Tog Chöd
We are trapped by our thoughts of the past and the future. They are like shadows following us, obscuring the light of the present moment. We hide in the shadows, full of fear from the past and expectation of the future. Our conceptual mind keeps us in a hell of our own making. We need to cut our head! We need Tog Chöd.
Tog Chöd is a powerful, dynamic practice. This dance with a sword brings us straight into the present moment. We need to be brave to be in the present moment. Its flowing movements are decisive and empowering as we stomp on our enemies, which are our own negative emotions. There are no enemies outside ourselves, and when we realize this we can stop struggling with the external world and learn to create our own reality. But, even then, our biggest obstacle is laziness. Through Tog Chöd we come to know our inner power and in this way we overcome our laziness.
Tulku Lobsang himself developed Tog Chöd. It is based on the traditional Yaman monk dances and Kalachakra movements, but created in direct response to the needs of those of us in the modern world. We need a practice to release us from our conceptual mind, a practice that connects us with our power. Tog Chöd uses our anger to empower our motivation, but the deep motivation is always compassion.
The sword symbolizes our own innate wisdom. Wielding this sword we cut through our conceptual mind. We cut our thoughts of fear and expectations that keep us from being in this beautiful this present moment. With wisdom we can transform our negative emotions and truly change ourselves. We only need to decide to do it.
If you are interested in learning this technique from a Tog Chöd teacher who has been certified by Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche, you can find a teacher list in the section “Certified Teachers”of this website.
Those that are interested in teaching Tog Chöd in the lineage of Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche, can find detailed information in the section “Become a Teacher".
If you are interested in attending any of Rinpoche’s online or in-person teachings, please visit his tourplan to find information about his upcoming events: