The Chöd tradition practiced at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery (KNSL) in Boudhanath, Nepal places a much greater emphasis on awareness (rig pa) and devotion than is recognized in academic studies on Chöd. Moreover, in connection to this... more
The Chöd tradition practiced at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery (KNSL) in Boudhanath, Nepal places a much greater emphasis on awareness (rig pa) and devotion than is recognized in academic studies on Chöd. Moreover, in connection to this emphasis, the spiritual master’s oral instructions play an indispensable role in the practice. This thesis will demonstrate that although the KNSL’s Chöd texts introduce an abundance of information, it is the oral instructions pertaining to Dzokchen and Essence Mahāmudrā which set forth greater details, fine-tune and condense the philosophical content, introduce the different levels of practice, clarify the approach, and highlight key points. Thus, the oral pith instructions determine how Chöd is practiced—bringing awareness and devotion to the forefront—with renunciation and compassion as two key additional methods. It further argues that this demonstrates the living oral tradition as a critical source of information and analysis when studying Chöd texts or similar tantric ritual texts. The oral instructions are the pedagogical instrument which provides a wealth of differentiation and individualization. Furthermore, KNSL’s oral Chöd instructions consolidate the components of intellectualism, passionate emotions, and non-conceptual wakefulness.
This article examines the crucial points of a gter ma text rediscovered by Sangs rgyas gling pa and contained in the Bla ma dgongs ’dus, one of the most ancient gcod texts in the rnying ma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
A general description of the Chöd ritual, with the information shedding light on its origin, purpose, and cultural parallel in a Hindu Tantric left-handed practice known as śāvasādhanā. In addition, some thoughts concerning the ferocious... more
A general description of the Chöd ritual, with the information shedding light on its origin, purpose, and cultural parallel in a Hindu Tantric left-handed practice known as śāvasādhanā. In addition, some thoughts concerning the ferocious features of Kālī and Bhairava are given
The gcod practice, having been formulated in the 11 th to 12 th century by the famous yoginī Ma gcig lab sgron, should technically be considered a gsar ma tradition. Nevertheless, this dramatic and extreme Tantric sādhana has been widely... more
The gcod practice, having been formulated in the 11 th to 12 th century by the famous yoginī Ma gcig lab sgron, should technically be considered a gsar ma tradition. Nevertheless, this dramatic and extreme Tantric sādhana has been widely taught and practiced in the rNying ma school for a remarkable number of centuries. This paper aims to provide an analysis of what major gcod historiographers argue with regards to the origin and the most representative figures of gcod in the context of the rNying ma school of Tibetan Buddhism. In this school, the practice seems to be mainly linked to what we might call the 'khrul/'phrul gcod issue as well as to the gter ma tradition. We will also briefly analyse the earlier rnying ma gcod text corpuses available to us at present, mostly dating up to the 14 th century. In a forthcoming paper we will examine them in greater depth.
Vajrayana, Padampa Sangye, lineage on Gelug, transmitted by 9th Khalka Jetsun Dampa, women chodpa's of Mongolia Buddha's taught about sutra and tantra included in Ganden tradition
Asking, "What is the nature of fear?," "How is it that fear and terror are amenable to being 'severed' or 'transcended'?," and "Why would it be advantageous to 'sever' fear?, this paper investigates the act of cutting-through fear via the... more
Asking, "What is the nature of fear?," "How is it that fear and terror are amenable to being 'severed' or 'transcended'?," and "Why would it be advantageous to 'sever' fear?, this paper investigates the act of cutting-through fear via the Tibetan Buddhist meditative tradition known as 'gCod' (chöd). Through examining Mahayana philosophical notions of self and phenomena, as well as the psychological implications of subject-object reification at the heart of gCod, we elaborate on the interior cognitive and emotional dynamics of gCod praxis. In order to elaborate on these contemplative dynamics, we reflect upon translated verses from one of the seminal texts of the gCod tradition, entitled, The Essence of Enlightened Awareness: The Quintessence of the Profound Meaning of the Entirety of Expositions and Guidance on the Transcendent Wisdom that Cuts-Through.
The gcod practice, having been formulated in the 11th to 12th century by the famous yoginī Ma gcig lab sgron, should technically be considered a gsar ma tradition. Nevertheless, this dramatic and extreme Tantric sādhana has been widely... more
The gcod practice, having been formulated in the 11th to 12th century by the famous yoginī Ma gcig lab sgron, should technically be considered a gsar ma tradition. Nevertheless, this dramatic and extreme Tantric sādhana has been widely taught and practiced in the rNying ma school for a remarkable number of centuries. This paper aims to provide an analysis of what major gcod historiographers argue with regards to the origin and the most representative figures of gcod in the context of the rNying ma school of Tibetan Buddhism. In this school, the practice seems to be mainly linked to what we might call the ’khrul/’phrul gcod issue as well as to the gter ma tradition. We will also briefly analyse the earlier rnying ma gcod text corpuses available to us at present, mostly dating up to the 14th century. In a forthcoming paper we will examine them in greater depth.
