The Tibetan word chöd literally means “to cut, or to stop” the ego and negativities. There are many Bön chöd practices and traditions. In general, these can be classified as either peaceful, enriching, powerful or wrathful practices. A-kar Zhi-Chöd is a peaceful Chöd which originated from the peaceful deity Gyalwa Dukpa and was taught by Nyamed Sherab Gyaltsen – the first abbot of Menri Monastery.

At its core, chöd is a generosity practice, where one offers one’s body to all sentient beings. However, the emphasis is on giving to those who want to disturb us or cause us harm because of karmic debts incurred through our lifetimes of causing harm to others. In this way, we remove obstacles from the present and future times, and develop our qualities of compassion and generosity. Those who have mastered the practice of chöd and obtained its siddhi (the power of the practice), are said to have the ability to remove illnesses from others, subdue harmful spirits, and see with clairvoyant knowledge.

The practice of Chöd is widespread and considered of profound importance. The Tibetan word chöd (Tib. gcod) literally means “to cut, to stop”. At its most fundamental, the practice of Chöd is used to cut attachment and ignorance, thus developing the mind-stream and establishing confidence in the view.

This practice involves visualizing giving away the thing that we cling to most: our very own body. We openly give to the Four Guests: the enlightened beings, the protectors, the eight classes of gods and demons and to all beings of the six realms of existence.

However, the emphasis is upon giving to those who want to disturb or harm us because of karmic debts incurred through lifetimes of causing harm to others. In this way, we remove current or future obstacles and develop our qualities of compassion and generosity. For those who have mastered the practice of chöd and obtained the power of the practice, they have the ability to remove illness for others, subdue harmful spirits, and can see with clairvoyant knowledge. There are many Yungdrung Bön chöd practices and traditions.

In general, these can be classified as either peaceful, enriching, powerful or wrathful practices.

Chöd is traditionally practiced at night as this is the time when the obstructive spirits are most active.

The Laughter of the Dakinis from the Great Treasury of the Most Profound Sky

Hri Ho Dza Ra Daki De Pa Ho

I prostrate to the gathering of the Rigpa holder and Khandros!

To get the accomplishments of the realization and conduct of the Khandros, the illusory body is turned as a tshok offering. First, at a dangerous or scary place perform the ceremony of taming and purifying the site. By the practitioner’s realization of the equality of cyclic existence and transcendence of sorrow, do the song and dance of the play of primordial wisdom. Together with the sounds of the drum and bell, which is the indivisibility of means and wisdom, these words are said from the force of the state of selflessness:

First is expelling hindrances:

The dynamic energy of awareness, inherent radiance of the mind of enlightenment, which is the inseparability of emptiness and compassion, the purity of cyclic existence and transcendence of sorrow is a great HUNG with an awesome sound.

Hung! Although here the so-called deities and demons appear,

They do not come from anywhere other than the expanse of the womb of the Great Mother.

The unceasing dynamic energy of the base becomes the dance of self-appearance.

That disappears in a state of non-dual primordial wisdom, Ya La La!

Dancing on the heads beating the savage demons of dualistic grasping.

Destroying the aggregate of the evil spirit of ego-grasping.

Drawn into space by the melodious song of primordial selflessness.

The unreal magical dance performed in the sky,

The Naljor with this lion’s roar of emptiness,

Destroys the heads of mischievous spirits like male and female foxes.

By the great dance of the display of great bliss of primordial wisdom,

The “I”, “self”, the subject and object of afflictive emotions are smashed to dust.

Hung Hung Hung, Phat Phat Phat.

Going for Refuge

The unmodified base of great emptiness is the Mother Satrig

I go to refuge in the expanse of the Great Mother

Oh! Mother, the frightening place of the gods and demons and the six classes of beings,

You, mother, please hold them with your compassion. PHAT.

Generating the Mind of Enlightenment

Through one’s delusion, unknowing, and dualistic grasping,

Demons have completely harmed other sentient beings,

Now from realizing the meaning of the mind of enlightenment,

May they be liberated in the primordially pure expanse. PHAT.

Supplication Prayer

E ma ho! I pray to the Body of Reality Bӧnku Kuntuzangmo.

I pray to the Perfection Body Sherab Pharchin.

I pray to the great mother Kye ma Ӧtso.

I pray to the Khadro Kalpa Zangmo.

I pray to the Khadro Thugjé Kündrӧl.

I pray to the Khadro Öden Nyibar.

I pray to the Khadro Sidpé Gyalmo.

I pray to the white peaceful Khadros.

I pray to the green increasing Khadros.

I pray to the red magnetizing Khadros.

I pray to the blue wrathful Khadros.

I pray to the four classes of terrifying gatekeeper goddesses.

I pray to the gracious root Lama.

The overflowing dynamic energy of the compassion and intention of the assembly of Mothers,

Subjugate the gods and demons of this untamed, frightening place.

Overpower the gods and demons of this unsuitable, frightening place.

Guide the unrealized sentient beings of the three realms into the expanse.

Sole Mother, merged into a single cluster in the expanse of the sky,

May all beings without exception attain the level of perfect enlightenment. PHAT.

The consciousness is raised from the physical body and liberated.

The body and self-grasping are thrown away by the unborn mind.

Expelled from the path of the central channel into space. PHAT.

Kalzangma destroys the demon of the afflictive emotions.

Her body has the six ornaments, emerging clearly dancing. PHAT.

The White Offering

She liberates the demon of the aggregates with a hooked knife in her right hand.

She cuts the head of the arrogance producing demon, and the cut skull,

In that it is established as a cauldron of the three thousand-fold universe.

The form aggregate is placed in that container.

Emanating from the secret treasure of the heart,

The short A shad fire melts the form form aggregate.

The body’s aggregates and elements melt into nectar.

By the drops of the melted nectar from the A and HAM,

The nectar endowed with the hundred flavors fills the sky and earth. PHAT.

I make offerings to the Guests of the Source of Refuge, the Precious Jewels.

To the hosts of protectors of the Words and Teachings, please accept this and be pleased.

To the eight classes of obstructing spirits and evil forces, partake and be satisfied.

To all the six realms of mother beings, enjoy and be satisfied. PHAT.

From pleasing the deity guests with this offering may the two accumulations be perfected.

From pleasing the protectors of the teachings of Bӧn, may their entrusted activities be accomplished.

May the harm and adversity of the vicious minds of male and female negative forces be pacified.

May the desires of the mothers of the six realms be satisfied and the karmic debts be repaid. PHAT. PHAT. PHAT.

The Red Offering

The demon of the aggregates is liberated with the hooked knife in the right.

She cuts the head of the arrogance creating demon, and upon the skin

Which is the size of the three thousand-fold universe, she piles upon the flesh and blood.

Like vultures assembling upon a corpse,

Gather you gods and demons of this frightening place,

If you desire flesh, then eat the flesh vigorously. Kham Kham.

If you desire blood, then lap up the blood and drink. Chip Chip. 

If you desire bones, then gnaw the bones and suck the marrow.

Swallow and enjoy the internal organs and intestines. Khyur Khyur.

May the karmic debts from previous and future lifetimes be repaid.

May the harmful intent of malevolent demons be pacified.

PHAT. PHAT. PHAT.

Giving the Teaching

All the gods and demons who dwell in the realms of the great secret places,

Forever abandon the malicious attitude towards others.

Please take refuge in the four sources of the eternal objects.

Generate compassion for all mother sentient beings. PHAT.

The Gift of Protection

Cutting the root source of the agent of thinking and memories,

In reality, phenomena are non-existent, vividly clear.

This is the perfect realization of Kuntuzangpo.

Now, having recognized your own nature, may you be liberated! PHAT.

Dedication and Aspiration

By my giving this uncontaminated great tshok offering,

I completely dedicate this accumulation of virtue to the gods and demons of the frightening place.

And also everyone, from the enjoyment of the wealth of the two accumulations,

May all beings at once swiftly attain enlightenment.

Thus, seal without conceptualizing the three wheels (wheels of action of body, speech and mind).