The Tibetan Buddhist practice of Nyungne (nyoong-nay) has been gaining increased attention in Buddhist centers across the world; participants say the practice purifies them both physically and spiritually. During the month of Saka Dawa (Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana, (usually end of May) a series of 8 Nyungne are performed at the Khachoe Ghakyil Ling nunnery and at Kopan monastery.

Nyungne is a profound practice, whose length of time is especially helpful for people whose schedules cannot accommodate a long-term retreat. It involves the keeping of strict vows; the second day is devoted to complete silence and fasting.

Nyung neä practice is an intensive 2-day purification retreat that includes fasting, precepts, prostrations, prayers, mantra recitation, and offerings. Nyung nä is based on the deity Thousand-Arm Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion, and is extremely powerful for healing illness, purifying negative karma, and opening the heart to compassion. Lama Zopa Rinpoche highly praises this practice as a supreme method for transforming the mind. One does three 2.5 hour sessions of well-structured practice that includes meditation, prostrations, and mantra recitation each day. It is a powerfully effective and experiential practice that can be done by anyone with respect and faith for the practice.

On the first day of each 2-day session one meal is taken, on the second day no food or drink is consumed and the day is spent in complete silence.  The retreat ends the next morning. The series of 8 Nyungne are completed the morning after Saka Dawa, the day of Shakyamuni Buddha's Enlightenment.

Doing even one Nyungne or 'abiding in retreat' for just two days is said to be as effective as three months of other purification practices. Lama Yeshe said it was an ideal practice for busy Westerners, and it is indeed very popular in the West because of its instant results!  You can participate in as many of the eight 2-day sessions as you wish. The first session starts at 3 am on the first day with the eight Mahayana precepts. Arrival day is on the day before the start of the retreat.

“Nyung nes are a most powerful, most beneficial and quickest way for you to develop bodhichitta, to collect extensive merit to quickly achieve enlightenment, to become Chenrezig, to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsara suffering,and bring to enlightenment. This is an extremely powerful practice, it is an incredible way to develop bodhichitta.” —Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Preparation before attending this retreat

It is best if you have received a Chenrezig initiation, but this is not compulsory. It is recommended to speak with a lama or teacher before booking for this retreat.

Once you are here for the retreat, a senior nun will give an introduction to the practice before the start of the retreat.

Please send us an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to book for this retreat

Next Date: May 20 - June 5, 2023