Online: Machig Labdrön – Opening the Gate to the Sky Chod Empowerment & Retreat

About the Practice of Chöd
Chöd is a powerful practice of accepting willingly what is undesirable, cutting through our concepts, reducing our self-cherishing nature leading us closer to our own true nature. The main obstacle to our own enlightenment is our clinging to our own ego, our own existence. When fear, fixation, and self-clinging are cut through, giving rise to the awareness of the pure nature of emotions and the emptiness of mental obscurations. Machig Labdrön created a unique practice of Mahamudra Chöd practice. She is the manifestation of Prajnaparamita, the Great Mother who gives birth to realisation of emptiness. Furthermore, Machig Labdron is also the manifestation of Arya Tara, who gives birth to compassion. A chöd pa (practitioner) can cut through anything and therefore his or her main intention should be to unify understanding of emptiness and loving kindness and compassion, just as Machig Labdron did. Khentrul Rinpoche has received the Chöd transmission and practiced in multiple traditions such as the Nyingma Kagyu, Jonang and the Gelug traditions.

Khentrul Rinpoche with the 9th Kalka Jetsun Dhampa. Rinpoche has received the Chöd Transmission from many masters. He had the pleasure of practicing Chod Retreat and receiving transmission from the Kalka Jetsun Dhampa considered to be a reincarnation of Taranatha and the spiritual head of Mongolia.

Throughout Buddhist history, female practitioners have been models of leadership in virtuous conduct, meditation, discipline and practice. Machig Labdron is an extraordinary example of a highly realised female practitioner. One of Rinpoche’s aspirations is to cultivate more realised female practitioners around the world and we hope this practice inspires the prominence and proliferation of more female Buddhist masters.

About the Empowerment
This is an incredibly rare and precious empowerment of Chöd from the primordial mind of master Jetsun Taranatha. It is the most extensive and detailed Chöd Empowerment. We will include a booklet to follow along through the empowerment. Part of the transmission includes stories of Machig Labdrön’s life in which we can all be inspired by this precious Dakini’s presence.

The Practice Texts Translated for this Retreat
“An Offering of the Body in Accordance with the Profound Meaning” by Mangé Kalden, from the Jonang Tradition
“A Brief Practice of Object Severance” by Shar Khentrul Rinpoché
“A Condensed Offering of the Body” by Dudjom Rinpoche, from the Nyingma Tradition

Who can attend online?
This retreat is open to all.