Buddhist Fasting Practice

Subtitle: The Nyungne Method of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig Author: Wangchen Rinpoche Softcover ~ 256 pages 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 one of the few comprehensive treatments in English of these powerful teachings. Nyungne is a profound two-and-a-half-day 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. 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. "In this book, Wangchen Rinpoche has given clear and comprehensive instruction on how to undertake the Nyungne practice. Not only that, but by including stories of the great past masters who have undertaken the practice, accounts of the benefits it has brought, as well as auxiliary practices and recitations, he offers a wealth of background information that will serve as a rich source of knowledge and inspiration." ~ H.H. the Dalai Lama