On the Monday before Halloween, Rinpoche typically leads the practice of Chöd . He jokingly said it was because the text mentions ghosts, but as all who are familiar with the practice know it is a powerful method for cutting through the ego and transforming through love and compassion the worst of ghouls and demons: our own ignorance, anger and attachment. Below is a video from August of 2020 of Rinpoche practicing Chöd.
The Chöd practice was developed in the 11th century by the Tibetan female ascetic Machig Labdrön. Chöd, which means “to cut,” is a profound path of severing dualistic fixation and ego-clinging. For the chod practitioner, the body is regarded as the primary object of clinging. Through visualizing one’s consciousness as the female Buddha T’hroma Nagmo (The “Wrathful Black Mother”) the yogi or yogini offers the ordinary body to the assembled guests: enlightened beings, gods and demons (personifications of the five poisons), and those owed karmic debts, purifying negative karma and accumulating merit on a vast scale. Combining the view of the Prajnaparamita Sutra with the highest view of Dzogchen, Chöd is known for its haunting melodies and ritual instrumentation. When performed for others, it is a powerful healing ritual.
There are two translations of the text Rinpoche has used–both have Tibetan and English.
