out various enlightened buddha activities for
the benefit of other beings just as one desires.
Secondly, as for the way to seal, according to outer mantra, when the reality of
ones being is sealed with a mudra that symbolizes the deity, one will actually
become the deity through the power of blessings. This is likened to the seal of
a royal decree, which cannot be transgressed once enacted.

In inner mantra, the mudra is essentially the deity. As the mudra seals the
indivisibility of oneself and the deity, deity dissolves into deity; reality merges
with reality; and wisdom revels in wisdom. Through this, one becomes the
deity and the deity, in essence, becomes oneself. In this manner, methods are
used to awaken and actualize the great bliss that dwells within.
Utilizing these unique methods allows one to accomplish all temporal and
ultimate aims and carry out the activity of the buddhas. For this reason, they
possess supreme qualities. In brief, by virtue of what they represent, mudras
subsume all dharmas of the ground, path, and fruition. This unique method of
mantra is to be maintained by receiving the bestowed empowerment into a
mandala and abiding by the samayas. As such, it should be kept completely
concealed from others. Mudra accords with the view and meditation and is a
particular instance of conduct and accomplishment. Mudra is also the single
unsurpassed method for pleasing the deity, carrying out activities, and
arousing the power of mantra. Hence, it relates to all paths.
In the ultimate meaning, all phenomena and all movements of body, speech,
and mind are perfect and do not have to be transformed, bound, or released.
As such, they are effortlessly perfected as the nature of mudra. As stated in
the Tantra of the Secret Essence:
When the supreme gathering of the great seal
Is joined with the endowment of means and knowledge,
Motionless and unmoving, everything
Dwells in the state of the great seal.
And in the Awesome Flash of Lightning:
When dwelling in a state of equality with the intrinsic nature,
All movements and motions
Are mudra, so the hero has said.