Zhije

Zhije is a set of meditative practices taught by Padampa Sanggye (d.1117), an Indian tantric master, or siddha, who spent much of his life traveling and giving teachings in Himalayan regions and Tibet. Usually associated with the chod or “cutting” practices, the Zhije practices involve the visualization of cutting away one’s body, and ultimately the ego, as a means of reaching enlightenment. These teachings were further spread and popularized in Tibet by his student, Machik Labdron (1055–1153), one of the most prominent female tantric masters and lineage holders in Tibetan Buddhism. She widely transmitted these practices focused on the deity Vajrayogini and even became identified with this deity.