NYUNGNE RETREATS WITH LAMA DUDJOM DORJEE

Lama Dudjom Dorjee breaking fast on Sunday morning

AN OVERVIEW

The Nyungne Retreat is a Tibetan Buddhist practice designed to purify negative karma and accumulate merit and wisdom. It involves two and a half days of practice centering on the strict keeping of vows (including a day and a half of complete fasting from food and drink); the generation of the Bodhisattva attitude; and the recitation of the sadhana (meditation practice) of the 1000-arm form of Chenrezig, Bodhisattva of compassion. Additional commitments include strict silence and abstinence from intimate contact.

The Nyungne Retreat is comprehensive in that it combines practice methods from all three Yanas, or Vehicles, of Buddhism. The vows reflect the rigorous discipline of the Common Vehicle, the generation of the Enlightened Attitude reflects the Greater Vehicle, and the actual practice of 1000-Armed Chenrezik reflects the Vehicle of Secret Mantra.

Persons who are new to Nyungne practice are urged to attend the Friday, August 15th introductory talk by Lama Dudjom Dorjee, to stay that evening, and to participate in the Nyungne beginning early on Saturday, August 16th .

Participants are encouraged to stay at the KTC. Driving is NOT recommended. The Nyungne is structured such that a participant who works Monday - Friday need not take any time off work.

Anyone who has taken Refuge may participate in the practice, and anyone who wishes may sit in and observe or meditate quietly.

The Nyungne Retreat is said to be a powerful means of purifying the negative karma that causes rebirth in lower realms of existence. It is said that to successfully complete even one Nyungne Retreat (that is, keeping all the vows and participating in all the meditations) closes the gates to one's rebirth in the lower realms.

This practice is quite challenging. It should only be undertaken by those who have made a firm commitment to themselves to see it through. Anyone needing to be excused from a particular vow needs to get approval from Lama Dudjom.

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Excerpt from 'THE PRACTICE OF NYUNGNE',
a talk given by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche:

"There is great benefit in this Nyungne practice in that one is doing the practice of all the three yanas, Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana. If one can commit oneself to such a practice, this practice alone could be one's only tool or method necessary towards the attainment of enlightenment. So it is a very profound and beneficial practice.

This Nyungne practice, taking the precepts and the commitments from an unbroken lineage, is important for one. The transmission from this unbroken lineage of practitioners is given to the participants of the retreat. That is very important. From the time of the great nun Gelongma Palmo in India, up until this day, there is an unbroken lineage of this practice.

Receiving transmission and precepts from this unbroken lineage is very, very beneficial. It makes one's practice very proper and effective.

The Nyungne is a very special and a very skillful practice as mentioned earlier, because one takes the precepts only for an overnight. For instance, you would take it tomorrow morning until the next morning, and then take it again, [the second morning] renewing the vows and precepts. Yet, the benefit is immeasurable because in the light of the bodhichitta one would do such a practice, for the benefit, and for the liberation and the enlightenment of all beings, one makes the proper aspiration and the proper action of doing the practice.

From that point of view this practice is a great friend and a great support in one's regular practice as well as in commitment to the teachings in general.

When you take the precepts in the morning, you will take it with the clear attitude, with the aspiration that for the benefit and liberation of all sentient beings one is committing oneself to this practice. Having this attitude clearly is very important."

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DATES FOR UPCOMING NYUNGNES:

Back to School Nyungne Retreat at KTC Dallas

Led by the Ven. Lama Dudjom Dorjee October 20 - 21, 2007

Friday night orientation, October 19th @ KTC
This is a single Nyungne. Orientation is required.

NYUNGNE FOOD PREPARATION GUIDELINES

First of all, THANKS for volunteering to cook for the people who will be participating in the nyungne retreat! Your culinary talents are appreciated by the people doing the retreat - and you are performing meritiorious service to the dharma and your own spiritual life by helping others practice the nyung-ne. Because the nyung-ne is primarily a purification practice, the types of food served during the retreat are restricted to those thought of as being "pure" or "white" foods. This determination is made following centuries-old guidelines not readily comparable to modern nutritional ideas. In other words, the rules may not make sense in some systems of eating, but it's extremely important that they be followed.

Here are lists of FOODS TO USE and FOODS TO AVOID:

FOODS TO AVOID
(also called "black" foods because they affect the pure power of the mind.)

  • Onion
  • Radish
  • Garlic
  • Eggs
  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Beans
  • Chives, Leeks and Horseradish

FOODS TO USE
(called "white" foods because they promote good meditation and the pure power of the mind)

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Wheat
  • Rice
  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Butter

SOME POSSIBLE DISHES:
Macaroni and cheese and variations, no-meat (and no-garlic) spaghetti or lasagne, rice and vegetables, fruit or vegetable salads.

Thanks,

Sam Brodsgaard

 

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