Chöd Sadhana
Lama Yeshe chanted the Chöd sadhana at Istituto Lama Tsongkhapa in Italy in September 1983. Lama Zopa Rinpoche says about the Chöd sadhana: "Chöd cuts off the self-cherishing thought and ignorance, the greatest obstacles on the path to enlightenment. A brave way to exchange oneself for others and develop compassion, Chöd is also a quick method to realize emptiness. Without having these two, compassion and wisdom, there is no way to schieve enlightenment."
This practice strikes right at the heart of the selfish attitude. Rather than defend ourselves from potential harm-givers, here, we imagine offering our treasured bodies to those who would seek to harm us. We also give away body and mind to satisfy the needs of all beings. This forces the practitioner to examine carefully how we hold the "I" and thus presents a supreme opportunity to develop both wisdom and compassion simultaneously. Highly recommended for those with experience in lo-jong, or mind training, this technique is best practiced under the guidance of a teacher.
Read This Sadhana
The sadhana is available from the FPMT Foundation Store. Note that this sadhana is for initiates only. You can also consult Jerome Edou's book Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chöd available from Snow Lion Publications.
