Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Those who have written in this way should know that
there is one prerequisite to the practice of Mahamudra:
before one can practice, it is necessary to have obtained
the realization of the Enlightened Entity through
initiation (Enlightened Entity is the light of Tathata or
suchness). If one has not attained this, then one is still
practicing the sunyata meditations of the Mahayana.
This realization of Enlightened Entity one does not
attain either through samatha or samapatti; one knows it
through the bestowal of the guru. Without this, one
cannot practice Mahamudra. This fact is very important,
and it is because of this that the first step is called
"Conception of Enlightened Entity." In this practice,
samatha and samapatti are always identified in the
non-dual samadhi—they are never different.
The yogi emphasized, "To understand this is most
essential."
Bhante remarked rather dryly: If one does not
receive this before practice, what is the use of
reading books about it? And if one does receive it,
why read books anyway? Mr. Chen laughed and
passed on to more detailed explanations.
Most of our readers will probably have read "Tibetan
Yoga and Secret Doctrines," edited by Evans-Wentz,
while those who have not may use our book to correct
certain details and supplement the information therein.
518