Four mudras 四印

Four mudras (Skt. catumudrā; Wyl. phyag rgya bzhi) — in the yoga tantra and inner tantras, there are four types of mudra which 'seal' the enlightened body, speech, mind and activity of the deity. The four mudras are:

1. the great mudra (Skt. mahāmudrā; Wyl. phyag rgya chen po) (see mahamudra)
2. the dharma mudra (Skt. dharmamudrā; Wyl. chos kyi phyag rgya)
3. the samaya mudra (Skt. samayamudrā; Wyl. dam tshig gi phyag rgya)
4. the activity mudra (Skt. karmamudrā; Wyl. las kyi phyag rgya)

Or alternatively:

1. the dharma mudra (Skt. dharmamudrā; Wyl. chos kyi phyag rgya)
2. the great mudra (Skt. mahāmudrā; Wyl. phyag rgya chen po)
3. the primordial wisdom mudra (Skt. jñanamudrā; Wyl. ye shes phyag rgya)
4. the activity mudra (Skt. karmamudrā; Wyl. las kyi phyag rgya)

Alternative Meaning

Depending on the context, the four mudras or gestures (phyag rgya bzhi) are to unite with the four syllables dza, hum, bam, and ho, which stand for the four actions of summoning (’gug), binding (bching), fettering (sdom), and pleasing (mnyes) or intoxicating (myos).

Alternative Translations

• Four seals - Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod of the Kalu Rinpoché Translation Group

Further Reading

• Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé, The Treasury of Knowledge: Book Six, Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra; translated by Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod. Kalu Rinpoché Translation Group under the direction of Bokar Rinpoché. Published by Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-210-X

• For an explanation of the four mudras with respect to each of the three vehicles – hinayana, the mahayana, and tantrayana, see pages 216-218 of The Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra by the Dalai Lama, Alexander Berzin. Published by Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-072-7