Madhyamika and Shentong - 1

In response to a mail where it was said that 3rd Karmapa in his Mahamudra verses actually says that 3 diferent approaches - Maha Ati, Maha Mudra and Madhyamaka - lead to the same goal and, when you realize one, you realize other two as well. So, from the level of accomplishment, they are the same thing.

Hi, I just wanted to add one small thing to *****'s excellent email,
where he has perfectly summed up both the potential difficulties and
the opportunities in combining Mahamudra and Dzogchen.

In terms of the relation between Madhyamika and Mahamudra within
Kagyu practice, it is often said that the Madhyamaka perspective is
most useful for clarifying the view, and then the Shentong
perspective is most useful for meditation itself. Utilising the two
together in this way is the best way for developing realisation of
Mahamudra.

Another way of putting this is that utilising Madhyamika is most
excellent for cutting away all the false views of how things are,
then on that basis utilising Shentong is most excellent for
realisation how things actually are.

Again, it is said that Madhyamika is ideal for preparing the ground
for realising emptiness (shunyata), and Shentong is ideal for
recognising the inseperability of emptiness and luminosity (clarity).

In all these senses, Madhyamika has traditionally been used in Kagyu
practice as an important basis for the realisation of Mahamudra.

best wishes in the Dharma