Eva Natanya, 22 May 2020
Eva (Yangchen) starts today’s session by talking about the history and meaning of Chod within the different lineages in Tibetan Buddhism, and the use of this practice within the Dudjom Tersar; Chod serves as a way to get through obstacles and nyam, she highlights. She also explains why we are exploring just a foretaste of the practice. She will speak the root verses in Tibetan, but will not give us the translation, only a brief explanation of the verses.
Yangchen then elaborates on the deep and profound implications of the act of offering and giving, through a practice of Chod. She compares Chod practice to a mind training practice, where we look at the depths of our bodhicitta, and the deepest resources that we can access, to serve all sentient beings. It transforms in this way our relationship with our aggregates, and invites us to go beyond aversion and attachment to a finite body. Eva lists also those who are attending our offering, our guests. She compares this practice to the Eucharist in Christianity, and gives the parallels.
Yangchen reads the verses in Tibetan and explains the visualization related to them; our body, Troma Nagmo, and their characteristics. She goes also through the ritual and offering description. In the file “Prayers of Infinite Light” we can find the verses that she is describing.
The practice starts at 44:20, and is an experiential taste of Chod.
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