The Nomadic Sacrifice: The Chod Pilgrimage Among the Bonpo of Dolpo (Western Nepal)

The work describes an archaic ritual of the Bon, Tibet’s ancient religion, that involves undertaking a ritual pilgrimage through wild places inhabited by mountain deities, water genii, ferocious demons and dangerous ghosts to celebrate the meditative sacrifice of one’s own body which is offered to invisible beings as spiritual nourishment during a singular ritual banquet. Presenting texts and illustrating the work with photographs, Dr. Martino Nicoletti, ethnologist and visual artist, explores the ritual deeply rooted in the notion of Universal Compassion. He explains the ritual that aims to sever the practitioner’s attachment to the physical body and help him overcome his identification with his illusory ego. The volume includes the English translation of the ritual text, Khandro Sangha Yeshe (Secret Wisdom Dakini), and a DVD containing a short film by the author and the liturgical chant of the ritual performed by monks of the bonpo monastery Triten Norbutse (Nepal).