256 pp., BUFAPR
$18.95 Snow Lion special $15.16
Order Now

by Boston Russell

Meaning literally "abiding in the fast", Nyungne is a two-day retreat practiced in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and centers of every lineage. It involves practicing the long sadhana of Avalokitesvara three times daily (often divided into four sessions), eating only one meal on the first day, and then going without food, drink, or speech on the second day. The sadhana itself puts great emphasis on offering, confession, making full or half-body prostrations, and reciting the long dharani and Mani mantra of the deity.

I first took part in this practice in Taiwan in the spring of 2000. My teacher, Wangchen Rinpoche, the nephew and one of the foremost disciples of the late Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, had become increasingly drawn to the practice and had begun doing sets of eight nyungnes (i.e. sixteen days) annually, culminating on Saga Dawa, the day in the Tibetan calendar marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. The first thing that I noticed about the practice was its overwhelming aesthetic beauty. The melodies of the recitation, the poetry of the prayers, the graceful mudras, and Rinpoche's presence all combined to create the inspiring atmosphere unique to Nyungne. As one engages in the practice one does experience some suffering in the form of heat, dryness, fatigue, and mental and/or physical pain. The sufferings are meant to simulate—and thereby take on—the sufferings of the hell, hungry ghost, and animal realms, purifying the causes of all beings to be reborn in those states. By abiding in and letting go into these experiences, one's insight into the nature of samsara deepens, along with an intense compassion, and growing awareness of one's own true nature. As the practice progresses, one transcends the experience of suffering altogether, and a profound sense of blissful stillness and ease arises.

Clockwise from Top: The 35 Confession Buddhas, Wangchen Rinpoche, Torma, Chenrezig Sand Mandala

Wangchen Rinpoche, the author of Buddhist Fasting Practice, is a truly exceptional master. In addition to being the current lineage holder of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition at the young age of 44, he is also one of the few living masters of the Nyungne practice. He now spends six days a week in silent retreat in the mountains above Los Angeles, coming out only on Sundays to see students and teach. He has also inspired his students in the practice; most of his students have completed 108 nyungnes, and several have completed two or three hundred. All of Rinpoche's monasteries and centers in Tibet, Taiwan, and America, engage in the eight-nyungne practice twice a year.

More about the book . . .

The Tibetan Buddhist practice of Nyungne ("nyoong-nay") has been gaining increased attention in Buddhist centers across North America; participants say the practice purifies them both physically and spiritually. This volume is the only comprehensive treatment in English of these powerful teachings. Nyungne is a profound two-and-a-half-day practice, a length of time especially helpful for people whose schedules cannot accommodate long-term retreat. It involves the keeping of strict vows; the second day is devoted to complete silence and fasting. The meditation centers on the recitations, mantras, and guided visualizations of the Thousand-Armed Chenrezig, the embodiment of all the buddhas' loving-kindness and compassion. Translated as "abiding in the fast," Nyungne is said to be effective in the healing of illness, the nurturing of compassion, and the purification of negative karma.

More about the author . . .

Wangchen Rinpoche is a student of Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche, with whom he lived and traveled from an early age. He is a master practitioner of Nyungne. He lives in Los Angeles, California.