Product Description

Chod refers to cutting through the ego and emotional entanglements.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #748771 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 236 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781559390392
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Review
"...provides some wonderful material on the Chod lineage, Machig Labdron's biography, and the origins of Mahamudra Chod....With its publication, we come a little bit closer to feeling the spirit and incisive wisdom of this great yogini." --Tsultrim Allione, author of Women of Wisdom

Review
"[Jerome Edou] skillfully balances the historical and hagiographical, and deftly expounds her great teaching of the Mahamudra Chod....Consider reading this book as a spiritual investment."

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Customer Reviews

Proper perspective on the Chöd of Mahamudra
This is a great book on Chöd. It explains 3 levels of practice with the most famous, the offering of one's body to the demons, as the lowest level and Mahamudra approach as the highest. It provides the context for understanding (i.e. knowledge vs. mere information). It also describes the many varied sources used in this study. Lineages are described in both words and diagrams. It includes not only historical/biographical data but also the hagiographical/miraculous/mythical tradition. The latter is expertly explained via pithy, concise endnotes. Most importantly are the explanations of the relationships among Chöd, Mahamudra, and the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita Sutras of various lengths--see Conze's translations--including the Heart Sutra). Perhaps the most key concept is the definition of demon (there's an interesting analysis of 4 types provided by Machig). Some great illustrative quotes:

p. 67-9: quoting Machig: `The origin of all demons is in the mind itself. When awareness holds on and embraces any outer object, it is in the hold of a demon. Likewise, mind is stained when a [mental image] is wrongly taken to be a real object. In this way, all outer and inner objects grasped by mind as if they were real which thereby generate desire, aversion, or arrogance, should be viewed as demons because they prevent the realization of the clear light emptiness nature of mind, Mahamudra...Since mistaken grasping to reality comes from material objects, I have explained this as tangible demons...The intangible demons...are the positive or negative thoughts that arise in the mind...the intangible demons ...are the emotions such as suffering and so forth...they all derive from arrogance, the faulty grasping onto a self. They are the demons of mistaken attachment to reality.'

pp. 73-4: quoting Machig: `whatever miraculous displays of gods and demons appear, recognize them as the miraculous display of your own mind.'

p. 76: quoting Machig: `Attachment to any phenomenon whatsoever, from coarse form to omniscience, should be understood as the play of a demon.'

pp. 76-7: The main function of Chöd: to serve as a link between the highest metaphysical vision and the popular religion.

I'd also recomment Tsultrim Allione's cassette entitled: "Feeding the Demons: Relaxing Dualism." You can also read Lama Zopa's pamplet on Chöd for a description of the practice. For extensive descriptions with minute details of the lowest level practices see "Machik's Complete Explanation Explanation Clarifying the Meaning of Chöd" by Sarah Harding.

Long on psychology, short on superstition
Loved this book! This book emphasizes the psychological nature of chod practice, and works very hard to disentangle historical fact from mythical or mystical explication. The explanations of the lineage, and the historical context of different chod lineages was very, ahem, elightening. Good book.

Wonderful book on chad and Mahamudra
This is a wonderful book, clearly written and well researched yet able to impart the mystery of Chod. This book taught me more about emptiness than any other book I have read, including the mulamadyamika by Nagarjuna>Not for beginners but a fabulous book.