One Thousand Arms of Compassion

NyungNe Purification Retreat

Sunday April 12     6:45am

Please read all the instructions below about this retreat to see if you want to attend.

This special fasting and purification retreat is performed in conjunction with Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion—the nature of our Guru’s great compassion.  This is to celebrate Buddha’s Enlightenment Day April 15.

This practice is very powerful for purifying negative karma pacifying strong delusions, receiving blessings, and increasing our love, compassion and bodhicitta. In this retreat we make many effective prayers for all suffering to completely cease and receive the most powerful blessing to travel swiftly along our path to enlightenment

*The day begins at 6:45am with the practice of Mahayana Precepts; this is required to attend any of the later sessions on that day. 

The practice of taking and keeping the eight Mahayana precepts is a special practice of moral discipline that is performed with compassion for all living beings. The essence of the practice is to take eight precepts — promising to abstain for 24 hours from eight actions: (1) killing, (2) stealing, (3) sexual activity, (4) lying, (5) taking intoxicants, (6) eating after lunch, (7) sitting on high or luxurious thrones or seats, and (8) wearing ornaments, perfume, singing and dancing and so forth – and to keep them purely for this period of time.

 Other sessions are with the sadhana Drop of Essential Nectar which includes physical prostrations. You must have taken precepts to attend these sessions.

The retreat involves fasting and making three sessions of prostrations, with the sadhana “Drop of Essential Nectar,”.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this special retreat. Retreat Sessions are FREE

Schedule for Each Day

6:45am Precepts (Required)
Brief explanation & guided ceremony for taking precepts
with Kadam Ricc Bishop

7:30-8:45am –  Session 1
“Drop of Essential Nectar” Chanted Prayers & Prostrations

Meal Break from 10:00 to 12:00pm. This should be your only meal of the day.  Avoid eating certain foods during the lunch, including meat, eggs, onion, garlic and spices.

12:00pm – 1:30am – Session 2
“Drop of Essential Nectar” Chanted Prayers & Prostrations

2:00pm-3:30pm – Session 3
“Drop of Essential Nectar” Chanted Prayers & Prostrations

Please note: Participants must continue fasting and observing the precepts until 7:00am the following morning.

Prayer Booklets

We will be using the following prayer booklets during the retreat, which you may wish to purchase from Tharpa Publications in advance.

A Pure Life
The practice of taking and keeping the eight Mahayana precepts

Drop of Essential Nectar
A special fasting and purification practice in conjunction with Eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara