A Story narrated by Gyatrul Rinpoche
By Sri Kamakoti Mandali on Mar 3, 2012 | In Oriental/New Age
Those who decide to practice in burial grounds may do so in order to train in the illusory nature of the manifestations of gods and demons. One attempts to eliminate the inner delusions through this method. There is a well-known account of a practitioner of chod (exorcism of grasping to appearances). While a lama was in the burial ground practicing, deeply engrossed in his meditation, mantra and use of ritual instruments, along came a thief who tried to steal his bag and some other possessions. While attempting to do so, the thief became very frightened. Overcome by fear, he took out his knife and sliced off the head of the practitioner while he was deeply absorbed in practice. When the head dropped off and hit the ground, he thief became horrified and ran far away. This chod practitioner, who was deeply involved in the unity of appearances and emptiness, thought that this was just a false apparition manifesting as an obstacle. Without a second thought he just reached down, picked up his head and placed it back in position while he continued on with his practice. To him this was just part of practice. When his meditation was complete, he put his instruments away and went back home.
A few days later, he was out circumambulating at the stupa nearby and the same thief saw him there and recognized him as the very yogin whose head he had sliced off, he was overcome with remorse and terror to see him alive and well. If he hadn’t said anything, it would have been just fine; but, unfortunately, he went up to the yogin, and prostrated himself, confessing what he had done. The yogin immediately got doubt about it and he said, “Oh, so you’re the one who really came and cut off my head.� With that thought, his head fell off and he died.