The practices of Chö or Severance are based on the teachings of emptiness. They are a practical implementation of the view presented in Prajnaparamita Sutras while using the special methods of Vajrayana. The crucial role in propagating these teachings was played by the Tibetan yogini Machik Labrdön (1055-1149). She combined transmissions of Chö from different lineages into a unified practice, now one of the most popular in Tibetan Buddhism.

The brief Chö text known as A Concise Daily Practice of Offering One’s Body (རྒྱུན་ཁྱེར་གྱི་ལུས་སྦྱིན་བསྡུས་པ།) has become the most popular version for those who wish to do the practice on a regular basis, particularly in the Kagyu lineage. The authorship of the liturgy has not been explicitly established, however all the prayers contained in this short version will have ancient origins in the lineage-holders, such as the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, and carry these blessings.

Chö liturgies are famously recycled, and a few variations of this text exist now in Kagyu monasteries, which follow slightly different ways of practicing it. The text featured in this eBook was prepared according to the instructions given by Dorlop Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche.