The Centers

Chanteloube

Since its creation in 1980, an important task of the Centre D'Etudes de Chanteloube has been the organization of traditional three-year retreats. So far, seven such retreats have been organized at different sites, attended by practitioners from all over the world. A three year retreat cycle is in progress at the moment. For those who wish to discover the Dharma or deepen their understanding of it, short group retreats are organized on two occasions every year. These include simple, guided meditation sessions, together with a basic exposition of Buddhist teachings.

Dagshang Kagyu

Founded in 1984 by H.E. Kyabdje Kalu Rinpoché and established permanently as a center dedicated to the study and the practice of buddhism in 1985.

Gampo Abbey

Gampo Abbey is a Western Buddhist monastery in the Shambhala tradition in Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1983, it is a lineage institution of Shambhala and a corporate division of the Shambhala Canada Society. Under the spiritual direction of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the spiritual head of Shambhala International, Gampo Abbey is guided by our abbot the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche and our principal teacher Acharya Pema Chödrön.

Garchen Institute

Nestled in the forested foothills near the mountains surrounding Prescott with spectacular panoramic views of the red cliffs of Sedona, the San Francisco peaks, and Chino Valley, Arizona the Garchen Institute Retreat Center offers a setting of extraordinary natural beauty. Garchen Institute facilities are available for individual or group retreats, workshops, classes, weddings, memorial and award ceremonies. The Garchen Institute retreat center is surrounded by 75 private acres of natural wilderness bordering on the Prescott National Forest.

Gomde Pyrénées

Gomde Pyrénées is situated in the French Pyrénées several kilometers above the charming village of La Bastide, home to a friendly small community of farmers and artisans. The main house is known locally as Mas Can Père Courreu. The main house for programs and retreats nestles against a backdrop of magnificent mountains, and enjoys views of both sacred Mount Canigou and the Mediterranean Sea.

We offer long and short term retreats based upon the complete Buddhist path as found in the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, the Mahayana teachings on emptiness and compassion, and the profound instructions of the Vajrayana. Gomde Pyrénées was founded by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. We follow the lineage of the Chokling Tersar, a collection of teachings revealed by the 19th century Tibetan master Chokgyur Lingpa.

Karma Ling

Karma Ling is a center for Buddhist study and practice affiliated with the Sangha Dachang Rimay community, located in the Hameau de Saint-Hugon in Arvillard, Savoie. In 1979, a small group of Buddhist practitioners acquired the old Carthusian monastery of Saint Hugon to restore and offer it to the Tibetan master Kalu Rinpoche. Kalu Rinpoche then consecrated the place, named it "Karma Chedrup Chö Ling" and entrusted its spiritual direction to one of his principal disciples in the West, Lama Denys. It eventually became one of the most important centers for the study and practice of Buddhism in France. The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) gave teachings there in 1993 and 1997.

Karma Triyana Dharmachakra

Located 90 minutes from Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in the rolling hills of the western Catskills, Karme Ling is the site of a traditional 3-year 3-month meditation retreat in the Karma Kagyu tradition. Scroll down for an overview of Karme Ling as well as a detailed description of the 3-year retreat requirements and activities.

Katog Choling Mountain Retreat

On August 23, 2006 a piece of property in Northwest Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains was found that had everything that I had long been looking for. This estate is very special and has many positive features, such as an excellent shape, several hills that are lovely to behold, and beautiful wooded areas, as well as waterfalls, creeks, and rivers. Katog Choling Rit'hrod meadow Numerous caves of varying sizes, which are ideal for accomplishing practice, are found across the land. It contains an abundance of excellent qualities that support practice with all of the marks and auspicious signs described in the Buddhist texts for identifying appropriate retreat land. Everything about this quiet and remote place is pleasing. My intentions and aspirations for the land are: To build a temple and establish representations of enlightened body, speech, and mind; to develop courses for studying Buddhist philosophy in a traditional manner, called a shedra; to initiate a three year retreat center, called a drubdra; to establish an area designated for meditation retreats of varying lengths, called a gomdra; to build retreat cabins; and to create a healing center for body and mind. This work has already begun and is currently being developed.

~ Khentrul Rinpoche

Longchen Jigme Samten Ling

Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, a long-term retreat center located in the spectacular foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is the jewel of our organization. The name means “the meditation place of the fearless great expanse.” The great 13th century master Longchen Rabjam said that nature provides a perfect support for resting in “the mind of uncontrived naturalness” which lies at the heart of the Buddhist Vajrayana tradition. The rugged beauty of this location, overlooking the vast expanse of the San Luis Valley, makes an ideal environment for retreat. What occurs here is, in Rinpoche's words, "the very core of what we do." Samten Ling is a self-sufficient world, offering retreatants a balanced mix of solitude and support that facilitates their deep engagement with the practices of this path. Through the maturation of the practitioners on the land, and through the communication between them and Rinpoche, what has evolved at Samten Ling is a refined understanding of what works best to support Western practitioners in retreat. Our aspiration is for Samten Ling to be a fertile ground on which the essence of the Longchen Nyingtik lineage may ripen in many beings, now, and long into the future.

Milarepa Retreat Center

The Three Year retreat participants live in the Amitabha House. The building has seven rooms with baths, i.e. room for seven persons. Each room is furnished with a bed, wardrobe, desk with a shelf and a shrine.

A small adjoining temple and kitchen, used only by retreaters to prepare their meals, adorns the building. The small temple is used for teachings and empowerments for Three Year Retreat participants.

Retreaters prepare their meals in the small kitchen. During the three years, participants in the traditional Three Year retreat remain within the building and surrounding garden, which is protected by laurel bushes. Here they can stretch their legs on a meadow under old oak and beech trees.

Palpung Thubten Choling

Palpung Thubten Chöling Monastery (previously Kagyu Thubten Chöling) and Retreat Center was founded in 1978 by Lama Norlha Rinpoche in the tradition of Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche. In addition to a daily schedule of practice, study and work, the monastery offers weekend seminars taught by Lama Norlha Rinpoche and special courses led by visiting Lamas. Since its founding, a major focus of Kagyu Thubten Chöling Monastery has been the three-year retreat program which was initiated in 1982 and offers training to serious students in the core teachings and practices of the Kagyu Lineage.

Pema Osel Ling

Dharma Center of the Vajrayana Foundation, with a public center in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz hills. It also has a three-year retreat center.

Rigdzin Gatsal

Practice center affiliated with Chagdud Gonpa

Rigdzin Ling

Chagdud Gonpa is an international Nyingma Buddhist organization, founded in 1983 by H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche (1930-2002), a highly revered meditation master, artist and Tibetan physician who taught extensively in the East and West. Through its many activities, which include offering public teachings and retreats, translating, and publishing texts, Chagdud Gonpa Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that upholds and preserves the arts, philosophy, and meditation practices of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Samye Ling

Located off the west coast of Scotland, Holy Isle has an ancient spiritual heritage stretching back to the 6th century. At the north of the island the Centre for World Peace and Health hosts a retreat and course program from April to October and welcomes guests and day visitors during this time. A closed Three-year Buddhist retreat center for women is found at the south of the island. A second Three-year Buddhist retreat center for men is located nearby on Arran Isle. The founder and vision holder of the Holy Isle Project is Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master in the Kagyu tradition. Lama Yeshe is also Abbot of Samye Ling Monastery in Dumfriesshire, where he lives most of the year.

Serchö Osel Ling

In 2001, Kagyu Changchub Chuling purchased 240 acres of land north of Goldendale, Washington. Since that time, we have been developing facilities on the land to support long-term, cloistered retreats; shorter group retreats; and self-guided, personal retreats. Our effort has drawn on the support of hundreds of donors and volunteers. Venerable Bokar Rinpoche, who was an inspiration for and early supporter of the project, gave the land the title Ser Chö Ösel Ling—“Land of the Clear Light Golden Dharma.” A Three Year Shangpa Kagyu Retreat began on April 4th, 2015, using for the very first time new English translations. Ser Chö Ösel Ling’s first long retreat, the 2013 One Year Retreat, began March 30, 2013, and ended March 29, 2014.

Sukhasiddhi Tahoe Hermitage

Sukhasiddhi Foundation is a vajrayana center based in Marin County, California. As a place of transmission of both the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Traditions of study and practice, the center continues the spiritual heritage of Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche and following in his example is specifically committed to training students in the advanced vajrayana practices that are taught in the traditional Three-year Retreat. These are offered in multi year programs for lay practitioners. At one point, a small group wished to enter into a traditional three-year closed retreat, and a chalet in the ski country of Truckee, near Lake Tahoe was rented for the period of April 2002 through July 2005. This became the Sukhasiddhi Tahoe Hermitage. The retreat was led by Lama Palden Drolma - senior spiritual teacher of Sukhasiddhi Foundation - with assistance of Lama Drupgyu Tenzin. Two of the individuals in this retreat were supported by a Tsadra Foundation contemplative grant.

Tashi Choling

Tashi Chöling provides a place of spiritual refuge and an established program of study and practice in order to preserve the authentic living tradition of Tibetan Buddhism for the benefit of all beings.

Vajra Vidya Retreat Center

Vajra Vidya Retreat Center was built under a sacred mountain between the Karmapa Tashi Gomang stupa and the Tulku Urgyen stupa in Crestone, Colorado. It was founded by the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist master, with the intent of having the Center for intensive practice, initially for short periods and ultimately for the traditional Three Year Retreat. The first three year retreat was completed on May 21st of 2016. At this time we are open for retreats of a few days or longer. Vajra Vidya Retreat Center is open to the local community or visitors for individual practice and meditation in the shrine room from 8 am to 6 pm. At 9 am each day there is group prayer and meditation.

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