Rest For The Fortunate, The Extraordinary Practice Of Nyungne: Its History, Meaning And Benefits

Practiced by all the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, nyungne is a special fasting practice of Chenrezig, the odhisattva of Compassion. It is extraordinary both for its profound spiritual qualities and for its practicality in application. Nyungne is performed over a period of two days, the second of which is a complete fast. During this nyungne, practitioners take on temporary vows and generate the attitude of bodhicitta, the unbiased attitude of compassion and aspiration for the enlightenment of all beings. Rest for the Fortunate is the name of a traditional Tibetan commentary on nyungne, on which this book is based. It tells of the history of nyungne, starting with the Buddhist princess Lakshminkara who overcame terrible illness through practice and became the first holder of the nyungne lineage. There is also a detailed explanation of how the practice integrates the hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana levels of Buddhist practice. The benefits of nyungne are explained in detail through many stories and extensive scriptural references concerning its power in the purification of karmic obstacles and wrongdoing and the accomplishment of enlightened qualities. The book concludes with a special teaching on dying, death, and the bardo (intermediate) states based on the instructions of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche).