Alex Wilding

One related tradition, not quite the same, is to use a sling, something like what David must have used against Goliath. In the morning, the practitioner would shoot off a stone with this sling, move to wherever it fell, and that would be the campsite for the next night.

One related tradition, not quite the same, is to use a sling, something like what David must have used against Goliath. In the morning, the practitioner would shoot off a stone with this sling, move to wherever it fell, and that would be the campsite for the next night.

And for yet more variety, hundreds or I believe even thousands of practitioners of the Dujum Tersa tradition gather each year in Bhutan to practice together. It's impressive. Look for it on YouTube. That's the sound of thousands of practitioners at one of the huge meetings in Bhutan. Here is the sound of a lone practitioner.

And for yet more variety, hundreds or I believe even thousands of practitioners of the Dujum Tersa tradition gather each year in Bhutan to practice together. It's impressive. Look for it on YouTube. That's the sound of thousands of practitioners at one of the huge meetings in Bhutan. Here is the sound of a lone practitioner.

Here is the rather charming sound of 40 or 50 chirpers practicing together, most of them women, which to my mind gives something rather beautiful to the tone. We should not forget that the cemeteries known to the tradition were not the peaceful, hygienic, almost sterile graveyards known to us in the West.

Here is the rather charming sound of 40 or 50 chirpers practicing together, most of them women, which to my mind gives something rather beautiful to the tone. We should not forget that the cemeteries known to the tradition were not the peaceful, hygienic, almost sterile graveyards known to us in the West.

Bodies would be laid out and left to wild animals or, quite commonly in Tibet, chopped up for vultures. In any event, not places of pretty polished marble stone. These very serious chirp practitioners would, was more, have an appearance that is perhaps best described as unconventional. An internet search for images of chirpas will show you what I mean.

Bodies would be laid out and left to wild animals or, quite commonly in Tibet, chopped up for vultures. In any event, not places of pretty polished marble stone. These very serious chirp practitioners would, was more, have an appearance that is perhaps best described as unconventional. An internet search for images of chirpas will show you what I mean.

And finally, we should take a look at the equipment that's typical of Chö practice. The first thing you will notice when you see somebody practicing Chö is the large, double-sided drum, or damaru. A smaller Damaru, perhaps six inches across, is widely used in a lot of Tibetan rituals. But the one used for Chö is very roughly twice as big in each direction.

And finally, we should take a look at the equipment that's typical of Chö practice. The first thing you will notice when you see somebody practicing Chö is the large, double-sided drum, or damaru. A smaller Damaru, perhaps six inches across, is widely used in a lot of Tibetan rituals. But the one used for Chö is very roughly twice as big in each direction.

So, obviously enough, it has a deeper tone and is played more slowly. It goes bop-bop, where the standard one rattles. Oh, you can hear a standard one. It just occurs to me in the intro and outro I'm using for this podcast. It's played along with the bell, which is, again, something very common in Tibetan rituals, to accompany a chant that tends to be slow and in its own way very melodious.

So, obviously enough, it has a deeper tone and is played more slowly. It goes bop-bop, where the standard one rattles. Oh, you can hear a standard one. It just occurs to me in the intro and outro I'm using for this podcast. It's played along with the bell, which is, again, something very common in Tibetan rituals, to accompany a chant that tends to be slow and in its own way very melodious.

From time to time, this is punctuated by blowing the kangling, a sort of trumpet. Originally, and still quite often, a kangling is made of a human thigh bone, although these days wooden and resin versions are also used for a number of reasons. The fact that a human thigh bone is not easy to come by is only one of them. The requirements of travel is another.

From time to time, this is punctuated by blowing the kangling, a sort of trumpet. Originally, and still quite often, a kangling is made of a human thigh bone, although these days wooden and resin versions are also used for a number of reasons. The fact that a human thigh bone is not easy to come by is only one of them. The requirements of travel is another.

The rules and the laws about taking human body parts across borders will all differ according to the countries concerned. And in many cases, it is in fact legal to take such an object, even though it does consist of human remains across borders.

The rules and the laws about taking human body parts across borders will all differ according to the countries concerned. And in many cases, it is in fact legal to take such an object, even though it does consist of human remains across borders.

But not in all cases, and not all border cards are in any case likely to know the detailed rules about the difference between human tissue and an antique artifact. My own teacher recently told me a nice story about one of his teachers, the late Yeshe Dorje, a powerful Churd practitioner, also noted as a rainmaker. There is a biography of him referring to that very name, the rainmaker.

But not in all cases, and not all border cards are in any case likely to know the detailed rules about the difference between human tissue and an antique artifact. My own teacher recently told me a nice story about one of his teachers, the late Yeshe Dorje, a powerful Churd practitioner, also noted as a rainmaker. There is a biography of him referring to that very name, the rainmaker.

He had travelled across the border between Nepal and India quite a number of times with his real kangling without any problem. But on one occasion, the Indian border staff decided that this was just not a good thing, and they wanted to confiscate the kangling. Yeshe Dorji said something like, ''Oh, very well, but give me a couple of minutes first.''

He had travelled across the border between Nepal and India quite a number of times with his real kangling without any problem. But on one occasion, the Indian border staff decided that this was just not a good thing, and they wanted to confiscate the kangling. Yeshe Dorji said something like, ''Oh, very well, but give me a couple of minutes first.''