Chöd of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Welcome to the Chöd of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

Cut through fear, fixation and clinging, by nurturing not fighting, what disturbs our mind.

We are very happy you have chosen to join us to learn this very powerful and timely practice. May you receive the benefit of the profound healing of this practice and may that benefit be shared by all beings.

What is Chöd?

Developed in the 11th century by the great Tibetan yogini Machig Labdrön, the practice of Chöd is at the heart of her lineage and has slowly transformed from an obscure practice lineage into a cornerstone of multiple schools of Tibetan Buddhism.  Instead of banishing or fighting with negative forces, Chöd facilitates the ceremonial offering of one’s own body as sustenance for the benefit of beings. Unlike the images common to many spiritual traditions where the giver gives at a detriment to their own vital force, in this offering there is neither depletion nor detriment to the giver. Through this profound act of love, one’s self-clinging is undermined and awakening naturally dawns.

A unique blend of the Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Tibetan Shamanic traditions, with deep philosophical roots in the Prajñāparamitā (Perfection of Wisdom) literature, Chöd – the practice of severance –  is a profound ritual of healing for oneself and for the world.  Chöd practitioners in Tibet were long renowned for their supreme healing capacity, especially in instances of epidemic disease.

Schedule:

We created self-paced online programs to meet people who are learning and practicing in the midst of the business of modern life. While this course gives you the freedom to meet the teachings within the rhythm of your own life, we highly recommend that you set a schedule for yourself that includes a regular study time (we recommend once a week) and a regular practice time (ideally daily.) Setting a schedule will support you immensely in realizing your intention for this course.

Do not feel pressured to learn it all at once!  Allow yourself to go at your own pace, taking it one step at a time: begin by learning the melodies, then add another elements, the drumming, or the bell until you can do it all together.  Whenever you feel ready, join one of our regular practice groups (see “Community” below).

Materials:

• Teaching Materials: Your registration allows you to return to access/review the lessons at your own pace through the course of your study.  Any pdfs of texts etc. are included as downloadable files.  A hardcopy of our practice text is available through our Dakini Store.
• Ritual Items: The practice is accompanied by a Chöd drum and bell, creating a ritual environment that is rich with many layers of symbolic and energetic depth.  You can find these and other items to support your practice by visiting our Dakini Store.   
• If you have any questions or special requests you can contact our Dakini Store directly.
  • Purchases made at the Dakini Store directly support the mission and operation of Tara Mandala as well as many talented craftsmen and artisans.
• Become a Sustaining Sangha Member and enjoy a 5% discount all year round!

Community:

• Online Practice Communities: Once you have begun the practice, please go to our satellite sangha practice calendar to find a group that you can practice with.  Chöd practice is offered several times a month by several of our sanghas. New practitioners are always welcome.

• Discussion Forum:  Although this is a self-paced course, we encourage you to share your experience and reflections on the discussion forum, which is a private group on Mighty Networks, Tara Mandala’s community platform.  Especially in a virtual community, your voice is a gift that breaks the wall of anonymity and builds a bridge across time and space to fellow travelers on this path. We are students and teachers to each other. Jump in!
  • Click here to join the CNNR Chӧd Practice Community group

Note: A “Lung” is required prior to doing this practice.  It is an oral transmission which contains the blessings and energetic purity of the lineage.  It can only be received live (not by recording) and we offer them about every 3 months.  If you have not received the Lung for this practice, please go here to register for the next one.   It is a donation based event.

Questions: 

• Technical Support: For any problems accessing your course please reach out to support@taramandala.org.
• Online Program Support:  For all other questions related to online programs, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Online Programs Coordinator at onlineprograms@taramandala.org.

Website Navigation:

• You will find your individual lessons in the course content menu below.
• The lessons must be completed in order and each page must be marked “complete” (red button at the bottom of each lesson page) or you will not be able to proceed to the next lesson.
• If you have any difficulty navigating this portal, please refer to our step-by-step instruction in our website navigation guide or watch this short video.