Yogi Chen’s Ritual of Chod

1. Brief Introduction

From Lama Gensang Zecheng I received "Great Perfection Pinnacle Wisdom," and from Dharma teacher Rev. Yan Ding I received the oral instruction on the text and commentary of the preliminary practice of this practice, which I had written down. The Gushali (Kusali) Accumulation, i.e., the practice of almsgiving of the body, contained therein consists of only eighteen sentences. The supreme practice of this method belongs to the Jiulangba (Chodpa) Lineage which has been transmitted from Maji Nozhun (Machig Labdron; the transliteration is in accordance with Guru Chen’s pronunciation) down to the present day. The practitioners of this lineage do not practice other sadhanas but concentrate on this practice, and many attained realizations. This practice can dispel the concept of the body, cut through the attachment to self, and ward off hindrance caused by Karmic creditors, thereby enabling a straightforward advancement on the Great Path toward Bodhi. I searched for this teaching, but due to the absence of an Tibetan-Chinese interpreter, I failed to translate the root tantra of this teaching. Consequently, based on the eighteen sentences on Gushali which constitute one of the six preliminary practices of Great Perfection, I expand the sequence and write down this work.

2. Main Text

(1) Motivation

        May all sentient beings, who are limitless, like space, in number and are like mother to me, possess pure and joyful body, and the causes resulting in such a body!
        May all sentient beings, who are limitless, like space, in number and are like mother to me, be free from impure and tormenting body, and the causes resulting in such a body!
        May all sentient beings, who are limitless, like space, in number and are like mother to me, be inseparable from Great Pleasure Wisdom Non-death Rainbow Body!
        May all sentient beings, who are limitless, like space, in number and are like mother to me, stay far away from distinguishing friends and foes, relatives and enemies, and abide in the equanimity of the Great Essential Body!

(2) Contemplation on Impermanence

Visualize that all Karmic creditors, from present and past lives, of oneself and others in the cemetery, appear and gather in front, simultaneously become keenly aware of impermanence, and preach Dharma to them. Then recite the following stanza with the accompaniment of bell and drum, chanting in a slow tempo.

        All those present and gather here have a sorrowful body;
        Our sufferings are rooted in dependence on the body.
        All things are originally pure, without a polluted body;
        Defilement is piled up by one owing to this ignorance.
        Possessing an impure body causes grasping of it as a castle of self;
        Benefiting oneself and annoying others, all faults are thus accomplished.
        Mind having grasped at this body, the body is no longer light;
        Piling layers upon layers of impurity, the coarse five elements are formed.
        Coarse wind drifts and flows, with ignorance riding on this trend;
        Like a horse out of control, the five poisons are ever winding.
        The body leads to greedy love, such love leads to seven sorts of emotions;
        The body leads to ignorance or anger, these are also causes for downfall.
        Killing and Robbing are mainly committed by hand, leading to sexual misconduct are the eyes;
        How many sinful deeds are committed by voice from the mouth!
        Empty stomach and dried intestines, frostbite and cracked skin,
        Unbearable hunger and cold are followed by misdeeds.
        Eating salty dried animal corpse, wearing materials woven by silkworms,
        Tramping on insects while walking, how many lives have we damaged?
        When heavy and coarse five poisons pervade, anger and killing cause the downfall into hell;
        The body will be broken into pieces and then revive instantly to repeat the punishment, no break for such sins!
        Leprosy and cholera are born from greed in food and sex;
        Crippled legs, cramped hands and venereal diseases may thus gather in the body.
        Followers of other religions practice with attachment to the body, and hence cannot transcend samsara;
        The wrong view of a self leads to ascetic practice of vainly covering the body with ashes.
        Variation in Karma of the three realms is dependent on the coarseness of their bodies;
        Formless realm is free from the body and yet still bound by the confines of space.
        To pursue clothing and food for the body, family members fight against one another;
        Distinguishing friends and foes, families and countries, the world is full of wars.
        Heavenly bodies suffer five defects, human beings may die young suddenly;
        Having tiny neck but huge stomach, hungry ghosts are even more pitiful.
        The strong preying on the weak, bows and arrows, nets and traps,
        Knives and cutting boards, pans and pots, the sorrow of animal bodies are multiple.
        Eight freezing and eight sizzling hells, lasting for many kalpas,
        Suffering without a break, the body is restored as soon as it is in pieces!
        Sinful deeds are committed by the body, consequences are also received by the body;
        In transmigration beings are preying on others who were their children in past lives, without realizing this fact.
        Just considering the debts and hostility of this life, when can they be paid off?
        Understanding that the grasping mind is without substance, we attain equanimity.

(3) Visualization of Impure and Pure Bodies

Visualize in the impure body a white wisdom drop, the size of a pea, situated within the medium nerve at the center of the heart chakra. This wisdom drop gathers all wisdom wind and the pure six elements— the constituents of all Buddha bodies, the essence of life and merits without remains; the rest of the body is impure. Yell "Pei" (Phat) once to eject this wisdom drop upward through the Gate of Rebirth in Pureland at the top of the head. Visualize that this wisdom drop transforms into the black Hai Mu (Dorje Pagmo) whose appearance is just as described in the Sadhana of Hai Mu.

Abide in the Samadhi of All-in-One, a Hua-Yen (Avatamsaka) Mystic Gate, and visualize that the sinful Karma, sickness, hindrance, and evil disturbance of all sentient beings in the three realms are gathering into the impure body left below. All beings, including oneself, who have been persecuted by Karmic creditors and enemies, merge into this body and are ready to be offered.

(4) Transformation of Impurity through Offering

A. At first visualize the usual offering of five kinds of meat and five kinds of nectar in a skull cup. Recite these six words: Lang, Yang, Kang, Weng, A, Hong, and simultaneously visualize according to their respective meanings of fire, wind, space, increase, purify and transform.

B. Then visualize in accordance with the following stanza. At the beginning of each sentence yell "Pei" first, and visualize the pure body of Hai Mu cut this part off the impure body and add it into the skull cup.

The thick forest of delusions, the self grasped by other religions, chop off the head, contain the offerings to be rid of heavenly demons. The sinful Karma of the five-limb body, accumulated from killing and erotic behavior, mince it to pieces and powder, thereby all grievances are forgiven.

The five organs and six intestines, the thirty-six impurities, chop them into pieces and stripes, the demons of Death and Aggregates are eliminated.

Leprosy and malignant poisons, all sorts of contagious germs, transformed into nectar, what can the Demon of Disease employ?

Sinful speeches are issued from the tongue, throat and windpipe, chop them off and offer them to Buddha, grudge and animosity are thereby released.

Delusions and scattered thoughts, all Karmic winds, join the air to blow up the fire, after the offering all are relinquished.

Mental Karma of greed, anger and ignorance, most are rooted in the sexual organs, chop it off and transform it into offering, enemies of jealousy are forever pulverized.

Six imbalances of fire and water elements, transformed into the soup in the skull cup, or help the cooking fire, they will not run wild from now on!

(5) Bless the Offerings

A. Recite in the usual fashion, "Lang, Yang, Kang" and consider the fire of desires and the wind of Karma transform into those of wisdom, and the skull of the impure body merge into the huge skull cup visualized earlier, and all delusions also merge into the skull cup. Recite as usual, "Weng, A, Hong" and consider all parts of the body that have been chopped off are thereby transformed from scant to abundance, from impure to pure, and from Karmic to transcendental; then all these merge into a boundless ocean of nectar for limitless offering.

B. Recite the following stanza and visualize accordingly:

            The supreme blessing, like a shadow without substance, beyond awareness and intention, light of equanimity pervades.
            (Abide in the Mahamudra Samadhi of Wisdom Light) The secret blessing, the A-Han (Ewam) joy of the Yidam, proper and improper sexual behaviors, all are full of wisdom drops.
            (Abide in the Embrace Union Samadhi of Bliss Sunyata. All worldly and transcendental beings merge with the Yidam parents, thereby even beings engaging in wrong sexual behaviors are blessed and offer their wisdom drops.)

            The inner blessing, Maha Yoga, the Great Harmony, killing in itself or as means, killing indiscriminately, the meat is piling up.
            (Abide in the Great Subduing Samadhi of Mahakala. Killing all evil, demonic beings and yet transfer their consciousness into Yidam bodies, and their corpses are added into the ocean of nectar for offering.)

            The outer blessing, all sorts of red and white delicacies, pure without pollution, all inclusive without omission.
            (Abide in the Pervading Heaven-and-Earth Samadhi of Great Offering. Abide in the incomprehensible Mystic Gate of Mutual Complementary of Visible and Invisible; all meat and vegetables in the world, of men or heaven, become offerings without interfering one another.)

(6) Formal Offering and Almsgiving

A. First make offerings to the Gurus, Yidams, Dakinis, Protectors, etc.

B. Then make almsgiving to all grudgers and creditors of oneself and others in present and past lives, fulfill their appetites so that they are all very pleased and become Dharma protectors, no longer causing obstacles. After the almsgiving of nectar, offer them Buddhist teachings, at least recite the Heart Sutra once and the Mantra of Releasing Grievances seven times, or recite, in addition, other sutras, mantras or stanzas to instill wisdom and compassion. The details are omitted (by the author, but not the translator) here.

(7) Participation in Realization

Eat and drink the food offerings that are displayed in the Mandala; visualize oneself as the Yidam and recite the following stanza:

        Like gold in ore, once purified would not be ore again, majestic and magnificent, the vajra body is holy and pure.
        Tummo needs no clothing, nectar needs no food, partaking food on behalf of all beings, there is neither gain nor loss.
        Karmic winds are exhausted, scattered thoughts no longer arise, abiding in right thoughts, Dharmakaya is as indestructible as diamond.
        Lion king entering the forest, pacing at will without fear, in contact with five poisons, the four demons dare not confront.
        Wisdom body with wisdom eyes, seeing without duality, no trace of self, neither intention nor mistake.
        Abiding in the equanimity of friends and foes, renouncing all love and hatred, the great compassion of same entity, turning all connections into enlightening activities.
        Great enjoyment of wisdom, the sublime joy offered by Dakinis, the precious youthful vase body, supreme joy everlasting.
        Pure body with all nerves open, supernatural transformations occur without limit, fulfill completely all wishes, salvation of all beings that ends samsara!
        Inconspicuously, as the Eternal Silent Light; conspicuously, as the wondrous rainbow; completing with the eight merits, it is the treasure of all Enlightenment.
        Free from preconception and live in ease, without the body yet the great self remains, as long as there are beings remain in samsara, that would be the reason for my non-death.

(8) Dedication of Merits

        Seer and hearer, ridiculer and accuser, when being thought of, they all become liberated.
        From the impure body transform into wisdom body; eternal, joyful, free and pure, all attain Buddha’s five bodies.

Source

By Dr. Yutang Lin
yogichen.org