namo mahāmudrāya

I had obtained a lot of practice instructions and oral transmissions for mahāmudrā and to some extent became aware of how to safeguard [the practice when mind] abides and moves. I was inclined to it more and more and, merely not losing sight of it, I kept on maintaining [the practice] continuously but there was no benefit at all. After a long time had passed, I became discouraged and was in big danger of giving up. Therefore, the secret teachings enhancing [the practice] are very important here. Hence this primordial consciousness called mahāmudrā is widely taught in all new and old tantra collections. The path that all mahāsiddhas of India and Tibet took is unparalleled and widely renowned, like the Sun and the Moon. It is not understood by those who [only] have great knowledge; they know the vast textual tradition, but do not recognize it. Even the scholars of the five sciences do not know it. They longed for it but with no benefit; it was not recognized [for what it is] in itself.

The method of recognizing what was not recognized, increasing it and gaining stability in it is nothing else than devotion to the lama. It is called the path of secret mantra inspiration. There is no other method for obtaining inspiration except devotion; nothing but devotional invocation. It is called the path of devotional invocation. The object of the invocation cannot be just anybody. Like the mould of the form to be pressed in a tsa-tsa, it is the lama of transmission lineage who is needed for mahāmudrā. Nowadays, after obtaining mahāmudrā practice instructions and oral transmissions from a word transmission lama, one can invoke a meaning transmission lama; Dagpopa, Düsum Khyenpa, Götsangpa promised that in the future, after obtaining mahāmudrā practice instructions and oral transmissions, one will hold on to them as root lamas, invoke [them] and ask for inspiration, and [so] the experience and recognition will emerge. That is why devotion is the head of meditation.

The standpoints of particular systems are not the same, but in the three sutras like Lotus Sutra, King of Meditative Absorption Sutra, etc.