We are excited to announce our upcoming Nyunge retreat, led by Drupon Rinchen Dorje. The retreat will take place Friday, September 25th through Monday, September 28th. We hope you will join us. The schedule and details are listed below and on the attached flyer.
During the duration of the retreat, participants must remain at Chicago Ratna Shri and sleep there as well. Please bring bedding (sheets, sleeping bags, pillows, etc.) and any clothing that you will need for the weekend.
Schedule:
Friday, September 25th: 7pm to 9:30pm - 1000-arm Chenrezig empowerment
Saturday, September 26th: 7am to 7pm - Practice (Please note: There will be no breakfast on this day. There will be a big lunch provided by Chicago Ratna Shri. There will be no dinner, only fluids after lunch.)
Sunday, September 27th: 7am to 7pm - Practice (Please note: There will be no food or drinking on this day. There will also be no talking or note-writing.)
Monday, September 28th: 5am to 8am – Practice, then breakfast.
Location:
Chicago Ratna Shri
5337 W. Cullom Ave.
Chicago, IL 60641
The suggested donation for this retreat is $75. Of course, if this is not do-able for someone, we ask that people just give what they can - even if it's just giving their presence and their practice.
Registration is requested, as the physical space
for this retreat is limited. To register, please send an e-mail with your name, e-mail address, and phone number to: ratnachi@hotmail.com. Also, please let us know if you are interested in helping to cook for Saturday's lunch or Monday's breakfast.
If you have certain medicine requirements, please let us know in advance so that this exemption can be accommodated.
Below is a brief summary of Nyungne practice taken from www.tdling.org and KTC in Wichita :
In order to realize enlightenment, we need to lay the groundwork by removing the negativity that obscures the true nature of our minds and by creating the positive conditions that facilitate realization. A Nyungne Retreat is especially designed for lay practitioners to purify negative karma and accumulate merit and wisdom in a short but intensive retreat setting. It is a practice focused on keeping strict vows for a two-day period, generating the Bodhisattva attitude, and reciting the sadhana of the 1000-armed Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of compassion. In this way, the Nyungne practice cultivates all three vehicles of Buddhism. The vows that we take include not killing, stealing, or lying, and abstaining from sexual activity, intoxicants, luxury, ornaments, and entertainment for the duration of the retreat.
Nyungne retreat is an effective practice for purifying both environmental pollution and our own faults. The practice was revealed by Bhikshuni Palmo, a practitioner who suffered from leprosy. She performed this practice for 12 years in conjunction with Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) practice and became a great siddha, attaining the Celestial Body.
The nyungne practice is typically held over a weekend. The first day, participants will take one vegetarian meal at noon, and only drink liquids the rest of the day while engaging in three sessions of practice. Like other vajrayana sadhanas, the nyungne sadhana involves visualization of the deity, accompanied by prayers, offerings and prostrations, and extensive recitation of the mantra. The sessions begin early in the morning and conclude in the late afternoon.
On the second day, participants will fast completely from food and water, and maintain strict silence, except for the recitation of the sadhana, again in three sessions of practice.
The retreat concludes early in the morning of the third day with a final practice session. The vows, fasting, and silence are concluded at the end of this session.
The Nyungne practice is open to anyone who has taken refuge.
