Nyung Nay Retreat 2020

Friday 5^th June – Monday 8^th June

 

This retreat will be streamed online via Zoom

To access the sessions, open this link in your Chrome browser

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82397014677

Meeting ID: 823 9701 4677

When options appear select ‘start from your browser’ at the bottom of the screen.

Enter your name and join the meeting

When you arrive you will be able to share your video and microphone at the bottom left of the screen

You can mute your microphone and video at any time by clicking on mute next to your name in the list on the right of your screen

Please try to join sessions on time, however, If you arrive late please make yourself comfortable before turning on your audio/microphone and joining the session.

Download the following retreat material here

Retreat Schedule

Nyung Nay Sadhana

Image of Avalokitishvara

Nyung Nay Audio

Vajrayana Institute is able to stream this retreat thanks to the generosity and kindness of previous students and members. Donations are appreciated and will enable us to offer more amazing teachings like these in the future!

Suggested donation $90 for the full retreat or $30 per day, but no set amount!

Make your secure donation here

https://vajrayana.com.au/support-us/#class

We are very excited to be hosting this retreat. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me. Look forward to seeing you online soon!

 

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.

One Nyung-nay requires being resident at Vajrayana for three nights, in order to incorporate two full practice days. Check-in is on day 1, days 2 & 3 are the practice days.

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.

Dates: 5th – 8th June 2020 – Starting on the holy day of Saka Dawa

There will be a welcome and information session on Friday evening with first session of the retreat commencing Saturday morning. The retreat will conclude after the morning session on Monday 8th.

Cost: By donation (suggested, but no set amount  – Full retreat $80. Day attendees $30 per day)

 

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 the retreat, for a total of 7 practice sessions spread over this time. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours.

One Nyung Nay retreat requires being resident for 3 nights, in order to incorporate 2 full practice days and 1 morning.  Day 1 involves checking in and getting prepared for Days 2–4.  Day 2 (full days) to Day 4 (morning) are practice times.

​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!

We hope to see you online 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

• You should be a Buddhist, having formally taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Those who have not formally taken refuge or who have not participated in Nyung-nay Retreat before will need to have a chat with the Spiritual Programme Coordinator and/or the retreat leader.
• You should 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 please contact spc@vajrayana.com.au to discuss your suitability for this retreat.

Rules of Discipline 

Please 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.
• Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes

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 investigation into the workings of your own mind!
• Participants should attend all sessions of the course and come to sessions on time.
• Please switch all communication / entertainment devices (laptop / mobile phones /cameras / MP3/CD players) etc off
• Please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to fellow group members.