Nyung-Ne
Marathon at Chenrezig Institute
Click
here to read amazing and funny stories about the Nyung-Nes
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1. At the end of the second Nyung-Ne marathon held at Chenrezig
Institute in 1998. This was lead by Ven. Ailsa Cameron (in the middle
with the basket of chocolate). Each Nyung-Ne takes 2 days - so 16
days in all of meditating, prostrating and fasting on every alternate
day.
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2. Light offerings in the gompa on the evening of Saka Dawa, Lord
Buddha's birth, enlightenment and paranirvana. The 8 Nyung-Nes culminate
on this very special day. We had many tables covered in hundreds
of light offerings.
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3. Annis Dickson, a long-time student of Geshe-la's, setting up light
offerings on Saka Dawa. (The real X-files - the truth is not out
there, but in here, in finding the truth right here
within oneself.) |
4. The early morning of Saka Dawa, in the hush of the half hour
before first light, getting ready to take precepts on the last day
of the Nyung-Nes. Around 40 people attended the last Nyung-Ne, and
Geshe-la himself came to lead the precepts.
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5. The group that completed all eight Nyung-Nes in 1999. We all
took turns in leading sessions. We had the Chenrezig Sadhana in
Italian, English, Australian, Vietnamese and Chinese accents - a
truly multicultural event (people coming from as far away as America
and Holland to join in) and never a dull moment!
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6 . Julie Pham (left) and Miffi Maxmillion at the stupa on the evening
of Saka Dawa, the last night of the marathon. Julie is the dynamo
of the very devoted Vietnamese community, and a long time student
of Geshe Tashi Tsering. She also translates (along with her sister
Tina Pham) into Vietnamese on the Friday night teachings with Geshe-la.
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7 . Marie-Angela Vecci and Dechen Gerrard, the dakini cooks for
the "Big Breakfast" at the end of the Nyung-Nes, cooking
up a storm (and some 40 serves of eggs on toast) for some very happy,
and very hungry meditators. All the cooks for the Nyung-Nes volunteered
their time, imagination (and the deserts), to prepare delicious
and nutritious food for the days that we weren't fasting.
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8 . Everyone who completed all eight of the Nyung-Nes in 2000, just
before the Big Breakfast on the last day. This was lead by Ven.
Ailsa Cameron (front row, middle). As you can see, age just doesn't
matter with a practice like this. Young or old, it is the mind that
is important, and the body does as best as it can.
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9. Pearly Black and Miffi Maxmillion in front of the life-size statue
of Chenrezig in the gompa. Pearly has been the singer at our end-of-year
parties and Miffi is the program co-ordinator at Langri Tangpa Centre.
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10. Gathered at the stupa on the evening of Saka Dawa, after a very
hard day's meditating, prostrating and fasting. Believe it or not,
we are all in silence, gathered in good commaderie and unable to
talk! Somehow, it all got said anyway...
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11. The stupa at Chernezig Institute with hundreds of light offerings
at its base. |
12. Circumambulating the stupa on the evening of Saka Dawa, with
lighted incense and candles, singing praises and making prayers
for the release from suffering of all sentient beings. The day of
Saka Dawa is very auspicious, and all the merit is said to multiply
many millions of times. Someone even brought their cat (safe in
a cage) to carry around the stupa, for the positive imprints.
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13. The Chernezig Institute sangha; gone, gone, gone beyond... |
14. Making prayers and chanting praises, holding candles as light
offerings around the stupa. As the night wore on, people started
to drift off to bed, but a few die-hard Nyung-Ne'ers just didn't
want to leave. Someone said it was so beautiful they didn't have
enough eyes to enjoy it.
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15. Looking up at the statue of Namgyalma
(the deity of long life), illuminated within the stupa and surrounded
by rows of light offerings.
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16. The stupa,
lit up like a pointillist painting of light, shining out into the
darkness, the glowing and luminous representation of the Buddha's
enlightened mind. |
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