Compassion and Fasting Retreat – Nyungne

Nyungne is a special fasting and purification practice performed in conjunction with prostrations and prayers to Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. This is a very powerful method for purifying negativity of body, speech, and mind, and for pacifying delusions such as strong attachment and anger. It is also a special way of improving our minds of love, compassion, and receiving the compassionate blessings of Avalokiteshvara. This practice is done annually at Kadampa Buddhist centers throughout the world to celebrate Buddha’s Enlightenment Day.

Buddha’s Enlightenment Day is the occasion when Buddha Shakyamuni showed the manner of accomplishing the ultimate goal of living beings – the attainment of enlightenment – at Bodh Gaya, India in 589 BC. With this auspicious deed he demonstrated how each of us can overcome all internal and external obstacles and hindrances and become an enlightened person.

The Nyungne retreat will begin with the Mahayana precepts session at 7am. In order to attend any of the Nyungne retreat sessions during the day you will need to attend Precepts in the morning. On this day it is customary to abstain from all meals apart from lunch. We will engage in three sessions of a ritual prayer, Drop of Essential Nectar, combining prostrations with chanted meditation. 

It is highly recommended that you attend the Friday evening talk Purifying Negativity: Overcoming Inner Obstacles particularly if you have never engaged in this retreat before. The Friday talk will be livestreamed for members; Saturday will not be livestreamed.

About Precepts

(Note: you must take the precepts in order to engage in the retreat sessions)

The practice of taking and keeping the eight Mahayana precepts is a special practice of moral discipline that is performed with bodhichitta intention, the compassionate wish to realize our spiritual potential for the benefit of all beings. The essence of this practice is taking eight precepts and keeping them purely for 24 hours. When we take precepts, we explicitly promise to abstain for 24 hours from eight actions which include: (1) killing; (2) stealing; (3) sexual activity; (4) lying; (5) taking intoxicants; (6) eating after lunch (meaning we only eat lunch); (7) sitting on high or luxurious thrones or seats; (8) wearing ornaments, perfume, singing & dancing.

Because this practice is motivated by bodhichitta it is especially powerful for purifying negativities, accumulating merit—a positive strength of mind—and creating the cause for us to attain the unsurpassed happiness of enlightenment.

If you have any questions about this retreat, please contact us: [email protected]

Lunch will be available for purchase on Saturday.

Registration details

Cost for members: free; $10 for lunch on Saturday (optional)

Cost for non-members:

• $10 Friday only
• $20 Saturday only ($30 if including lunch)
• $25 full weekend ($35 if including Saturday lunch)

Location:
KMC Madison
1825 S Park St
Madison, WI 53713