Description

This special fasting and purification practice is traditionally done by Kadampa Centers worldwide on Buddha’s Enlightenment Day.

We spend the day with Thousand-Armed (eleven-faced) Avalokiteshvara – “Mahakaruna” – the nature of our Guru’s great compassion, making exquisite offerings, praises, and prostrations and thereby accumulate huge merit, purify vast negativity for ourselves and others and receive the most powerful blessing to propel ourself swiftly along our path to enlightenment.

The retreat begins at 6:30am with the practice of taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts using the prayer booklet A Pure Life. Then we engage in three sessions of chanted prayers with prostrations to the compassion Buddha, 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara; this practice is done in conjunction with the prayer booklet Drop of Essential Nectar.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this special retreat.

Special note about fasting

Fasting is a wonderful way to purify and accumulate good karma. Included in the 6:30am precepts is a promise to eat only lunch, until 6:30am the following morning (water and some beverages are ok). We’ll have the opportunity to eat lunch together at a local restaurant at 12:30pm.

Schedule

Please Note: It is necessary to take the Precepts Vows at 6:30am in order to participate in any of the other sessions. Free event. 

• Retreat Introduction & Precepts: 6:30-8am
• Session 1: 8:45-10:00am
• Session 2: 11am-12:15pm
• Lunch at a local restaurant: 12:30pm
• Session 3: 2-3:30pm