Into the Haunted Ground
A Guide to Cutting the Root of Suffering
-
- $15.99
Publisher Description
In Into the Haunted Ground, Anam Thubten invites us to embrace every aspect of our lives, from the most difficult to the most joyful. For those of us who feel caught in endless anxious thoughts and stuck in personal relationships, Anam Thubten offers a direct and practical approach to dismantle our conceptual fixations, reveal the deeper habits that motivate us, and step into the immediate open spaciousness that can heal ourselves and the world.
Weaving together personal stories with philosophical explanations, Anam Thubten offers swift and straightforward methods to cut through old habits that no longer serve our best interests or reflect our true nature. Suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, this book presents the core lessons of the Tibetan practice of Chöd as a fundamental wisdom that is accessible to any of us willing to enter the “haunted grounds” of our own minds.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thubten (The Citadel of Awareness), founder of the Dharmata Foundation, delivers a nuanced primer on the teachings of chöd, the Tibetan Buddhist practice of facing negative emotions so as to diminish their "energetic grip on our psyche." The author describes the practice's founding in the 12th century by Tibetan scholar Machig Labdrön, as well as the seven axioms Labdrön followed, including "reveal your hidden faults," "trample on what challenges you," and "journey into the haunted ground." Thubten explains that chöd probes the "haunted grounds" where inner demons and neuroses run amok, and that confronting those psychic planes can release attachment to the ego and cultivate compassion. To practice chöd, one should let go of one's emotions, commit to seeing through one's illusions, and observe such guidelines as not shouting at night and not combing one's hair. Thubten further unpacks the principles of chöd through a close reading of an 18th-century liturgy, examining the ability of guru yoga to "drop our egos" and of visualization to separate one's mind and body. Though Thubten attempts to demystify chöd, he comes up short by leaning heavily on philosophical background and skimping on concrete instructions for practice.Those with a solid grounding in Tibeten Buddhism will get the most out of this.
