In the Kagyu understanding, Mahamudra turns attention back upon mind itself, emphasizing direct recognition of its nature rather than elaborate analysis. Mind is described as empty of any solid, independent self, yet at the same time luminous, knowing, and capable of unimpeded compassionate responsiveness. Thoughts and emotions are regarded as transient manifestations that do not define this fundamental nature; when left unaltered, they arise and dissolve within awareness. The practice rests on non-fabrication: allowing experiences to unfold without suppression, enhancement, or conceptual elaboration. In this way, emptiness is not treated as a cold void, but as inseparable from clarity and knowing.

To stabilize this recognition, Kagyu Mahamudra unites calm abiding and insight. Through shamatha, attention becomes steady and pliable; through vipashyana, that steadiness is used to investigate and directly see the nature of mind. The two are not cultivated as separate tracks but as a single, integrated discipline in which stillness and clarity function together. This training is often structured through progressive stages, such as one-pointedness, simplicity or freedom from elaboration, one taste, and finally non-meditation, where the division between formal practice and ordinary activity falls away. At that point, resting in the natural state is described as effortless and spontaneous.

A distinctive feature of this approach is the centrality of direct introduction to the nature of mind by a realized teacher. Pointing-out instructions are not merely doctrinal explanations, but a living transmission through which the student is guided to recognize the awareness that is already present. Devotion and trust in the guru and lineage are therefore regarded as powerful supports, allowing the blessing of realization to take root and mature. On this basis, practice proceeds through non-distraction—repeatedly returning to, and then sustaining, that recognition—until confidence in the view becomes unshakeable.

Mahamudra is not confined to the meditation seat; its fruition is the integration of this recognition into all aspects of life. As the unity of emptiness and clarity becomes more stable, experiences of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, are understood as sharing a single taste within the expanse of awareness. When grasping relaxes in this way, thoughts and appearances are allowed to self-liberate, and compassionate activity can unfold more freely. The path thus moves from recognizing the ground nature of mind, through the disciplined cultivation of that recognition, toward a state where wisdom and compassionate responsiveness manifest naturally for the benefit of beings.