Chö: Entering the Mandala of MaChik

Purpose

• To Receive all the tools necessary for novice to intermediate level of practice.
• To understand the essential meaning of Realm of Chöd.
• To learn the principles, background, purpose of Chöd
• Benefits of Chöd for self & others.
• To acquire essential meditation and ritual skills to begin regular Chö practice.

Transmissions of MaChik

• Opening of the Sky Door—empowerment & initiation for all Chö practices.
• Machik Mantra Practice—transmission/permission of DenTok ChikMa.
• Transmission of the PeGyal Linpa and Kusali Tsok practices.
• Mahamudra practice—transmission of Machik Sol Deb.

Summary of Topics

Initiation of the Sky Door

For the complete authorization to undertake any Vajrayana practice requires an empowerment, reading transmission and teaching (Tib: wong, lung and tri). This empowerment or wong is traditionally in the form of a single ritual, the Opening of the Sky Door (Tib: nam kha go gye). Coming from the lineage of Padampa Sangye and MaChik, there are a number of closely related versions, but all open the gateway to any and all Chöd practices. Some traditions offer additional MaChik blessing empowerments (the Do Kyentse lineage) or Troma dakini empowerment (both Dudjom Lingpa and Gelugpa traditions), but these relate to associated yidam practices rather than Chöd per se. Tsewong Rinpoche will confer the initiation, along with the reading transmissions, handing down in an unbroken “mouth to ear” lineage since the time of MaChik. The entire empowerment is simultaneously translated and sections are repeated together in English for full comprehension.

Chöd Lineage Prayer

This popular short prayer to the lineages of Chod (the PaGyu prayer) is used by Kagyu and Nyingma practitioners as a preliminary to a variety of sadhanas. Written by the illustrious Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339), the Third Karmapa, this realized master firmly established Chod within the Kagyu lineages, preserving and collating MaChik’s existing corpus of work. Though brief, recitation of this prayer or SolDeb opens the conduit to the remarkable blessing stream of the enlightened stream of Chöd masters, including MaChik herself. Further it sets the stage for practice with aspirations for realization on this very seat.

The MaChik Soldeb Prayer

This wonderful daily prayer presents the quintessence of Mahamudra and Dzokchen. This liturgy begins with a guru yoga, which evokes the certain blessing of the Sole Mother, dakini MaChik Labdrön. It then proceeds with extremely pithy and profound instructions that cover the entire spectrum of the path, from impermanence to Yidam practice, and from of pointing out the nature of mind, to subtle aspects of luminosity and view. The text is an original composition of the great scholar and mahasiddhi, Karma Chagmé (1613-1678). He collected the twenty-two essential practices of MaChik (collated earlier by Rangjung Dorjé) into the Precious Rosary group of texts (Rinpoche Tsogley Trengwa). Lama Jinpa’s transliteration and translation are in a style that favors the poetic and evocative nature of this profound sadhana.

Kusali Tsok

Jigmé Lingpa (1729-1798) was an extraordinary terton, whose collection of revealed treasures, the Longchen Nyingtik (Heart Essence of Longchenpa) had a profound and lasting effect on the whole of Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Nyingma tradition. Though he wrote only one full Chöd practice, this ritual (Laughter of the Dakinis or Khandro Gejang) become the dominant Chöd of the Nyingma, as well as many Kagyu lamas, right up to the present day. However, a second, very condensed and handy Chöd practice is found within his Preliminary Practices or Ngondro. The Kusali Tsok has also become very popular, as it contains all elements of Chöd, can be accomplished rapidly, and is a perfect vehicle for inserting other healing or specialized practices. It is short enough to be memorized easily and becomes a staple in the compassionate armamentarium of the Chöpa.

Pegyal Lingpa Concise Chöd

Pegyal Lingpa was the greatest terton or treasure revealor of 20th century Bhutan. Living the life of an unconventional yogi or ngakpa, the legacy of his visionary work is his 5-volume Three Sacred Bodies of Wisdom Mind (Kusum Gongdu). Poetic and pointed, his various practices cut very quickly and succinctly to the heart of the matter. With its haunting dakini melody and profound Dzokchen approach, his brief Chöd is a powerful and vibrant practice. The conclusion, Carrying on the Path, is a true guide to living each moment in full awareness. Tsewong Rinpoche is the sole dharma heir and lineage holder of Pegyal Lingpa,  “tamer of beings.” And this is the first translation of this valuable practice.

Den Tok Chik Ma

“Enlightenment on One Seat” is an essential practice for anyone entering the door of Chöd. Written by Padamapa Sangye himself, it is the only Yidam practice featuring MaChik, blue in color and with the wrathful attributes of Vajrayogini. Using a three-fold visualization (self, front and skullcup/mirror) it brings down the powerful blessings of the entire Chöd lineage. The core of the practice is the MaChik mantra, while the conclusion has a unique lineage blessing with different deities in each of our chakras. There is a special shrine set-up, including a skullcup and the practice can be done on a retreat basis or daily ritual to accumulate the required number of mantras. This exquisite MaChik practice is known to all Kagyu and Nyingma Chöd practitioners, but has previously not been taught in the West. The accurate translation allows one to perform this in English is so required, so receive the direct blessings of MaChik, just as she promises in the liturgy.

Special Prayers

There are six special prayers that are also transmitted in Module 1.
The Confession Prayer of MaChik is an ideal daily practice that helps with our ongoing mental purification and clarity, as well as drawing in the blessing stream of MaChik and the lineage of Chöd. The melody is particularly beautiful and haunting.
The Prayers to the Four Gates of the Reliquery. These four short sadhandas, two composed by the sons of MaChik, are exquisite guru yoga practices, as well as containing pith dharma instructions and mind transmissions.
The Exhortation of the 100,000 Dakinis is a brief and powerful tune for bringing in the blessings of the Divine Feminine Wisdom Energy—the Dakini Principle, written by Machik herself.

Catalog Download

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Download Schedule

Distance Learning 2011

MODULE 1: ONLINE EMPOWERMENT

September 18

USA a.m. PST; 2 p.m. EST

Europe: 8 pm (London)

Cost

For all printing materials, CDs and Online transmissions: $275
May be paid by PayPal, check or in installments (see application, schedule and catalog for download above!).
This is the minimum prerequisite for Module 2 and all more advanced training.
May the lineage of MaChik and her successors continue to shower vast benefit on beings limitless as space!