This special fasting and purification practice is traditionally done by Kadampa Centers worldwide on Buddha’s Enlightenment day, celebrated on April 15.

Buddha’s Enlightenment Day

April 15th marks the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni demonstrating the attainment of enlightenment in 589 B.C.E. Buddha’s Enlightenment Day is a very special day to create immensely beneficial karma and purify negativities for ourselves and others by engaging in Compassion Fasting Retreat (traditional name: Nyungnay).

Two Days of Purity & Compassion

Enjoy one or both days of this 2-day retreat with Buddha Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara – “Mahakaruna” – the nature of Buddha's great compassion, in which we make beautiful offerings, praises, and prostrations. 

This retreat brings enormous benefit to our spiritual practice and our happiness. In the retreat sessions, we accumulate huge merit, purify vast negativity for ourselves and others, and receive powerful blessings.

Each day begins with an early morning ceremony of taking the Mahayana Precepts, eight precepts of pure moral discipline and fasting. The precepts ceremony is followed by three retreat sessions of the chanted prayers "Drop of Essential Nectar," which include prostrations. While the second day can be accompanied by a full fast, this is not compulsory.

Intro Talk & Mahayana Precepts

Please join the Introductory Talk on Monday, April 13, to learn more. Everyone is welcome to join us for this special retreat. You can choose to participate in both days or just one day.

Important:  Every day that you participate in the retreat, you must come to the Mahayana Precepts ceremony that morning at 6:30am. If you haven’t taken these precepts before, please click here to learn about the commitments of precepts. (https://kadampa.org/buddhism/taking-precepts) These will also be explained in the Intro Talk.

Monday, April 13 - Intro Talk, 7:00-8:30pm

Learn about the meaning of this retreat and how to engage in it effectively for a blessed retreat experience.

Tuesday, April 14th - Retreat Day 1

Mahayana Precepts  6:30 – 7:15am 
Session 1   7:45 – 9:00am  
Session 2  10:30 – 11:45am  
Lunch  12:00 – 12:45pm  
Session 3  2:15 - 3:30pm 

Wednesday, April 15th - Retreat Day 2

Mahayana Precepts  6:30 – 7:15am
Session 1  7:45 – 9:00am
Session 2  10:30 – 11:45am
Break
Session 3  2:15 - 3:30pm
Offering to the Spiritual Guide Tsog Puja 6 - 7:30pm 

Monday Night Introduction 

$15 Regular Price & for Basic Members
$7.50 Supporting Members
FREE Bodhisattva Members

Full Retreat

$35 Regular Price & for Basic Members
$17.50 Supporting Members
FREE Bodhisattva Members

Tues, April 14 ONLY 

$15 Regular Price & for Basic Members
$7.50 Supporting Members
FREE Bodhisattva Members

Wed, April 15 ONLY 

$15 Regular Price & for Basic Members
$7.50 Supporting Members
FREE Bodhisattva Members

With Resident Teacher Kerrin Perniciaro

Resident Teacher Kerrin Perniciaro is a long-time practitioner of Modern Kadampa Buddhism. She has studied and taught Buddhism at the International Kadampa Meditation Center Grand Canyon (IKRC), Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center (in the 6-month Intensive Teacher Training Program), Los Angeles and Long Island.  She is an inspiring example of a lay practitioner of Kadampa Buddhism, and teaches meditation and Buddhism very practically, with clarity, warmth and kindness.