Into the Haunted Ground

February 28, 2022
Thubten (The Citadel of Awareness), founder of the Dharmata Foundation, delivers a nuanced primer on the teachings of chöd, the Tibetan Buddhist practice of facing negative emotions so as to diminish their “energetic grip on our psyche.” The author describes the practice’s founding in the 12th century by Tibetan scholar Machig Labdrön, as well as the seven axioms Labdrön followed, including “reveal your hidden faults,” “trample on what challenges you,” and “journey into the haunted ground.” Thubten explains that chöd probes the “haunted grounds” where inner demons and neuroses run amok, and that confronting those psychic planes can release attachment to the ego and cultivate compassion. To practice chöd, one should let go of one’s emotions, commit to seeing through one’s illusions, and observe such guidelines as not shouting at night and not combing one’s hair. Thubten further unpacks the principles of chöd through a close reading of an 18th-century liturgy, examining the ability of guru yoga to “drop our egos” and of visualization to separate one’s mind and body. Though Thubten attempts to demystify chöd, he comes up short by leaning heavily on philosophical background and skimping on concrete instructions for practice.Those with a solid grounding in Tibeten Buddhism will get the most out of this.