Nyungne: Compassion and Fasting Retreat

Celebrating Buddha’s Enlightenment Day

This special fasting and purification retreat is performed in conjunction with Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. It is a powerful practice for purifying negative karma of body, speech, and mind, and for pacifying mental negativity. It is also a special method for receiving blessings (inspiring energy) and enhancing our capacity for love, compassion, and bodhichitta (the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all).

Everyone is welcome to join this special retreat.

Retreat details

Usually the Nyungne retreat is done over two days, with the Mahayana precepts session at 7am at the beginning of each day. (Please Note: In order to attend any of the Nyungne retreat sessions during the day you will need to attend Precepts in the morning). On the first day it is customary to abstain from all meals apart from lunch. On the second day we engage in a complete fast, abstaining from all food and drink for 24 hours. On both days, we do three sessions of a ritual prayer, Drop of Essential Nectar, combining prostrations with chanted meditation. Those who prefer not to engage in a complete fast on the second day can do it the same as the first day. You can attend one day or both.

About Precepts (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 twenty-four hours. When we take precepts, we explicitly promise to abstain for twenty-four 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]

Who is Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara?

Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas. By engaging in practices related to Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara we will continually receive this Buddha’s special blessings and thereby experience inner peace, a peaceful mind, all the time. We will also make rapid progress in our spiritual practice, and gain the ability to control our anger, and other negative minds. Ultimately, we will attain the universal compassion of a Buddha and accomplish the supreme happiness of enlightenment.

Registration details

Cost: Free (donations appreciated). This is an in person only event.