Mahamudra may be considered by different philosophies. In Tantric practices it may be considered as "a ritual hand-gesture, one of a sequence of 'seals' or the supreme attainment of Buddhahood at the culmination of the Tantric path". Here in Chan we consider it as a parallel procedure focusing on the nature of mind, being the nature of one Truth as Emptiness, producing a blissful gnosis with the realization of cognizing empty Non-Duality. As such it is also a gate to Awakening.
Like Chan, Mahamudra is easy to understand but difficult to accomplish
EIGHT SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS FOR READINESS CONCERNING THE MAHAMUDRA PATH
1. Don't bring to conscious mind anything that has passed.
2. Close the conscious mind to what may come.
3. Let go of the present moment.
4. Apply no reason or logic.
5. Dismiss all intentions.
6. Hold no Device of meditation.
7. Dismiss the meditator.
8. Dwell in No-mind.
If Mahamudra can be said to have an object, it is to dwell within the No-mind. But how then is the mind directed, for there can be no Jhana-like Device, only last conceptulizations? What are these last conceptualizations for Mahamudra? This practice of Dwelling in the No-Mind in Mahamudra is advanced by the following last conceptualizations on the nature of the mind.
The Nature of the mind as the Fount of Phenomena as arising, persisting and disappearing.
The Nature of the Still Mind.
The Nature of the Moving Mind in Function, Essence and Undifferentiated Form.
The Nature of the Mind as Body and Body as Mind.
The Nature of the No-Mind.
The Nature of the Mind as the Fount of Phenomena, Still, Moving, and as Mind/Body.