FASTING PRACTICE OF NYUNGNE
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The fasting practice of Nyungne is a well known, very popular, and profound purification practice that is widely performed in Tibet.
One set of Nyungne consists of two days of practice. The first day is the preliminary day, and the second day is the actual fasting day. One takes what is called the Tekchen Sojong vow, the mahayana vow of Restoring and Purifying Ordination, with a total of eight precepts, and on the preliminary day one eats only one meal with drinks for the entire day. The meal is completely and purely vegetarian, which means it is free from any meat sub¬stance as well as onions, garlic, eggs, etc. The next day is a complete fast with no meals or drinks, and one must also be silent.
The source of this practice is a revered historical Buddhist figure known as Gelongma Palmo. She was actually an Afghani princess during a time when Afghanistan was a great Buddhist nation. Padmasambhava, who is considered second only to Lord Buddha, is also known to have come from that area. In Buddhist history books this place is known as Oddiyana, in what is now northwest India.
Gelongma Palmo was a very learned, fully ordained Buddhist nun who overcame the dreaded disease of leprosy through her practice of Nyungne by means of a vision of Chenrezig. From her the lineage of this extraordinary Nyungne practice tradition began. ~ Wangchen Rinpoche
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