Chod and dzogchen are the sacred teachings of Lord Buddha who taught 84,000 different categories of teachings classified into nine systems of sutra and tantra. Chod belongs to both sutra and tantra.

Sutra contains both hinayana and mahayana and each vehicle contains a system of view, meditation and action. Chod is a mahayana practice and from the sutra point of view, Chod is an expression of the philosophical view of the Prajnaparamita Sutra or on Transcendental Wisdom. This sutra is a discourse on the wisdom of the two types of identitylessness: identitylessness of self and identitylessness of meanings or appearances.

Identity of self refers to identifying the five aggregates as a truly existent "I" or self, and identity of appearances refers to identifying external appearances, such as form, sound, smell, taste, touch etc., as truly existing appearances outside the self or other than the self. From the absolute point of view, there is no truly existing self: the identified self is simply a mental grasping to a self. Similarly, there are also no truly existent external appearances; but rather, external appearances are illusory, like dreams. These two forms of grasping are the source of all dualistic appearances. Realizing that both the self and objects are not truly existent is the meaning of the wisdom of the two types of identitylessness.

The mahasiddha Arya Deva taught that Chod means to sever or cut the root of dualistic mind, which is ignorance, and its offshoots, the five conflicting emotions. Specifically, the two extremes of expectation and disappointment must be eliminated. In this case, transcendental wisdom is cutting through the root of clinging to identity. There are two approaches to cut through this grasping on to identity. One is based on studying the vast and extensive scriptures and then applying what is learned in order to achieve realization. The other way is to use the power of faith and devotion combined with the Lama’s blessings so that realization can be transferred to the mind of the disciple. These are the ways of attaining the view of Chod according to sutra.

When the Buddha revealed the mantra system, he taught the indivisibility of emptiness and luminosity. Chod follows the fourth presentation in which emptiness and clarity, according to the Middle View, are integrated. The view of Chod according to mantra is the union of emptiness and luminosity.

The internal conduct of Chod practice is the development of the compassionate aspect of bodhicitta as a result of realizing identitylessness. Presently, compassion must swell up if one sees the sufferings and predicaments of all sentient beings who have not realized identitylessness. This is known as “The Great Compassion” - the essence of dharmakaya or nature "as it is."

The benefit of Chod practice is accumulating merit. Chod is a powerful means of accumulating merit because one is practicing the generosity of offering one’s body. While practicing Chod, from the external point of view, gods and demons will appear; from the inner point of view, these gods and demons are simply one’s own conceptual proliferations that are out of control. By realizing identitylessness, both the external and internal problems cannot harm the practioner and the practioner must feel comfortable. Ultimately, the practitioner establishes himself (herself) in the state of the primordial mother, Prajnaparamita.

We offer the body to the objects of refuge, lamas, meditational deities, dakinis and protectors. We also imagine that it is offered to the gods, spirits, and to many other beings to whom we owe karmic debts. So we actually invite all these beings to whom we still owe something to come and take whatever they want. However, we are mainly offering to the Three Jewels and thereby accumulating merit and purifying obscurations.

When Milarepa left his cave to go out momentarily, he returned to find that the demoness of the rock had entered his cave and had assumed five utterly terrifying emanations. Milarepa was so amazed to see these demons in his cave that he could not even step into the doorway. He was filled with terror. Reciting the mantra of his meditational deity as fast as he could, the demons got bigger and greater. Meditating upon self nature as the deity did not stop the progress of the demons. Wrathful mantras were of no use.

Finally, in desperation, he remembered the pointing out instructions of his lama - that all phenomena arise from the mind and that all appearances are just one’s own projection. He entered into the awareness of the nature of emptiness, the nature of mind, and immediately they were gone - vanished - no more.

This is a well known story of Milarepa eliminating the demoness of the rock from his cave. Milarepa taught that if one believes in the existence of an external spirit then it will be harmful; it is one’s own mind that created that harmful spirit.

On the other hand, if one understands and realizes that all are the displays of the mind, then the demon is eliminated; harm or nonconducive circumstances are avoided. Realizing the empty nature of the mind is the meaning of chod; severing or cutting through the wrong concept, one is set free from harm.

If one is practicing chod correctly, pride and arrogance will lessen, attachment to compulsory attractions, worldliness, samsara and its eight worldly concerns will decrease. Therefore, the main point is to realize identitylessness and allow compassion to arise spontaneously.

Milarepa said:"My tradition is not like this. My tradition is to use the potency of one’s practice and one’s miraculous abilities to turn inwardly and to apply it to the real enemy which is grasping to self; to sever or cut the cord of self-grasping through uncontrived conduct, thus eliminating the four demons: 1.external demons - gods and spirits; 2. internal demons - five conflicting emotions; 3. the demon of bliss and pleasure and 4. the demon which is the source of them all, grasping to self. These four are to be eliminated by turning one’s potency inwardly."

Follow this advice that our Chod should be in the tradition of inner application so that we can eradicate the root of the problem. These are the main points for the practice of chod.