Nyung Ne is a powerful purification retreat where we invoke the Buddha of Compassion (Thousand-Armed Chenrezig) while reciting mantras, making offerings and prostrations. If you have not received the Chenrezig initiation, you can still participate. However at the time of generating oneself into Thousand-Armed Chenrezig, you simply do the visualisation at the crown of your head.

On the first day of Nyung Ne, we take the Eight Mahayana Precepts. On the second day, in addition to observing the eight precepts, we vow not to speak, eat or drink until the following sunrise. We observe the precepts only for the duration of the retreat. The retreat ends on the third morning.

The main purpose of doing Nyung Ne is to destroy our self-cherishing attitudes. First, we reflect on the faults of self-cherishing and how self-cherishing is the source of our unwanted sufferings. Then we meditate on the benefits of bodhicitta. It is beneficial to practise the Mahayana equilibrium meditation, followed by the seven-point instruction on developing bodhicitta.

During the retreat, it is common for us to experience strong disturbing emotions, physical pains, hunger, thirst, and severe headaches as a result of the purification process. Sometimes, the ripening of our negative karma can be particularly intense. When our negative karma is ripening, it is helpful for us to generate regret for the negative actions we have accumulated since beginingless time. It is impossible for us to experience something unpleasant unless we have previously created the causes for it. Then think of others who are worse off than us and are experiencing great pain. It is especially beneficial to practise tong-len. With a mind of compassion, we visualise voluntarily taking the sufferings of sentient beings upon ourselves and with a mind of love we give away all our happiness to others. By reflecting in this way, we develop our faith of conviction in the laws of karma while maintaining the mind of bodhicitta.

When the retreat is over, we rejoice from the depths of our hearts and dedicate our merits to the complete enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Ribur Rinpoche's teachings on How to Generate Bodhicitta
 

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