Nyungnay: Purification & Fasting Retreat (Unguided Retreat)

Please note that this retreat is unguided

Nyungnay is one of the most precious Dharma Jewels in the Kadampa calendar, and as a Centre practice it comes around just once a year – on Buddha’s Enlightenment Day.

Nyungnay is a special purification and fasting practice that is performed together with prayers and prostrations to 1000-Armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. Nyungnay is an especially powerful practice for purifying negative karma and strong delusions such as desirous attachment and anger, as well as being a special method for receiving blessings and improving our experience of love, compassion, and supreme good heart of bodhichitta.

To engage in Nyungnay purification retreat you are required to take The Eight Mahayana Precepts on each morning of the retreat at 6.30am, and then subsequently engage in 3 sessions of Drop of Essential Nectar, which incorporates prayer, mantra recitation, and 25 minutes of physical prostrations to 1000-Armed Avalokiteshvara.

The taking of The Eight Mahayana Precepts involves taking a set of vows for 24 hours to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying, taking intoxicants such as alcohol, sitting on high or luxurious thrones or seats, and wearing ornaments, perfume, make-up, jewelry, etc. In addition, as part of the retreat you vow to limit consumption of food and drinks as follows:

Day 1: No breakfast, only 1 meal for the day taken between 12 - 1pm, with no eating for the rest of that day. Lunch should not contain any meat, eggs, onions, garlic, radishes, chives, leeks, and spices like chili or pepper. Drinks for day 1 should be limited to light beverages such as water or tea, which can be consumed freely throughout the day. (“Food beverages” such as milk and juices should not be consumed, however a small amount of milk in tea is OK if you wish.)

Day 2: Full Nyungnay practice requires a complete fast on day 2 of the retreat, (i.e. no eating or drinking at all until dawn the next day - day 3). For those who are unable to practice in this way it is possible to repeat the same fasting practice as day 1 of the retreat.

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Timetable:

Mahayana Precepts: 6.30am**

(**Please note: if you miss this session you are not allowed to engage in the rest of the retreat for that day. Please be punctual if you wish to attend.**)

Session 1: 7-8.20am

(Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayers (with Tsog Offering on Sat): 9-10.15am)

Session 2: 11am-12.15pm

Session 3: 2-3.30pm

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