On this special day we will celebrate Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. This marks the occasion when Buddha Shakyamuni showed the manner of accomplishing the ultimate goal of living beings – the attainment of enlightenment – at Bodh Gaya, India in 589 BC. With this auspicious deed he demonstrated how each of us can overcome all internal and external obstacles and hindrances and become an enlightened person.
To celebrate this special day, we will engage in a one day Nyungnay Purification Retreat.
Nyungnay is a special fasting and purification practice performed in conjunction with prostrations and prayers to Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. This is a very powerful method for purifying negativity of body, speech, and mind, and for pacifying strong delusions such as desirous attachment and hatred. It is also a special way of receiving blessings and for improving our minds of love, compassion, and bodhichitta. This practice is done annually at Kadampa Buddhist centers throughout the world to celebrate Buddha’s Enlightenment Day.
Usually this practice is done over two days, with the Mahayana precepts* being taken at the beginning of each day. On the first day it is customary to abstain from all meals apart from lunch. On the second day we engage in a complete fast, abstaining from all food and drink for 24 hours. On both days, we do three sessions of meditation, combining prostrations with chanted meditation. You can attend one day or both provided you take the Mahayana precepts on each day that you attend.
*The Mahayana precepts are vows we take to abstain from certain actions for the duration of 24 hours. For more information please email info@meditationinsarasota.org. This event is free to attend.
*Note: This event will not be available via livestream
Saturday:
Precepts & Introduction- A Pure Life:
6:30-7:45am
Session 1: 8:30-10:00am
Session 2: 11am-12pm
Lunch: 12:30-1:30pm
Session 3: 4:00-5:30pm
Sunday:
Precepts – A Pure Life: 6:30-7:30am
Session 1: 8:30-10:00am
Session 2: 1:30-3:00pm
Session 3: 4:00-5:30pm
