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Hi Taomeow Could this be it? https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/infographics/the-race-to-stop-covid-19/20207792.article?firstPass=false

There could be truth to that. In times past, Nyung Ne was a healing protocol for those suffering from leprosy and other diseases that were rampant in the Himalayan regions.

You can always do an informal one on your own, Miroku. Wishing you an wonderfully auspicious Vesak! _/\_

haha its a pretty daunting practice alright, but you did well for not bailing out despite being a newbie and all. The second one still tough, but with the experience, at least one knows what to prepare for before entering the retreat. A fellow attendee at the first one I attended turned into a devoted long-term NN practitioner/adept now. At one point, he became very ill, even on the verge of dying... not a direct result of the practice, but he had some underlying health issues. He persisted though, with the help of his teacher who really cared for him extra during that precarious phase, and now he's flourishing! Last I heard he's gone on to be a hermit in some beehive hut in the West of Ireland, subsisting on a just a few spoons of rice, honey and water a month.

I believe lots of retreat centres throughout the world are in the midst of Nyung Ne now.

Did you attend another one after that?

Water allowed up to evening of first day (time depends on retreat leader - usually up to 8pm, but varies). From then on its total fasting until the morning of the 3rd day. Its fairly extreme because of the nos. of sessions throughout day 2, plus no sleep lol. But the retreatants would be relatively experienced practitioners, so everyone knew what to expect.

Its a practice centred on purification and healing, supplicating Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) as the main practice deity,. Nyung Ne roughly translates as 'abiding in the fast'. On the first day intro. including taking Mahayana precepts. One light meal at lunchtime. Tea/water can be consumed until evening. The 2nd day complete silence and total fasting is observed. Sadhana of Chenrezig is performed throughout the day/night. Basically lots of sessions involving prayers, chanting, prostrations, guided meditations, and visualizations - till 9am the next day. Soft breakfast to end the retreat.

Are you familiar with the Mahayana fasting practice called Nyung Ne (or Nyung Nay)? It might inform your fasting practice with greater clarity re. the spiritual benefits from a Buddhist perspective. I've attended a couple of Nyung Ne fasting retreats years ago. These are very short retreats, like around 2/3 days, but its believed that the benefit from doing one Nyung Ne retreat properly is equivalent to doing a full 3 months retreat.

You're most kind, Steve. This little corner of TDB flourishes on the kindness of anyone that lingers here for a moment or two to partake of the Buddha's flowing wisdom that can be entered into from wherever one is. As Buddha Purnima day (Vesak) approaches, I'm reminded of the ever-increasing compassionate activities of Buddha Shakyamuni and all the other nirmanakaya buddhas, and ever grateful for the generous, appreciative comments that have ornamented this thread like precious gems and auspicious symbols adorning the mandala it has become. Homage to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha May the causes of happiness increasingly ripen for all sentient beings.

∞ DAN LUSTHAUS ∞ Buddhist phenomenology “A deceptive trick is built into the way consciousness operates at every moment. Consciousness projects and constructs a cognitive object in such a way that it disowns its own creation - pretending the object is "out there" - in order to render that object capable of being appropriated. Even while what we cognize is occurring within our act of cognition, we cognize it as if it were external to our consciousness. Realization of vijñapti-mātra exposes this trick intrinsic to consciousness's workings, thereby eliminating it. When that deception is removed one's mode of cognition is no longer termed vijñāna (consciousness); it has become direct cognition (jñāna). Consciousness engages in this deceptive game of projection, dissociation, and appropriation because there is no "self." According to Buddhism, the deepest, most pernicious erroneous view held by sentient beings is the view that a permanent, eternal, immutable, independent self exists. There is no such self, and deep down we know that. This makes us anxious, since it entails that no self or identity endures forever. In order to assuage that anxiety, we attempt to construct a self, to fill the anxious void, to do something enduring. The projection of cognitive objects for appropriation is consciousness's main tool for this construction. If I own things (ideas, theories, identities, material objects), then "I am." If there are eternal objects that I can possess, then I too must be eternal. To undermine this desperate and erroneous appropriative grasping, Yogācāra texts say: Refute the illusory separate object, and the fictional, perceiving self is also negated.”

∞ LONGCHENPA ∞ Spaciousness: The radical Dzogchen of the Vajra-Heart Looking at the reality that is unchanging spontaneity With its intrinsic presence that is free of intellectual interference Looking again and again, we see nothing -- Nonseeing is the empowering view of pure presence.

Thanks for the reminder, Miroku. You're right, and I'm not contending any of what you said. My point was specifically referencing yidams (the tutelary deities, or what some teachers like to say, "heart-bond deities") who collectively enhances the scope of attainment of both ordinary & extraordinary realizations that cannot be accessed otherwise. To be able to make a pure connection with other formless deities and buddhas in the Vajrayana pantheon would still require some sort of virtuous affinity that one has cultivated, so, in a sense, it is still the practitioner's inner spiritual potential and qualities that determine how such connections are made, or how the conditions are ripened so as to allow for such external blessings to take place. Both the Rinpoches you mentioned are masters in their own right - what you related about their encounters are examples of the ripeness mentioned. These beings also appear regularly to us deluded beings but our jaundiced perception means we only catch glimpses now and again, or experience fleeting sensations that, at times, convince us we are not alone (like maybe catch a whiff of divine scent, or feel a sudden light breeze that pleasantly brushes our face, or we hear some kind of faint but unfamiliar angelic music during meditation, etc). As one's practice matures, these glimpses and sensations become clearer and lasts longer, and, in time, one can even receive teachings, healings, and blessings to remove stubborn obstacles.

If I may, I'd like to point out that no such inference was made about that which was alluded to above. The second part of the question is predicated on the assumption that our understanding of oneness is identical, or at least similar, but unfortunately, the subjectivity of the premise means its unlikely consensus can be reached where a mutually agreeable answer can be drawn.

A simple analogy that is freely available to anyone interested enough to see the truth behind the words.

I suppose they remain latent somewhere in the storehouse of memories scattered throughout the cells of one's bodymind until certain conditions become ripe for their appearance, either in dreams or as some other psychic activity, like the healing you mentioned, for example.

I suppose it might be more meaningful to a Buddhist practitioner, but not exclusively. 'Quiescent extinction' is not a 'what'. If you maybe try to drop the 'what', the clarity will find its way into your understanding. When a rock is placed over grass, the visibility of this new object gains primacy as far as the senses are concerned. Conditioned mind, habituated by accessing and depending upon the limited functions on these senses, seeks to evaluate phenomenon within the narrow confines of seen and unseen. A person heavily invested in worldly affairs will assume the little peace he got, this temporary stress relief from being taught meditation, is like that rock placed over grass - he confounds his own mind by assuming that one glimpse of quiescence to be the ultimate. Just remove this rock, and within a span of time, the patch of brown will once again return to its conditioned green existence. Likewise, when meditation is unstable, it is easy for delusion to seep back in. And not stabilising meditation is like having to lift a rock and place it over unsightly patches of grass each time that unsightliness disturbs our vision. Surely there must be a more workable and dependable solution? Assuming that one truly intends to remove the potential of unsightly habits from recurring, the way is not to put a rock over it, but to sever the roots.

First, the momentum of your practice will continue into your dreams; then it will continue on through the intermediate states, and on to the next life.

Further reflection on Cheshire Cat's comment on the Sex with a Dakini thread regarding the possible scam that dream yoga is: In a more traditional Vajrayana setting, dream yoga has never been propagated as a stand-alone practice. It requires gradual layering (not sure if this sounds right, but thats the feel of it anyway) where one practice folds seamlessly into another, and another, and so on. Some of the modern approaches available today are, as you say, scams at best. Its even irresponsible and careless to encourage anyone to DIY and experiment with the outcomes. Milam is impossible to learn from books, just as one cannot learn to cook from reading a recipe manual, or learn to drive from watching a youtube instructional video. Or carry out dicey repairs of any kind, for that matter. One can always make the attempt, sure, but there are potential pitfalls that, fortunately, only an experienced instructor can point out. At its best, a manual will make you the best facsimile there can be, but to attain authentic results, a teacher's guidance is key to mastery. Confidence is vital because one builds the practice from that space. This saves time and energy. The practice of dream yoga or milam is an excellent one because dreams don't lie. An authentic teacher is useful as he or she will keep the student honest. In Milam, either one is able to actualize a fully pregnant dream mandala ready to bestow realizations, or not. Unless one practices without guidance, delusion can be allayed. If the mandala does not gradually crystallize in one's dreams, to say it does is just dishonest. Instruction manuals don't help much because the 'construction' of a mandala is unique to the individual practitioner. And because of its intricate nature and precise designations of where each pure being 'sits' within the mandala, a teacher will know instantly the maturing level of a practitioner (of milam/dream yoga). The perfection of milam is the assurance that, upon reaching the bardo of dying, there will be no fear because the visions that follow at the onset of the bardo of death will not be different from the bulk of auspicious visions cultivated in dream yoga. Milam is where the actual power is cultivated, because in the fluid nature of the dream state, one can assume any and all of the qualities of Samantabhadra, & Karmamudra practice is where this power, when accessed propitiously and thru the enlightened activity of the Dakini, enjoins the wisdom nature of Samantabhadri. This entwining of the essences is symbolised by the sun (Samantabhadra) and moon (Samantabhadri) in perfect union. For a female practitioner, its reversed, so milam is where wisdom is cultivated, and the full actualization of the perfection of the path unfolds in karmamudra. I have no experience or insight with milam as promulgated by other traditions, or whether they employ a similar approach of working with their own mandala-like symbols. If not, then I have no idea how these traditions measure progress with their work.

Can't say I do... care to offer a refresher, please?

Yup. In this sense, adeptness defines one who has extinguished/transcended coarse or base desires. In your case, the greater the desire (in practical terms, the more mantras you chant), the more hideous the dakini will manifest for you. Trust me, if you proceed/persist with this, Dorje Phagmo will, at some stage, seem like a good catch. To sum it up for ease of understanding, when you learn to stop feeding/cherishing such mundane needs, you will begin to connect with the splendour of the dakinis. And, btw, don't mistake this as any sort of attainment, cos it ain't.

Yeah, but with your coarse level of desire, she'd probably manifest to you as Vajravarahi, aka Dorje Phagmo aka Adamantine Sow. Are you really into twerking with a sow? That could be arranged. Once again... be careful what you wish for.

Be careful what you wish for. Dakini Troma Nagmo

People dont become apples because what they're eating are not really apples, merely the appleness of apples being eaten by the humanness of humans.

that runs through the law a feat denied most of us except maybe Bolt