Sound of Vultures' Wings
The Tibetan Buddhist Chöd Ritual Practice of the Female Buddha Machik Labdrön

By (author) Jeffrey W. Cupchik

ISBN13: 9781438464428

Imprint: State University of New York Press

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Published: 02/08/2024

Availability: Available

Description
Explores the music of the Tibetan Chöd tradition. The Sound of Vultures' Wings offers the first in-depth exploration of the music of the Tibetan Chöd tradition, which is based on the liturgical song-poems of the twelfth-century Tibetan female ascetic Machik Labdrön (1055–1153). Chöd is a musical-meditative Vajrayāna method for cutting off the root of suffering, our mistaken view of a self. The Chöd practitioner applies the antidote to self-cherishing by developing bodhicitta (altruistic awakening mind) and the antidote to self-grasping through the realization of the ultimate nature of reality: the correct view of emptiness. Chöd is regarded by many Tibetan Lamas as one of the most effective Buddhist practices for spiritual and social transformation. Jeffrey W. Cupchik details the significance of the complex, interwoven performative aspects of this meditative ritual and explains how its practice can bring about experiences of insight and inner transformation. In doing so, he undoes the notion of meditation being exclusively an experience of silence and stillness.
List of Illustrations Note on Terminology Note on the Meaning of the Title Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Approaching Chöd Ritual Studies Part I: Chöd Ritual Practice in Context 1 Ritual Efficacy: Musical Performance in Chöd Practice 2. Musical Character of the Chöd Genre Part II: Elements of Chöd Practice 3. The Sound of Vultures' Wings: Ritual Mapping the Chöd Practice 4 The Chöd Damaru Drum: Symbolism, Function, and Variation in an Interpretive Community 5. Mantric Utterance in Chöd 6. The Four Ritual Activities Part III: Meaning and Application of Chöd Practice 7. Mind and Sound in Chöd 8. Transmission and Transformation 9. Gift of the Body in Chöd: Healing the Suffering from "Self-Interest" Conclusion: Continuity of the Chöd Ritual Tradition Note on Chöd Research Notes Glossary Bibliography Index
  • Buddhist worship, rites & ceremonies
  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • General (US: Trade)
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List Price: £26.97