Yuthok Chöd

In this online course, participants will receive a comprehensive introduction and overview of the ancient Tibetan Buddhist practice of Chöd, as presented in the Yuthok Nyingthig tradition. Participants will learn a short pithy sadhana known as the Yuthok Nyingthik Lujin (“Body Offering”) or Kusali Tsok (“Beggar’s Feast”), based on the writings of Yuthok Yönten Gönpo.  This is a perfect practice for modern times, especially for those involved in the healing arts, as a concise daily sadhana at the intersection of spirituality and medicine.

Based on the teachings of the 11th-century Tibetan yogini Machig Labdrön, the ritual of Chöd ("Severance") has been employed by yogis, healers, and magicians across the Himalayas for nearly a millennia. Accomplished adepts are famed throughout the Tibetan world for their ability to quell epidemic diseases and appease troublesome spirits, giving Chöd a prominent reputation as a healing rite. 

 The esoteric allure of this ritual has captivated spiritual seekers and academics alike for centuries, yet its essence is not one of occult mystery but rather a profound understanding of the nature of the mind. Machig's teachings on the nature of gods and demons reveal the true nature of our hopes and fears, while the ritual framework of the practice offers an opportunity to accumulate positive karma, develop spiritual potency, cancel karmic debts, and heal both the environment and its sentient inhabitants. On a most essential level, however, the true power of Chöd lies in its power to cut through dualistic ego-fixation - the root of all afflictions - and to provide us with an opportunity to rest in the nature of our own mind. 

While Machig's Chöd tradition was once its very own 'chariot' of Tibetan Buddhist teachings, over the centuries her teachings became absorbed into nearly all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Today, Chöd is often treated as a kind of 'auxiliary practice,' but it can itself comprise a complete path to liberation. 

In this course, Erik Jampa Andersson will offer instructions and commentary on the practice of the Yuthok Nyingthig Lüjin, providing historical and philosophical context as well as practical instructions for starting (or deepening) your own Chöd practice. We will also explore the many links between Chöd and Sowa Rigpa, including Machig's own teachings on medicine as well as approaches to provocation (gDon) disorders in both traditions. 

Central to both Tibetan medical theory and the Chöd tradition is an in-depth understanding of the nature of unseen beings. While great attention has been paid to the psychological application of Chöd in recent years, this course will expand more thoroughly upon the animistic and ecological components of the practice, illuminating the ways we can use Chöd to deepen our relationship with the beings of the natural world - both seen and unseen.

This course includes the following:

• In-depth introduction to the philosophy and 'worldview' of Chöd, including its historical and spiritual context.

• An overview of the life and teachings of Machig Labdrön and Yuthok Yönten Gönpo.

• A line-by-line commentary on the Yuthok Nyingthig Lujin.

• Melody and instrument training (for those who wish to use them).

• Introduction to Tibetan daemonology and provocation disorders.

• Healing applications of Chöd.

• Practical and ritual advice.

• Resources for further training.

• Audio and video files of the practice.