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Machik's Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chod (Tsadra Foundation)

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Machik Labron, historically a Tibetan woman (11th-12th century) and contemporary of Milarepa, was an adept, an outstanding teacher, a mother, as well as the founder of a unique transmission lineage known as the Chod of Mahamudra.

Chod (Severance) is based on the Prajnaparamita teachings of Buddhist mahayana, and refers to cutting through the grasping at a self and its afflictions. Chod is particularly famous for its teaching on transforming the aggregates of self into an offering of food for demons, as a compassionate act of self-sacrifice.

"With the hook of compassion I catch those evil spirits. Offering them my warm flesh and warm blood as food, through the kindness and compassion of bodhichitta, I transform the way they see everything, and make them my disciples." (Machik Labdron)

The general attitude of the Chod practice is that the meditator does not renounce the world by protecting him- or herself from afflictive emotions, but deliberately evokes these emotions by entering situations or encountering objects that will make them arise, in order to cut through (chod) them and use them on the path of meditation.

This great book, which is already "Machik's complete explanation", together with "Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod" by Jerome Edou (ISBN 1559390395), will give the reader a thorough and complete overview of this great subject.

"To consider adversity as a friend
is the instruction of Chod"
- Machig Labdron

This is an excellent book that covers all aspects of Chod.The internal workings of your physical and energetic(channels,chakras etc) anatomy are explained by Machik to her student.There are detailed explanations from the founder to her students and son on the practice and the stages you encounter in your Chod practice.

The ancient religion of Bon Pa predates Buddhism in Tibet. Among the spiritual practices utilized by Bon Pa (which is Shamanistik in essence) the Chod rite is one of the most sublime and beautiful. Chod is an act of compassion which liberates tortured incorporeal beings such as ghosts and demons from their suffering by entering into direct intimate contact with these confused, angry, and lost beings and offering-up one's very beingness in communion and total empathy thereby providing the chance for their liberation and possible rebirth as a human beings.
Chod is a very complex and extremely dangerous ritual which should only be undertaken by the adept who has received extensive training and the blessing of their guru. This book does a incredible job of explicating Chod, written by Machig Labdron, who is the woman adept who created this powerful healing practice. A wonderful book from the very source of Chod!

The introduction has, like many of the translator's work, a distracting feminist slant. Rather than taking Tibet Buddhism as it is, it is instead seen through the lens of Western sexism. When Machik is told of her destiny she is surprised, like all of us would be. She doubts herself, as all of us would. The translator views this as "a bout of female low self esteem". It might actually be a bout of "low self esteem" or self doubt that is universal in nature. Later, when Machik comes to achieve her compassionate embrace of all beings, she is able to do that in a way that is "particularly feminine and motherly" and "lives up to the feminine stereotype of nurturing and nourishing." But that stereotype is not Tibetan, it is Harding's. In Tibetan tantra yab-yum the Mother Diety is Wisdom and the Father is Compassion. The view of emptiness is the feminine and the bodhicitta is masculine. So, these and other feminist views not only distract they can distort the value of this work. Skip the introduction.

Sarah Harding's introduction of Machik's Complete Explanation and its place in the Tibetan Buddhist Canon is worth the price of the book by itself. As Ms. Harding demonstrates, a translator's facility with Tibetan and academic credentials are not enough; to translate the spirit rather than just the letter of a practice text requires a qualified practitioner. While it doesn't replace receiving instruction from a realized teacher, this book will be invaluable to anyone looking to ground their Vajrayana practice in right view.

I have been a dzogchenpa with both Bon and Nyingma for awhile. I didn't do Chod in the past. Once I read Harding's book and got a very useful background in where Chod comes from, I then read Jerome Edou's book as well. I can now see that Chod is a useful tool for any Dzogchenpa, or for that matter anyone wishing to lose the ego or view point. Our lineages (Bon & Nyingma) both use "Laughter of the Dakinis" as a practice, and thanks to Hardings excellent work I have a deeper understanding of our practice. Sarah...do a similar book on Rechungpa and the teachings he carried forward from Mila.

This book could be greatly condensed. There is relatively little explanation on the actual practice of Chod but tons of legends about Machik (or Machig). The actual technique can, I believe, be greatly simplified--without all the specific imagery (e.g. all the legendary "deities" etc.). BUT, the actual technique is a gem!!! If you want more explanation of the value of Chod, see Edou's book--unless you are interested primarily in history and legends. For an example of a book with a potent ritual that also provides considerable explanation of the process/meaning, see Palden Sherab Rinpoche's "The Practice of Vajrakilaya." My main point of reading these books is to DO it, not just read about it. So I value succinctness and thoughtful explication. Tsultrim Allione, a Western Buddhist nun, has created a cassette tape entitled, "Feeding the Demons: Relaxing Dualism" which succinctly describes Chod. I strongly recommend it. Lama Zopa published a short pamphlet, "Chod: Cutting Off the Truly Existing I" as well. I've now read Jerome Edou's book (Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod) which is wonderful--I highly recommend it. I have also discovered recently that Chod can be combined with or integrated with Tonglen (Giving & Receiving) creating a very powerful technique indeed.