Chö is a very expedient Mahayana Buddhist practice primarily aimed at reducing and eliminating one’s sense of ego or attachment to oneself, using the tactics of fear and selfless giving. It is an extension of the practice of Perfection of Wisdom teachings on non-self. It evolved from Indian Buddhist practices outside the mainstream monastic institutions and reached its full form in Tibet through many spiritual adepts, the most notable of them being the female spiritual figure Machik Labdron.
Chö, which literally means ‘cutting off’, uses the techniques of fear and practice of giving as a way to ‘cut off’ one’s attachment to self. In Buddhist psychoanalysis, of the many things people possess and cherish, they are most attached to our body. They live in constant fear of either damaging or losing it. Thus, the most powerful practice of giving is also giving the gift of the precious body. In the Jātaka tales, we find the Buddha sacrifice his body many times for the sake of others.
The Chö practice uses people’s intense attachment to the body and the fearing of losing it as paths to enlightenment by giving the body away as a gift. It puts the practitioners in the most fearful situation and takes away from them what they cherish most as a radical spiritual therapy to test their courage and ability for self-sacrifice and selfless giving. In this process, the practice helps the person overcome the inner demon of self-love.