Nyungnay: A Purifying Ritual Practice

This special fasting and purification retreat is performed in conjunction with the meditation practice of Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara. Engaging in this retreat is very powerful for purifying negative karma of body, speech and mind and for pacifying strong delusions such as desirous attachment and hatred. It is also a special method for receiving the blessings of Buddha and improving our experience of love, compassion and bodhichitta (the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all).

Sun 14th Apr
Precepts: 6:30am
Session 1: 7–8:15am
Session 2: 11am–12:15pm
Session 3: 2:45–4pm
Wishfulfilling Jewel w/ Tsog Puja: 5–6:15pm (optional)

Mon 15th Apr
Precepts: 6:30am
Session 1: 7–8:15am
Session 2: 11am–12:15pm
Session 3: 2:45–4pm
Offering to the Spiritual Guide Puja: 6–7:45pm (optional)

More Information:
Usually, this practice is done over two days, with the Mahayana precepts* being taken at the beginning of each day. 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 meditation, combining prostrations with chanted meditation.

- The Mahayana precepts are vows we take to abstain from certain actions for the duration of 24 hours.

- April 15th marks the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni demonstrating the attainment of enlightenment in 589 B.C.E. This is an extremely important day in the Buddhist calendar because our actions are 100,000 times more powerful than on other days.