Tuesday, June 23, 2009

CGC Organizes Three Sets of Nyung Nay Retreats

CGC conducted three sets of Nyung Nay (The Means of Achievement of the Eleven Face Great Compassionate One) retreats over the first three weekends of the Saka Dawa month of June 2009 (First set: 5th – 7th, Second: 12th – 15th & Third: 19th – 22nd) lead by our own compassionate resident Sangha, Ven. Osel.

All three retreats were very successful with participants leaving their respective retreat feeling positive, energetic, and with calmer clearer minds. Many had their own personal experiences which ranged from “spiritual” in nature - seeing divine blessings in the form of showers of tiny sparkling flakes over the offerings, smells of something burning while performing prostrations, vivid dreams and realisations; to the more “physical” comprised of gastric pain, diarrhea, unquenchable thirst, hunger, sleepiness, insomnia, muscular pains and aching joints. It was said that these physical experiences were due to the purification of lifetimes of accumulated negative karma.

This is not uncommon, as part of the practice is to go without food (during the last 36 hours) and water (for the last 24 hours) while staying silent (i.e. no talking except for recitation of prayers, mantras and sutras) and performing approximately a hundred prostrations during each prayer session. Surprisingly, all participants account that their physical aliments lifted upon the breaking of fast on the last day.

A typical day in a Nyung Nay retreat would see you waking up at around 4.00 – 4.45 am each morning, if not to the sound of a ringing bell at 4.50 am. Upon cleaning up, you would then proceed to the kitchen and to the main hall thereafter for the first session of prayers which begins at 5 am. Between the first and second prayer session is a half an hour break where if you are on duty you would assists in clearing and preparing the offerings for the next session. Each prayer session is approximately 3 hours in length. The third session begins at 3 pm giving you two and a half hours to shower and rest. At 6 pm onwards, you would be free to do what you wish but within the perimeter of the center. Normally it would be lights out by 10 pm!

We rejoice with all who attended the recent Nyung Nay retreats!! Those of you who have not experienced a retreat are encouraged to sign up the next time CGC organizes one. Please see the benefits of attending a Nyung Nay retreat in our previous blog entry on Nyung Nay Retreats & Its Benefits.

Here are a few photos, in no particular order, of the recent set of retreats.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Geshe Tenzin Zopa's visit to CGC on 1st - 3rd June 2009

The photos below are of Geshe Tenzin Zopa's visit with the nuns from Kopan Monastery to CGC on 1st to 3rd June 2009. Geshela's teachings were as always, very precise, clear & inspiring! Please click on the photo you for a larger view.

Monday, 1st June 2009









Tuesday, 2nd June 2009
Wednesday, 3rd June 2009



Monday, June 1, 2009

CGC's June - August 2009 Newsletter


We are so pleased to be able to share with you CGC’s very first newsletter. The contents include:

- Very relevant advice from our Holy Guru, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche on "Antidotes to recession"

- Upcoming events @ CGC

- Review of CGC events from Jan-May 09

- An experiential story told by Anthony Chew about his personal experience during his participation in Nyung Nay retreat, entitled "My Encounter with the Buddha"

- Words for Enlightenment, a short quotation from my Holy Guru, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

- What is the purpose of reciting mantras and the brief meanings of Om Mani Padme Hum

We hope you enjoy reading our newsletter, and look forward to seeing you at the center soon.

You can download CGC's June - August '09 newsletter here:

DOWNLOAD FILE