Lama Zopa Rinpoche says there is no better practice than purification. During this retreat you will learn how to purify negative karma with the powerful practice of Vajrasattva in the context of the Four Opponent Powers. You will be led through a series of meditations and practices which encourage you to release anxiety over past regrettable actions and help you affirm your positive aspirations. These simple practices of prayer, meditation, and mantra recitation are an extremely effective way of developing a more relaxed, peaceful, and happier approach to life.

“The Vajrasattva practice can lead us beyond ego, beyond grasping, and beyond the dualistic mind. That’s what the Vajrasattva practice is about.” – Lama Yeshe

This is a non-residential retreat available to attend online via Zoom stream.

You can view the retreat schedule here

You can download the Vajrasattva Sadhana here

Please note that you should avoid ‘black foods’ (meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic and radishes)

Rules of Discipline 

Since Vajrayana is a semi-monastic meditation centre and not a guesthouse, we ask all of our retreatants and visitors to observe the following rules of discipline in order to maintain an atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and meditation:

• Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.
• Respect others’ property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.
• Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others. This is easy when observing silence!
• Be celibate: no sexual activity. This also includes no holding hands, hugging, massages, and other physical displays of affection.
• Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes (we encourage you to stop smoking while here, but if this is impossible, one can smoke at a designated place outside the centre boundary).
• Be considerate of others’ silence: respect others that choose to keep silent during the retreat, especially in the Gompa. No singing or playing music and in general, maintain a quiet demeanor while on the property.
• Be considerate of the monks and nuns: dress respectfully (please no shorts above the knee, tank-top shirts or tight and revealing clothing).

Basic Retreat Discipline

In order to keep the atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and spiritual pursuit and to minimise distractions during the course, students on our residential courses and retreats are asked to abide by our basic code of discipline listed below.

• Please settle all outside communication before the course begins. Telling friends and family that you will be out of contact for the duration of the course and sticking by that decision significantly reduces distraction from the investigation into the workings of your own mind!
• Participants should attend all sessions of the course and come to sessions on time.
• Please leave all communication/entertainment devices (laptop / mobile phones /cameras / MP3/CD players) etc at home or switch off and leave in your bag.
• Please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to fellow group members.

Can’t make it yet would like to generate merit by supporting the retreatants?

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that sponsoring retreats generates the same merit as if you had done the retreat yourself.  

• If you would like to help sponsor the cost of the retreat, please make a donation using the donation box below
  • Sponsor one retreatant ($130) 

Unfortunately, we have decided to cancel the Nyung Nay Retreat.

It was a difficult decision however after careful consideration we believe it’s in the best interest of the attendees, organisers, and all those involved. 

What is Nyung Nay?

Nyung-nay (or “fasting retreat” in English) is a Vajrayana practice from the kriya (“action”) class of tantra. It is a powerful practice to develop compassion and bodhichitta – the mind that strives for enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. It is also a quick and effective method to purify negativities and collect merit.

In each session, we practice the sadhana (“method of accomplishment”) of Chenrezig, the Buddha symbolising compassion. The sadhana involves meditating on Bodhichitta (the aspiration to attain enlightenment in order to help all beings), visualizing Chenrezig, reciting prayers and mantras, and performing prostrations. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours.

This is a non-residential retreat available to attend in-person or online via Zoom stream.

You can view the retreat schedule here

What to expect during a Nyung Nay retreat?

During the Nyung Nay retreat, we practice the sadhana (“method of accomplishment”) of Chenrezig, the Buddha symbolizing compassion. The sadhana involves meditating on bodhicitta (the aspiration to attain enlightenment in order to help all beings), visualizing Chenrezig, reciting prayers and mantras, and performing prostrations.

One Nyung Nay retreat consists of 2 full days and 1 morning of retreat, for a total of 7 practice sessions spread over this time. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours.

Structure of the retreat

On the first full day of the Nyung Nay, we take the 8 Mahayana Precepts: avoidance of killing, stealing, sexual activity, telling lies, taking intoxicants, eating more than one meal, singing / dancing / playing music, wearing jewelry, and using high seats or beds. Three sessions of the sadhana are practiced on the first day.  Each session is approximately 3 hours.

On the second day of the Nyung Nay, we take the 8 Mahayana Precepts as above, with the additional vows of not eating, drinking or speaking until after sunrise the next day. Three sessions of the sadhana are practiced on this day. Although we vow to keep silence, we continue to recite the prayers and mantras of the sadhana. If communication between participants is necessary, it must be done through writing notes.

Challenge / Opportunity

The second day is the most difficult part of the retreat. We experience hunger, thirst, tiredness and pain from doing prostrations. Some people feel ill from the fasting. However, if we understand the purpose of the practice, we will not mind the discomfort.

By experiencing hardships in our Dharma practice, we are able to purify a great deal of our negative karma accumulated over countless previous lives. We can also build up positive habits and states of mind to counteract the negative ones.

The Buddha advised the “middle way” — not too soft, not too tough. During Nyung Nays we do experience discomfort, but it is bearable and not too tough. By experiencing this discomfort, we have a better understanding of the suffering experienced by animals, hungry ghosts, and some humans, and thus develop greater compassion for sentient beings, and greater renunciation of samsara — How Amazing!

If you have any health issues please consult your doctor before commencing the retreat.

We hope to see you online or in-person at the centre for this incredible opportunity to purify and generate merit!

Benefits of the practice

The spiritual impact of engaging in Nyung-nay practice is extraordinary, as explained in these references:

• Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice on the nyung-nay practice, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives
• Nyung-nay retreat and its benefits, from the FPMT’s Chokyi Gyaltsen Center, Malaysia.

Requirements

• Preferably you would be a Buddhist, having formally taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. 
• It would be good if have taken the Great Thousand-armed Chenrezig Initiation, which will require taking the Bodhisattva Vows; if you haven’t you should at least have received a complete initiation (wang) from one of the three higher classes of tantra. If you do not have initiation or unsure about whether you are suitable to do a Nyung Nay please contact spc@vajrayana.com.au to discuss your suitability for this retreat.

Rules of Discipline 

Since Vajrayana is a semi-monastic meditation centre , we ask all of our retreatants and visitors to observe the following rules of discipline in order to maintain an atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and meditation:

• Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.
• Respect others’ property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.
• Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others. This is easy when observing silence!
• Be celibate: no sexual activity. This also includes no holding hands, hugging, massages, and other physical displays of affection.
• Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes (we encourage you to stop smoking while here, but if this is impossible, one can smoke at a designated place outside the centre boundary).
• Be considerate of others’ silence: respect others that choose to keep silent during the retreat, especially in the Gompa. No singing or playing music and in general, maintain a quiet demeanor while on the property.
• Be considerate of the monks and nuns: dress respectfully (please no shorts above the knee, tank-top shirts or tight and revealing clothing).

Basic Retreat Discipline

In order to keep the atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and spiritual pursuit and to minimise distractions during the course, students on our residential courses and retreats are asked to abide by our basic code of discipline listed below.

• Please settle all outside communication before the course begins. Telling friends and family that you will be out of contact for the duration of the course and sticking by that decision significantly reduces distraction from the investigation into the workings of your own mind!
• Participants should attend all sessions of the course and come to sessions on time.
• Please leave all communication/entertainment devices (laptop / mobile phones /cameras / MP3/CD players) etc at home or switch off and leave in your bag.
• Please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to fellow group members.

Can’t make it yet would like to generate merit by supporting the retreatants?
Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that sponsoring retreats generates the same merit as if you had done the retreat yourself.  

• If you would like to help sponsor the cost of the retreat, please make a donation using the donation box below

The Four Noble Truths – the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering and the truth of the path leading to this cessation – was the first sermon the Buddha gave after he was enlightened.

In this series of teachings we will be looking at each of the Four Noble truths and diving a little deeper to unpack the four characteristics of each truth, as described in the Mahayana text Ornament of Clear Realisation (Abhisamayalamkara). The text identifies four characteristics of each truth, for a total of sixteen characteristics, which are presented as a guide to contemplating and practicing the four noble truths.

‘The Treasury of Blessings’ is a practice in which we focus on the form and qualities of Buddha Shakyamuni in order to receive his blessings.

Each week we will recite this sadhana and learn a bit more about this profound practice.

You can download the sadhana here. 

Join Venerable Dekyi for a morning guided meditation followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion. 

Karma is a word everyone knows, yet few in the West understand what it means. Westerners too often think it means “fate” or is some kind of cosmic justice system. This is not a Buddhist understanding of karma, however.

Karma is a Sanskrit word that means “action.” In Buddhism, karma has a more specific meaning, which is volitional or willful action. Things we choose to do or say or think set karma into motion. The law of karma is therefore a law of cause and effect as defined in Buddhism.

 Join Venerable Dekyi to investigate karma, how it works and what we can do to purify negative karma. All sessions will feature explanation, discussion, time for Q&A, and a short Vajrasattva purification practice.