user11718: I am attracted to the idea of meditating upon the mind as a path to liberation, as I understand is emphasized in mahamudra.  However, I dislike the idea of guru yoga, or meditating in reverence or worship towards living or recently deceased individuals, like the 16th Karmapa. Holding another person up on such a pedestal rubs me the wrong way, and I do not know if I can honestly practice guru yoga. (I wouldn’t mind meditating upon the Buddha. I understand you are supposed to imagine the guru as the Buddha, but I do not want to do that either.)
Do you have any recommendations on what to do? Are there other schools that offer meditation upon the mind, but do not have such emphasis on the guru aspect?
Similarly, I am discouraged by having to do so many prostrations, but this is not as discouraging as guru yoga.

user19480: The Surangama Sutra lays out just such a path, focused on the mind and meditation on the nature of mind. The Buddhist Text Translation Society will let you download a free copy of theirs, or you can buy one if you prefer a physical book.

user21576: I'd recommend Shamatha with the mind as an object or without an object (awareness of awareness) as taught by Alan Wallace, see e.g. the later sessions of this retreat: The Way of Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace - YouTube (there's a little bit of guru yoga in few separate sessions, but they're not neccessary for the main shamatha practice) or his book "The Attention Revolution". This practice can also be combined with paths like mahamudra or dzogchen, but doesn't have to.

11718: <p>I am attracted to the idea of meditating upon the mind as a path to liberation, as I understand is emphasized in mahamudra.  However, I dislike the idea of guru yoga, or meditating in reverence or worship towards living or recently deceased individuals, like the 16th Karmapa. Holding another person up on such a pedestal rubs me the wrong way, and I do not know if I can honestly practice guru yoga. (I wouldn’t mind meditating upon the Buddha. I understand you are supposed to imagine the guru as the Buddha, but I do not want to do that either.)</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendations on what to do? Are there other schools that offer meditation upon the mind, but do not have such emphasis on the guru aspect?</p>
<p>Similarly, I am discouraged by having to do so many prostrations, but this is not as discouraging as guru yoga.</p>
 19480: <p>The Surangama Sutra lays out just such a path, focused on the mind and meditation on the nature of mind. The Buddhist Text Translation Society will let you download a free copy of theirs, or you can buy one if you prefer a physical book.</p>
 21576: <p>I'd recommend Shamatha with the mind as an object or without an object (awareness of awareness) as taught by Alan Wallace, see e.g. the later sessions of this retreat: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xyikn0_IWU&amp;list=PL0YBPqRedGKq3N6f330ec9HINoJDfJp7h" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Way of Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace - YouTube</a> (there's a little bit of guru yoga in few separate sessions, but they're not neccessary for the main shamatha practice) or his book &quot;The Attention Revolution&quot;. This practice can also be combined with paths like mahamudra or dzogchen, but doesn't have to.</p>
