The annual 45-day summer retreat (Yarne) for monastics began on July 24th and finished on September 6th. Established during the rainy season at the time of the Buddha, the retreat is an opportunity for monks and nuns to stay in one place to study, engage in meditation, and train in virtuous activity of the body, speech and mind. For example, staying in one place is good for insects, bugs, and slugs as walking means you could step on them and kill them.
Above: Monks during Yarne at Rinpoche's monasteries in Nepal.
Yarne is performed each year at Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, Vajra Vidya Institute and Thrangu Tara Abbey. The daily schedule varies between shedra, non-shedra, and grade school age monks/nuns, but they all rise early and finish the day by 10pm. The lunch break is an hour and a half and while the younger children do have dinner, the older monks observe the vow of not eating after noon.
Nuns during Yarne at Thrangu Tara Abbey