Retreat - Palpung Tasmania

Chenrezig

Nyungne Retreat

Nyungne (pronounced NYUNG NAY) is a special fasting practice of purification and renewal practiced by all the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Each year at the Institute, usually during Saka Dawa, the profound group retreat practice of Nyungne is undertaken – a practice of the eleven-faced thousand-armed form of Chenrezig.

It is extraordinary both for its profound spiritual power in the purification of karmic obstacles and wrongdoing, accomplishment of enlightened the qualities and for its practicality in application.

Participants are required to undertake vows of certain precepts and follow ritual guidelines of meditating, and speaking at appropriate times prostrating, chanting, eating, drinking as part of the purification pocess. Through devotion and determination, practicing Nyungne allows for the positive cultivation of the mind and the accumulation of immeasurable merit.

fasting of body (food and drink) purifies obscurations of the body

fasting of speech (silence) purifies the obscurations of speech

fasting of mind (meditation) purifies obscurations of the mind

Group Prostrating

Group Sharing a Meal

Group Practice

Group

Through devotion and determination, practicing Nyungne allows for the positive cultivation of the mind and the accumulation of immeasurable merit:

The Practice of Nyungne

Nyungne is a practice of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed form of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara). Chenrezig is the embodiment of all the love and compassion of all Buddhas of past, present, and future in the form of a bodhisattva. By his very nature therefore, he is a great bodhisattva who benefits all beings continually, and is regarded as the source of all blessings.

We have all accumulated a great deal of obscurations in our countless lifetimes in cyclic existence. However, by meditating on the form of Chenrezig, repeating the mantra of Chenrezig, and resting in meditation on Chenrezig, we can purify all these obscurations and all of our wrongdoings of body, speech and mind.

Through this practice we can accomplish what are called the two attainments, or siddhis. The first of these, common attainment, means achieving such benefits as a fortunate rebirth, longevity, wellbeing, and so forth. The second is called supreme attainment. This is the ultimate fruition which is Buddhahood.

This practice of Chenrezig involves meditating on love and compassion for all beings. By meditating on this deity, it is possible to develop extraordinary love and compassion. In doing so, you will gradually become more and more like him and develop the genuine ability to benefit others.

The practice of meditating on the Bodhisattva Chenrezig is a way to purify and remove ignorance and negative mental patterns and thereby reveal our own innate buddha nature, which is the essence of love, compassion, and bodhicitta.

Nyungne effectively integrates the complete three-yana system of Tibetan Buddhism into a two day retreat format. Practitioners take on temporary ordination by observing a strict set of vows from the tradition of individual liberation (Hinayana). They generate the supreme altruistic motivation of bodhicitta as the internal basis for practice (Mahayana). They also perform the liturgy, mantras, visualisations, and ritual observances of One Thousand Arm Chenrezig from the kriya tantric tradition (Vajrayana).

The Benefits of Nyungne

The special and unique quality of the Nyungne practice is that it is greatly beneficial for people who are very busy, particularly householders who can only spare a day or two at a time for intensive practice. Because the practice is so powerful, they can accomplish a tremendous amount even in one or two days. It is an especially significant practice for those who are practitioners of the Karma Kagyu tradition because our guru, the Gyalwang Karmapa, is the continuous incarnation among us of the bodhisattva Chenrezig.

The benefits of practicing Nyungne:

Learn to destroy the inner enemy.
Learn to destroy the selfish attitude.
Learn to destroy the cause of samsara-craving.
Helps us to have a better understanding of the feelings of the beings in the lower realms (i.e. animals and hungry ghosts).
Helps us to have a better understanding of those in the same realm who are in the third world countries.
Helps us to develop compassion for all beings.
Helps us to develop renunciation of samsara.

Every prostration that we complete accumulates immeasurable merit, therefore when we prostrate, we give heartfelt dedications of our merits to all sentient beings.
Silence allows one to remove all distractions and to only focus on one’s practice. It is a profound opportunity to enter a more ‘contemplative’ space deep within our heart. This sacred space can help begin to grow within us a reconnection to both our inner awareness, pure diamond wisdom mind, thereby providing a breathing space in detachment from our small ‘I’ ego (monkey) mind that dominates so much of our day-to-day thinking and consciousness.

Observing the Vows

The practice of Nyungne involves doing what is called the renewal and purification practice of the Eight Vows, or sojong in Tibetan. It is with the taking of those vows that the practice begins. About sojong practices in general, it was said by Guru Rinpoche:
“The function of such a practice is to renew or refresh all forms of virtue and to purify or remove all manner of wrongdoing. It is called renewal and purification because it renews or refreshes virtue and purifies and removes wrongdoing. That is why the sugatas (the Buddhas) have taught this practice.”

The Eight Mahayana Precepts (for the duration of the retreat):

No killing
No stealing
No lying
No sexual misconduct
No intoxicants
No singing
No makeup or ornaments, etc.
No sitting on high or luxurious seats

The benefits of moral discipline are set forth in The Sutra that Presents Pure Moral Discipline, which says: Just as someone who is unable to walk, cannot walk on a road, in the same way if you do not have moral discipline you cannot traverse the path to liberation. Someone who possesses moral discipline will receive perfect and genuine awakening.

In the sutra called The Illuminating Moon it says: There is more merit in someone keeping the training for one day and night at this time in which the teaching of the sugatas (buddhas) is about to cease, than there would be in venerating billions of buddhas for an innumerable amount of kalpas.

In addition, Vasubandhu said: to keep moral discipline for one day brings more merit than to engage in generosity for one hundred years. If you respect the Buddha’s teachings and have confidence in their truth and validity, then you will be confident that these benefits truly do accrue.

The Benefits of Reciting the Chenrezig Mantra

There are three mantras used in the Nyungne Practice. There is the long dharani, the short dharani (which is the second half of the long dharani used alone), and the six syllable mantra, Om Mani Peme Hung.

In the kriya tantra it says that anyone who recites the long or short dharani of the Thousand-Armed Chenrezig will enter into the awakening of all Buddhas and the liberation of all bodhisattvas. Therefore it is called the essence of wisdom. It is also said that if you recite this dharani even once in the ear of an animal who has died, it will definitely be reborn in Sukhavati or the human realm with a good human body and a tendency towards Dharma and Bodhicitta. The many wondrous aspects of all this could not be completely explained even by the vajra tongues of the buddhas. It is sufficient to say that the repetition of this dharani brings incalculable benefits.

Keep in mind, however, that all of the benefits described depend upon reciting the dharani with a one-pointed mind of devotion. You will not attain the same results if you just recite it verbally while your mind is distracted. Therefore, be mindful and alert, engaging your body, speech, and mind in the recitation, and do not be concerned with the number of mantras recited. Practice in such a way that you are constantly aware of your own mind. If you do so, then all of the benefits will indeed arise in you, you will be able to accomplish all virtue, and you will be on the genuine path.

Extract – “Extraordinary practice of Nyungne: Its History, Meaning and Benefits” in: Rest for the Fortunate by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, Rinchen Publications, 2004, pp35-37.

The Origin of Nyungne

Nyungne, which is one of the most popular Tibetan Buddhist fasting practices today, started with the ancient Afghani princess Lakshminkara who was born into a royal family during a time when Afghanistan was a great Buddhist nation. In Buddhist history books, this place is known as Oddiyana, in what is now northwest India. Lakshminkara decided to become a Buddhist nun and practice the dharma. Ordained as Gelongma Palmo, she was abandoned in the forest after contracting leprosy, an illness which was widely feared in India. She overcame and was completely cured of her terrible illness through devoted and extensive practice of 1000-Armed Chenrezig, the Buddha of Great Compassion. Gelongma Palmo become the first holder of the Nyungne lineage and passed the methods and blessings of this practice down through a lineage of practitioners that continues to this day.

Schedule

Nyungne_Schedule

Registration

TUESDAY 10TH, WEDNESDAY 11TH, THURSDAY 12TH JUNE 2025
We will advise when registration is OPEN closer to the time of the retreat.

Temple

Private Retreat

From time to time, it can be very beneficial to take the opportunity for private retreat. The focus of the retreat and its activity can be from our daily practice or an extension of it.

Retreat has an intention and purpose there at the beginning. A structure is very helpful as a support. It is a source of growth for our practice. Its benefit is dedicated at the end.

If you are thinking of a personal retreat, or you would like advice about your daily practice, you are invited to email us with an appointment request, for an audience with our Resident Lama.