4 Maras, 4 Feasts

A Tibetan Buddhist retreat in the wild wisdom of Chod

What troubles us in these times?

The Tibetan mahasiddha Machig Lapdron taught in the 12th century that we can liberate our suffering if we see the parts of ourselves that hold our fear, shame, anger, trauma and cut through them. She originated the dharma of Chod, which means severance. Chod is a Vajrayana expression of the Wisdom of Emptiness. It is a powerful practice that meets the complexity of individual, ancestral, and collective suffering with methods for transformation.

Join Sunisa Manning, a Dudjom lineage holder in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, for a weekend retreat where we take a deep-dive into our neurotic habits. We’ll look at the ways we suffer as described in the 4 Feasts of Chod. Through dharma talks, meditation, and journaling, retreat participants will be invited to see their constricted parts. Instead of rejecting or repressing them, we will welcome them to show up. Then we will dance with these demons, or maras, affectionately, as we let them go.

This retreat includes 4 Chod ceremonies. A Chod ceremony purifies our karma so that we can begin to be more spacious inside, giving rise to the qualities of a bodhisattva. This retreat is open to everyone who feels drawn to it. There is no experience necessary.

While Chod is part of the Vajrayana and can take years to learn, this retreat is offered through Heart Sangha’s Path of Chod Healing, which offers an accessible entry for anyone. Through a series of retreats, participants can explore the essential elements of Chod—its meditations, visualizations, ceremonies, and psychological insights.

Schedule:

Friday, March 12

• 3 – 4 pm Check-in
• 4 – 4:15 pm Orientation
• 4:15 – 4:45 pm Meditation
• 4:45 – 5:30 pm Dharma talk
• 5:30 – 6 pm Social break
• 6 – 7 pm Dinner
• 7:10 – 7:30 pm Journaling; Q&A
• 7:30 – 8:15 pm Gong for Noble Silence; Dharma Talk
• 8:15 – 9:15 pm Chod Ceremony (Black Feast)

Saturday, March 13

• 7 – 7:30 am Meditation
• 8 – 9 am Breakfast
• 9 – 9:45 am Meditation
• 10 – 10:45 am Dharma Talk
• 11 am – 12 pm Chod Ceremony (Variegated Feast)
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
• 2 – 2:45 pm Meditation
• 3 – 3:45 pm Dharma Talk
• 4 – 5 pm Chod Ceremony (Red Feast)
• 6 – 7 pm Dinner
• 7 – 8 pm Meditation and Journaling

Sunday, March 14

• 7 – 7:30 am Meditation
• 7:30 – 9 am Check Out
• 8 – 9 am Breakfast
• 9 – 10 am Dharma Talk
• 10:15 – 11:15 am Chod Ceremony (White Feast)
• 11:15 – 11:30 am Gong to end silence
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Group discussion and concluding talk
• 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch and departure

*Please note this schedule is subject to change.