Chod: Rare and Difficult to Attain

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Photo 3: At present, Most Ven. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducts Chod pujas once per month in Taipei, Taiwan, and there are always more than 1000 people attending each of them.

“Chod” is an extremely auspicious tantric practice of Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism to transfer the deceased’s consciousness. It, originated by Machig Lapdron in Tibet, is not only the sole one dharma that was transmitted back to India but also one of the Eight Sadhana practices of Tibetan Buddhism. It is practiced mainly with the mercy and compassion heart of wisdom, void of nature, to rescue and liberate the sentient beings. Mercy is to replace the sorrow of sentient beings with self-own happiness. Compassion is to help the beings liberate from the sorrow, i.e. the sorrow of the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore in order to practice this dharma, the practitioner himself first must be able to be liberated from cycle of reincarnation and suffering of death, so as to attain the so-called “great mercy of void conditions, great compassion of the equal body”.

The auspicious dharma instruments used to practice Chod the instrument made of a human tibia bone (photos 1, 8, 13), drum, and the bell or the hanging bell (photos 2, 9, 12). While performing “Chod”, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blows an auspicious dharma instrument, made of a human tibia bone (photos 1, 8, 13), by which sound is produced to attract the beings in realm of hell as well as beings in the realm of hungry ghosts, and the lonely wandering spirits, particularly our parents, ancestors and beings we had ever hurt life after lives. After all the sentient beings are summoned to the front of the mandala, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche contemplates that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s own bone, meat, blood, and brain emanate as nectar which these beings eat. It is to fulfill their thoughts and wish of eating, and then they could follow Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Buddhist teaching, to attain rebirth in the Pure Land or to the virtuous realms led by Bodhisattvas. The Chod is especially responsive to those who died an unnatural death from traffic accidents, natural calamities, suicides or homicides etc and can be liberated from suffering. Additionally, those who suffer from a rare disorder would absolutely get helps if themselves or their relatives attending Chod pujas over long periods of time. Moreover, karmic creditors and deceased ancestors of the attendees’ could obtain great benefit and be liberated due to their attending pujas frequently. It is also helpful to the uneasiness of attendees’ family members, their family disharmony, and furthermore their work, career, and health problems as well. Therefore, it is obvious that Chod is such an auspicious practice.

“Chod” is an extremely auspicious tantric practice of Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism to transfer the deceased’s consciousness. It, originated by Machig Lapdron in Tibet, is not only the sole one dharma that was transmitted back to India but also one of the Eight Sadhana practices of Tibetan Buddhism. It is practiced mainly with the mercy and compassion heart of wisdom, void of nature, to rescue and liberate the sentient beings. Mercy is to replace the sorrow of sentient beings with self-own happiness. Compassion is to help the beings liberate from the sorrow, i.e. the sorrow of the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore in order to practice this dharma, the practitioner himself first must be able to be liberated from cycle of reincarnation and suffering of death, so as to attain the so-called “great mercy of void conditions, great compassion of the equal body”.

The auspicious dharma instruments used to practice Chod the instrument made of a human tibia bone (photos 1, 8, 13), drum, and the bell or the hanging bell (photos 2, 9, 12). The human tibia bone to be used as Chod dharma instrument is particularly selected. Not all of the tibia bones of ordinary people are qualified enough. In addition to the shape of the bone, its characteristics, the way how it is obtained and the production process must meet a certain qualifications. After being made to a dharma instrument, it also needs being used by a master of great accomplishment to become efficacious. Therefore, the Chod dharma instrument is so rare that the dharma will be no avail if the instrument is replaced by any tibia bone, either of any animal or of any person, instead. While performing “Chod”, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blows an auspicious dharma instrument, made of a human tibia bone (photos 1, 8, 13), by which sound would summon the beings in realm of hell as well as beings in the realm of hungry ghosts, and the lonely wandering spirits, particularly our parents, ancestors and beings we had ever hurt life after lives. After all the sentient beings are summoned to the front of the mandala, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche contemplates that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s own bone, meat, blood, and brain emanate as nectar which these beings eat. It is to fulfill their thoughts and wish of eating, and then they could follow Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Buddhist teaching, to attain rebirth in the Pure Land or to the virtuous realms led by Bodhisattvas. The Chod is especially responsive to those who died an unnatural death from traffic accidents, natural calamities, suicides or homicides etc and can be liberated from suffering. Additionally, those who suffer from a rare disorder would absolutely get helps if themselves or their relatives attending Chod pujas over long periods of time. Moreover, karmic creditors and deceased ancestors of the attendees’ could obtain great benefit and be liberated due to their attending pujas frequently. It is also helpful to the uneasiness of attendees’ family members, their family disharmony, and furthermore their work, career, and health problems as well. Therefore, it is obvious that Chod is such an auspicious practice.

“Chod” is difficult to learn because it will take 20 years at least to learn by stages such as Buddhist Sutra study, uncommon Four Preliminary Practices, retreat and so on. “Chod” is difficult to practice because the practitioner not only needs an auspicious instrument or a human tibia bone (photos 1, 8, 13) but also is a virtuous Vajra Guru who follows the precepts strictly, and attains profound mediation as well as mercy and compassion of void of nature. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is the root disciple of His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. Under the guidance of His Holiness as well as the auspicious causes and conditions of past lives, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche attained the practice and accomplishment of the Chod of the Drikung Kagyu tradition.

During the retreat at Jangchubling Monastery in India in March 2000, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche solely received the Chod tantra empowerment as well as the dharma instrument from His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche in His Holiness’s retreat room. It was too pitch dark to see anything when the lama led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche the way from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s retreat room to that of His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. At the time of the perfect completion of the empowerment and transmission of teaching upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche from His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche in His Holiness’s retreat room, thunder growled in the sky above the retreat room and His Holiness immediately foretold that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s dharma activities would flourish and come to perfection in the future, thus benefiting more sentient beings. Later on when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was on way back to the retreat room after receiving the empowerment and transmission of teaching from His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche, the dark clouds disappeared and the sky became so clear that the moon and stars were particularly brilliant, which is a very auspicious sign. Human bones that are made for the dharma instruments represent impermanence to remind people that there is nothing but only bones left after they die, and therefore there is nothing worth being attached to! The dharma instrument (made of the tibia bone of a young woman who had died from an accident), which Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche uses during conduction of the Chod rituals was the one that His Holiness, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s root Guru, he used for performing Chod (photos 1, 8, 13). In 2006, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche bestowed upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche this Dharma instrument, symbolizing that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has directly received the Chod of Drikung Kagyu tradition. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ever enlightened that there will be more and more people attending the Chod puja if the conduction of Chod ritual could be completed perfectly to transfer the consciousness of the deceased.

On May 2006, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has also visited the Netherlands, at the request of Holland’s believers, to perform Chod <<Click here for more photo album>>. On November 2007, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche unprecedentedly conducted the Chod Puja on the running scenic train of the Sagano Scenic Railway in Kyoto, Japan (photos 4, 5) <<Click here for detailed news>> <<Click here for more photo album>>. On August 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, at the request of Japanese believers, conducted the first Chod puja

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in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan (photo 6) <<Click here for detailed news>> <<Click here for more photo album>>.  On Nov 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, at the request of Sikh believers, visited Jalandhar, the famous major city in the Sikh region of the Punjab province of the northern India, to conduct the auspicious Chod puja,

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which unprecedentedly was the first one in the history of Buddhism (including Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism) and Sikh religion (photo 7) <<Click here for detailed news>> <<Click here for more photo album>>. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ever enlightened that “I would be besides you if you need me whoever you are or wherever you are.”

For the years, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducts Chod puja regularly in Taiwan. At present, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducts Chod pujas once per month in Taipei, Taiwan, each of which is always attended by more than 1000 people, including those unable to speak, and those unable to move and suffering from serious ill or cancer (photos 3, 8-15).

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Some followers even take flights from distant places such as United States, Japan, India, and Holland etc to attend the pujas. Many cancer patients, and those with other serious medical disorders or chronic diseases, have had their conditions improved or even cured by attending Chod pujas. Even there are patients in deep comas (e.g. Mr. Syoji Kawajima <<Click here for more photo album>>) have gradually convalesced because their spouses or relatives attended the Chod pujas with piety and utmost faith in Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Furthermore, there ever were the same auspicious sign of the perfect completion of the Phowa appeared on the cremated skeleton of some deceased whose spouses or relatives also attended the Chod pujas with piety and utmost faith, i.e. there was a round, even, well defined, through and through penetrated hole (case 1 and case 2 as indicated by the red arrow) on the crown of the skull, which meant the deceased definitely attained rebirth in the Pure Land. It signifies that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s vow power as well as the power mercy and compassion is corresponding with Buddha Amitaba to benefit all beings that possess strong faith <<click here for Auspicious Signs of Perfect Completion of Phowa Dharma>>Those make attendees feel immense gratitude to the greatness of Buddhism as well as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great mercy, compassion, vow power.

	Case 1
	The Deceased: Dharma brother Shi, Ming Hua
	Date of Obtaining: Feb 22, 2009
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 2
	The Deceased: Mr. Zhu Bo Chao (Dharma brother Zhu Guan Feng’s father)
	Date of Obtaining: June 25, 2010
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 3
	The Deceased: Mr. Han Rensan (Dharma Brother Han Kezhong’s father)
	Date of Obtaining: January 28, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 4
	The Deceased:Ms. Lin Zhanghui (Dharma Brother Lin Yanxing’s mother)
	Date of Obtaining: March 25, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 5
	The Deceased:Mr. Lin Yusheng (Father of Dharma Brother Lin Zhonglian from the Team 6)
	Date of Obtaining: April 22, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 6 (Photo 1)
	The Deceased:Dharma Brother Hu Jiawang from Team 3
	Date of Obtaining: April 22, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 6 (Photo 2)
	The Deceased:Dharma Brother Hu Jiawang from Team 3
	Date of Obtaining: April 22, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 7
	The Deceased:Zhougao Jinju (Mother-in-law of Dharma Brother Chen Limei from Team 8 )
	Date of Obtaining: April 22, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 8 (Photo 1)
	The Deceased:Chen Jinkun (Father of Dharma Brother Chen Minghui from Team 5)
	Date of Obtaining: May 31, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 8 (Photo 2)
	The Deceased:Chen Jinkun (Father of Dharma Brother Chen Minghui from Team 5)
	Date of Obtaining: May 31, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 8 (Photo 3)
	The Deceased:Chen Jinkun (Father of Dharma Brother Chen Minghui from Team 5)
	Date of Obtaining: May 31, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 9 (Photo 1)
	The Deceased:Ms. Chen Qiuliu (Mother of Dharma Brother Chen Yueci)
	Date of Obtaining: May 31, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>
	Case 9 (Photo 2)
	The Deceased:Ms. Chen Qiuliu (Mother of Dharma Brother Chen Yueci)
	Date of Obtaining: May 31, 2011
	<Click here to read the related trace of liberating beings>

During this degenerate age of the Dharma, all those who have the virtues and merits as well as causes and conditions to attend such auspicious and difficult-to-obtain Chod puja, and receive blessings and protection from Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche should deeply repent, feel gratitude, and cherish opportunity. In 2007, there was once a time when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was performing the retreat in the sacred place of Lapchi Mountain where Venerable Milarepa had performed retreats before, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche through concentrated meditation perceived the sentient beings’ sufferings from the cycle of reincarnation in the six realms, which made Rinpoche weep bitterly from sorrow almost for one hour and could not stop himself. The sufferings beyond description is just as enlightened by His Holiness in the Pig Year Teaching “Milareba had ever said: it is too painful to think about the sentient beings’ sufferings from the cycle of reincarnation in the six realms, let alone to perceive it”. Hence, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ardently hopes that believers will not only attend the Chod puja and rely on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s conduction of the dharma to temporarily solve the mundane problems of their lives, but also understand how extremely rare it is to be born as a human being and how hard it is to obtain the chance to hear the orthodox Buddha Dharma. Through this understanding, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche hopes believers will stop any evil doing and constantly perform good deeds, and furthermore make up their minds to learn and cultivate the Buddha’s teachings as well as be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation within their short lives, which can not merely help themselves but further benefit all sentient beings.

Updated on August 16, 2011