The Practice of Chö

Geshe Tenzin Yangton, resident lama at Serenity Ridge Retreat Center in Nelson County, Virginia, demonstrates the traditional Tibetan Bön practice of chöd (chö).

Many of life's problems have to do with fear and attachment, the most basic obstacles to realizing one's essential nature. The ancient practice of chöd is a creative and skillful method for dissolving these obstacles.

Chöd literally means 'to cut.' Traditionally, chöd practitioners (chödpas) would practice most often in external natural environments believed to harbor harmful energy from the spirits of nature, whose provocations were incited by disharmony between the human and spirit worlds. The chödpa would travel into the mountains, chanting with drum and bell, in order to conquer the spirits with a ‘sword of wisdom' and reharmonize the energy between the two worlds.

In the chöd practice, the fearful provocation of the spirits is also considered an external manifestation of one's own internal fear and attachments. Thus, one can emphasize confronting one's fear and emotion from the comfort of a meditation cushion.

The chöd practice can help one to overcome the ignorance, attachment and aversion that are at the source of all fear; and to unleash one’s potential for creativity, dissolve emotional conflicts and reconnect to one’s natural state — the state that is innately open, aware and fearless.

More information about Serenity Ridge Retreat Center: http://serenityridge.ligminchainstitute.org/

More information about the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet: http://www.ligmincha.org/en/

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Видео The Practice of Chö канала Ligmincha International