The Nuns of Nagi Gompa performing Chod

We went to the Rubin Museum yesterday to listen and watch nuns from Nagi Gompa in Nepal chanting and dancing the Chod ritual.

Machik Labdron, founded a Tantric sect of Tibetan Buddhism called Chod. Chod is a Tibetan word meaning “cutting through” or “severing”. Utilizing the special mediation techniques the practitioner cuts through his or her personal demons - neurotic self cherishing and its accompanying painful negative emotions.

The ritual was performed by Gyan Tara, Deki Chodron and Yeshe Drolma, from the Nagi Gompa Nunnery in Nepal. It is a ritual circular dance accompanied by the rhythm of small hand held damaru drums, the sounding of ceremonial thigh bone trumpets, and the chanting of melodious devotional songs.

The program began with a Mandala Chant, the hymn is a symbolic offering of the universe to all Buddhas and sentient beings. The nuns had beautiful voices and were in complete harmony with each other.

This was followed by three chants from the Nyung-Ne practise
These chants originated from a nun who, through developing limitless compassion for all sentient beings, cured her own leprosy.

The purpose of the Nyung-ne is to develop infinite compassion for all sentient beings and to purify illness. It is usually practiced for fourteen or more consecutive days. Each day is spent in intensive prayer while performing several hundred prostrations to invoke the blessings of Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of infinite compassion. On alternate days , silence is observed and nothing is consumed.

The first hymn is an offering to Avalokiteshvara; the second is a supplication for blessings; and the final is a specific invocation.

This was followed by three chants from the Chod Practise
Praise to Padampa Sangye, the teacher of Machig Labdron
Praise to the wisdom dakinis
A song about cause and effect

Lovely feast offering song, composed by 18th century visionary Jigme Lingpa

The hall was dark, other than a dramatic image of Machig Labdron, projected on a screen above the stage. The nuns were dressed in saffron tops and burgundy wraps, with there heads completely shaved. The sound of their voices were strong, deep, pure and peaceful.

This was followed by Chod dance and chant- this was danced in the five directions- north, south, east, west and center, these represent the five Buddhist families and the purification from anger, pride, desire, jealousy and ignorance.

I only saw part of this dance, since Mira was up and not too interested in following the beating of the damaru and the sound of the trumpet, in darkness. But I did enjoy the watching the three generations of nuns dance slowly getting the damaru to rhythmically sound each time. As we got out of the hall, the K2 lounge was experiencing their own happy hour assent.

We then got blessings from the nuns who touched Mira's cheeks and coated her with their love.