Dakini's Whisper Monthly Journal October 2020 In The Charnel Ground |
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“A frightful environment such as this is the catalyst for a practitioner’s true practice to emerge. Adverse conditions are the true wealth of a practitioner. A frightening, uncomfortable place is the knife that severs discursive thought” by Mandarava "In the view of the Vajrayana practitioner who had achieved some degree of awakening, the charnel ground was beautiful, a place of energy and power. It became the ideal setting for realization." by Judith Simmer-Brown |
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The present-day external charnel ground - the fear, chaos, and uncertainty of this hurting world – is a mirror, a reflection of our own internal gods and demons. The charnel ground is a frightening and terrifying place. At the same time, it is a place of energy and power that holds the capacity to transform fear and terror into awakening. But we have to arrive, we have to go there. We Walk Like the Brave Tiger, Like the Yogini’s Heel Steps, the Coiling Black Snake, the Dakini’s Dance. We have to invite all that terrifies us, all that is uncomfortable and discomfiting, terrifying, in fact. And we have to stay, without flinching. Moving towards it all, sitting in the middle of it all, and staying, staying, creates tremendous potential for transformation. In this Journal we share reflections, teachings, and ancient stories of how we walk into the charnel ground on behalf of all beings in order to become immense and benevolent ambassadors in our hurting world – fearless, warrior bodhisattvas. Because on this journey, we don’t have a choice, we have to. Vajrayana is a tool for us as individuals to walk into and sit at the campfire of the charnel ground. With nothing to lose, our hearts crack wide open for the awakening of all beings, near and far. If overcome with fear, you should remain absorbed in this fear. Don’t flee but remain unwavering, solid like a door frame, even if terror or panic arise. From The Grand Poem, Aryadeva, as quoted in Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod Ellen DW Team |
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(Please turn on subtitles for clarity by clicking "cc" on the bottom bar.) Cho is the practice of the charnel ground. What does that mean to you? Look at the external charnel ground, everything that is happening globally, such as COVID-19. All sentient beings are affected by this. And these polarities, political polarity, fights, arguments, taking a position – acceptance or rejection based on one’s own view – projection, and, also based on the skin color. See, without ignoring or without backing off, if you can really dive into this charnel ground which is like a melting pot of confusion, and it's also wisdom. It’s both. This is the place where awakening is happening. Now look at your own internal charnel ground, the body which is conditioned and changing moment to moment. Eventually, it decays and becomes compost, back to the earth. Go a little deeper into the subtle body and bring your attention to the lower chakra, the end tip of the central channel at the perineum, the most primitive part of the chakra system. Can you see the charnel ground in there, the fear which is almost innate, instinctual fear for survival? We all carry that as the human species. And the second chakra, lower belly, this debris of unmet need, unacknowledged emotions, unfulfilled fantasies, longings, all are in there. See if you can connect to that charnel ground. Now go to the third chakra, heart chakra, upper belly, middle of the heart which has ego-driven desire or hatred, aggression based on a sense of this ego, solidification of who and what you are. Connect to that charnel ground. “Often wisdom arises in our experience in the midst of our emotional turmoil. The realization of co-emergent wisdom requires that we give up the struggle to reject our suffering and confusion and awaken to the wisdom inherent in painful experiences.” (Dakini’s Warm Breath) We have to get in touch with these painful experiences. We don't want to discard them. We do that in Cho practice, you as Prajnaparamita. We really approach that which we usually don't want to approach. Let's go into the charnel ground shall we and meet with our gods and demons. Excerpt from Khandro-la’s teaching |
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STUDENT'S REFLECTIONS: What does the Charnel Ground mean to you? During the Cho we enter the charnel grounds and may even physically go to cemeteries or other scary places to practice. Charnel grounds provide a space to transform our fears and cut through self-clinging. Currently, our world feels like we are living daily in a charnel ground. The pandemic, violence, systemic racism, economic and political uncertainty cause pain and suffering for many people. At the same, the charnel ground presents an opportunity to cut through fear and follow the Bodhisattva path of embodying compassion for ourselves and all beings. During one of our DW discussions, Khandro-la reminded us that we practice for times like we are experiencing right now. The charnel ground is also a space to develop compassion for ourselves and all beings. Each day I set the intention to cut through obscurations and self-clinging so that I may help others through my thoughts, words and actions. The charnel ground helps reaffirm my commitment to follow the path of the Bodhisattva and practice compassion for myself and all sentient beings. Cynthia DW Student |
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The charnel ground is a metaphor for any environment where suffering is present. Any place that is tainted by fear, depression, anger, despair, disrespect, or deceit is a charnel ground - including our own mind. In our practice, we are encouraged to look at the charnel ground of our lives as the working basis for attaining enlightenment. So how do we transform these charnel grounds into wisdom? I think it begins with surrender. Total surrender to the reality of the moment. In the act of letting go, we acknowledge that our habitual ways of dealing no longer work. By surrendering our judgments, our hopes, and our fears, we enter that sacred place of “not knowing”. It is in this place that we connect with the spacious wisdom that is our true nature, which is always there, and from which clarity comes. This wisdom, informed by great compassion and an understanding of the nature of reality, is our Dharma refuge. The corpses and bones that are strewn throughout the charnel grounds are those habits that no longer serve us, the hopes and fears, and judgments that keep us trapped in an incorrect view of the way things are. These charnel grounds are places of great energy and power, both positive and negative, and are an ideal setting for realization. Lhundub Chödrön DW Student |
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Not far from me is a graveyard that has been in use since medieval times, though there has been activity there since the ninth century. Situated on a triple crossroads between two villages away from human settlement, it has an ancient spring and the ruins of an old church. It is said to be haunted and there are stories of visitors meeting untimely deaths. In recent times rituals of unknown provenance have been conducted by groups, so the graveyard is now closed to the public after sunset. Potential visitors are greeted with padlocked gates with a large sign warning that the ground is consecrated and that unauthorized visitors and vandals will be prosecuted. Not surprisingly the place has a sinister reputation. Even now some locals refuse to drive past it, preferring to take the inconvenience of a longer route. |
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One late sunny afternoon in August I found myself driving past with my teenage daughter after picking her up from spending the day with her grandparents. Pandemic lockdown restrictions had been eased, and since we hadn’t been anywhere for months, decided to pay a visit. We both knew all the stories, but since it was still sunny, thought we would risk it. After all, ghosts only come out at night, don’t they? There were no animals or birds around. Despite the silence and peace, it wasn’t a place I liked spending much time in. There was an almost hostile quality which manifested as sharp prickly feelings on one side of my body, like being stuck lightly with pins. It also felt like we were being accompanied by having our movements monitored. |
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The gates were unlocked and on entering found that half of the graveyard was well maintained while the rest was overgrown. We were struck by the deep stillness and all-pervasive silence. Of course, these were all personal subjective feelings. The place served to provoke visceral responses to the idea of hungry hostile ghosts out to get you. As an aspiring chod practitioner, it was a great entry-level exercise in going to a scary place. While exploring I conducted myself as a respectful guest treading lightly. From a sense of a common shared experience of the suffering of samsara, I was open to responding with empathy and compassion to whatever wants and deprivations that may have been there. |
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It was only on our way back driving back through the town that the experience of the place really hit us. Amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday activity, we were struck how we had been in place that seemed out of time, beyond all the normal concerns of society, where all daily preoccupations seemed irrelevant. There was some backlash. The following day I encountered a string of angry drivers and my daughter who is not an anxious type and has never suffered from anxiety, woke up three nights in a row with severe anxiety attacks. Provocations, warnings, or coincidence? In any event, when my practice matures it’ll be a good place to practice chod” |
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DAKINIS AND CHARNEL GROUND: |
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"Charnel grounds are viewed as terrifying places where countless bodies in various stages of decomposition lie, and where vultures and other carnivores abide. They are also the traditional abode of the dakini. According to tantric lore, some dakinis were born there and many were reared there. Therefore, the dakini has special powers to tame the raw and terrifying spirits who dwell there. She captures the totality of the minds of the yogis and yoginis who practice there, bringing both the poles of attraction and revulsion directly to the path of realization. The dakini dances in the charnel ground, reminding the practitioner of the destruction of all that the self holds dear. In this practice, it is essential to personalize the charnel ground. This acknowledgment of our own experience of fear and threat to our very being creates a tremendous possibility for transformation. The corpses rotting in the charnel ground are actually our concepts and afflictive emotions that have perished, especially the notions of self whose veins have been cut. The dakinis’ dance as the polarities collapse and great joy is found in the greatest devastation. Sitting in the midst of this fear without denying or avoiding it is the great liberator!" From Dakini’s Warm Breath by Judith Simmer-Brown |
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OCTOBER UPCOMING EVENTS October Online Practices (All times listed as PST) |
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DW SUNDAYS - DAKINIS IN TIMES OF DEVASTATION: UNFOLDING WISDOM DAKINI! Transmission, Teaching, and Practice Free and Open to All 12 noon - 1 pm, PST Oct. 11 Dakinis In Times Of Devastation Oct. 18 Supplication To Machik Five Dakinis Oct. 25 Cutting Through With PE! |
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To share upcoming online teaching and practice opportunities, we have attached the Dakini's Whisper Google calendar which gives you a complete view of the various events, at-a-glance, so to speak. Please note, however, that all times listed here are PST. More detailed information can be found on the webpage or DW members can check their personal version of the DW Google calendar. You can access the DW calendar from the webpage. |
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