The Chod Practice

The Tibetan people have thousands of years of spiritual knowledge that is available for the opportunity to awaken.

I was blessed in my Tibetan shamanic studies to have learned the ancient practice of chod.

There was a holy woman named Machig Lopdron who lived in Tibet. In her deepest meditative  initiation she encountered facing a part of her mind that held fear. This was manifested as a Naga ( snake spirit). In her awakend state she “fed” the snake demon her body as food, so the suffering spirit could be satisfied. In so doing, she allowed the Naga to gain merit and lessened the karma or pain of the spirit.

This became the foundation of one of the most powerful spiritual practices for “cutting the chords” of fear, known as chod.

I have learned various forms of chod. The one I would like to share now is the original one I learned, which is a shamanic practice for healing the community.

When a shaman is ready for his initiation, they are taken into a hut or cave called the Guffa. It is there that the shaman opens and prays with his drum to awaken the “hungry ghosts” . These angry spirits, known as ” massan” are the spirits that have suffered and are lost. Many are angry and they are always hungry. They wonder with their mouths wide open, never finding what they want and need.

When these spirits are around, in the community there will be suffering, and they spread disease and misfortune.

When the shaman practices chod, it is like a major clean up and clearing of the land, and the shaman also gets healed.

It is called the ” Wise Selfishness,” because when one takes in more pain and suffering into the body and is able to transform the suffering, there is healing for all.

This is the practice I learned and can be done journeying or in a meditative state. It is called The Black Feast.

The North is the place of Transformation and Wisdom. Make an offering to the North and ask to meet the Red Goddess known as Ghang Selmo. Her name is also Devi and she lives in a Red Castle. Journey to her and ask for her blessings. Ask her to give you your Soul essence. Then, ask her if she will be the Goddess who will help you to do chod.

Ask Devi to take you to Machig for her blessing and for her protection.

Next, ask to be taken to the Guffa, near a graveyard. This is nine levels up. At the Guffa, ask to meet Guru Rinpoche who is the original Shaman. Come with an offering and ask for His blessings and protection to do chod.

Once you have your teachers, you are ready.

See yourself in the Guffa with your drum. Circle the hut with tobacco and rice as offerings. Make a spirit plate and put it outside the hut.

Invite Guru Rinpoche to come. See Him offering you a bowl of luminous light. Drink the nectar. See yourself merging with the light of the Guru.

You become the Luminous Light Body.

Say out loud,” With His light is the fire of loving kindness.”

Walk outside of the Guffa and see the massan.

Ask them to come and eat the offerings you made.  See all their suffering and energy as black soot. Inhale the dark energy. Keep inhaling till you are totally full of their pain.

See the Devi ( Goddess) come out of the Guffa and She begins to cut you up ( dismembers you) and places your entire body in a huge cauldron. See the massan eating as much as they can until they are satisfied.

When you know they are fed, ask the Goddess to take you to a place to be ” remembered.” It is in this place that you will be re-born as your luminous body with a renewed fire of compassion in your own heart.

By allowing the lost spirits to eat your luminous body, they are able to gain merit and possibly pass over to the light.

In the ending after you are purified, say a prayer of gratitude and dedicate the practice for the happiness of someone you know who may need healing, love or blessings.

You can do this chod practice for any place or situation that needs healing. If you are in conflict with a person or know a place where there has been devastation or suffering, you allow yourself in the Guffa to be taken there.

It is a deep act of compassionate service, and in doing so, opens your own heart and allows your own fear ( of your body dying) to be released.

All beings are transformed.

For most people, there comes a time in their life when deep transitions are happening, uncertainty is around the corner and times when nothing makes sense.

Nowadays, most folks choose Prozac, weed, sex or some other exciting thing that can distract them from what is really going on inside.

Fifteen years ago when the life I knew was dissolving before me I was praying non-stop for guidance and support of where to go and what to do.

I went to see an old man who was a healer. He knew nothing about me. He looked at my palms and said, “You are a shaman.  In a past life, you were an oak tree . Then I started crying as my body trembled,  feeling the words were so true but I did not understand how or why. He said, “Trees are unconditional love . Find your forest.”

Then I moved to Takoma Park where it is also called, “Tree City.” It is here that I have planted my roots for my healing center, and a home  for my family.

After turning fifty I decided to go back to the land of my ancestors, Ireland. It was on that Emerald Isle that I found my true ancestors, the oak trees, during my Vision Quest. I would like to share what happened there.

My brother, Andrew, lead a small group of pilgrims to Ireland in 2007. That year had been a tough one for me. My youngest struggling with alcoholism and I was ending a long relationship that had taken the life out of me, so to speak.

I had done Vision Quests before but never one on land that was so alive and full of the energy of the Goddess.

I am sighing right now as I am writing this, remembering how raw I was once I got there. It all settled in my womb, where I started bleeding, after almost a year of not. It felt like my womb was crying, shedding her deepest sorrows. I felt I was circling downward into Her womb of dark, wet wisdom.

I had never experienced that power of connecting to my ancestors like this. I brought my pain of the struggle with my son to the land and She understood. I brought my heart filled with scars of disappointment and shame and She opened me up ever so gently and simply said in Her sweetest whisper…” You are worthy of so much more.”

Never before had I felt so at home. The green of the trees and the sound of the wind brought me to a place of peace I had longed for my whole life.

Wicklow mountains are the home for Glendalough, a spiritual sanctuary where St. Kevin lived among all the animals and nature spirits. It was on this land where Andrew prayed us out for a day of silence and healing. A gentle Vision Quest.

It was early and there was a gentle rain upon me as I walked to the west. My whole being was seeking comfort and shelter. I was drawn up the mountain and the voice of the Grandfather Oak offered His shelter to me. It was here that I made my sacred circle and settled in for the day.

I slept, prayed, and slept some more. When sleeping I had many dreams and visitations from the spirits on the land. I offered tobacco, lavender and prayed with my sacred Ireland Pipe.

As I continued to be in the deep silence, with the Trees and all the loving energy of the land I had a simple vision. As I looked up, there kept being this circle of light that was being help by the leaves of the trees. As the wind gently blew, this circle pulsated and was totally alive with healing energy.

As I allowed myself to merge  with this circle, I could feel a knowing flowing into me. A knowing that I was part of a greater whole. I realized the circle is life, is myself, is love and all there is.

The rest of my time there continued to unfold with magic, grace and wonderment.

After my experience on this Quest, I have had the freedom from loneliness and despair.

And I also know that a Vision Quest does not need to be about suffering. It is about getting quiet enough with all the distraction of life to be able to listen with my eye, ears and heart.

For the land and all Her glory, and Grandfather Oak.

I am forever grateful.