Consider a personal short-term retreat at Pema Osel Ling. Wisdom teachers through the ages have recommended that we go to the mountains whenever possible to do reteat. Pema Osel Ling has been blessed by the presence of so many sublime lamas, that there is a special energy that supports practice here.

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche said “Pema Osel Ling is one of the best places to do practice. We have incredible holy supporting objects like the body aspect of Guru Rinpoche’s statue, made by our Lord of Refuge Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, and the mind aspect or our stupas.”

And, as Lama Sonam Rinpoche has told us, “Now is the time to practice. Don’t think you will have more time later. As the great masters told us, we should practice with the same urgency we would feel if our hair were on fire – we wouldn’t wait until a better time to put it out! Remember impermanence.”

Special Retreat Opportunities: 2024

 

Closed Personal Ngondro Retreat opportunities June 16 - December 16 2024

We would like to let you know about a structured personal retreat opportunity.

 

From June 16 - December 16 this year we will be offering several opportunities for retreat in our Drupdra cabins in conjunction with our Three Year Retreat. This is an opportunity for anyone looking to complete their Ngondro in a supportive environment where you will be able to stay in a private cabin to complete accumulations under the direct guidance and support of Vajrayana Foundation’s lamas. 

 

All participants will have a private retreat cabin. The retreat fee will include housing, meals, limited personal guidance and time with a Lama, and orientation training for joining the strict retreat structure. 

 

Retreatants may stay for between 1 month and 6 months, but must begin their retreat either in June or September 2024, and complete their retreat by December 2024. Some options include:

• 3 Months: June 16 - September

• 3 Months: September 16 - December

• 6 Months: June 16 - December

 

Due to the strict nature of our Three Year Retreat those coming to practice in this environment will need to adhere to the same meal and practice sessions. There will be retreat boundaries that must be respected so as not to disturb other practitioners, maintaining the “heat” of the retreat center, and preserving the sacred space from obstacles. There will be no phone (or internet) access except in emergencies. Retreatants will gather together for meal times and to work on tasks to keep the retreat area clean. 

 

Although silence isn't required it is recommended that communication is kept to a bare minimum while on retreat, encouraging the practice of mindfulness and sustaining the circumstance for practice. Keeping the boundaries and working together with fellow retreatants will help to support everyone's private practice. 

 

Important: this special opportunity is open to anyone with a sincere interest in completing their Ngondro and furthering their practice. Having finished one’s Ngondro, one will be qualified to engage in creation (sādhana) and completion stage closed retreats.

 

Spots are limited! For more information and to register please fill out this Closed Personal Retreat in Drubdra Questionnaire and email it to privateretreats@vajrayana.org where it will be given to our resident lamas for approval, we will send you more information about the retreat. Upon approval we will contact you with the next steps.

 

 

Private Retreat Options throughout the year:

 

Kunsang Choling

This cabin is also known as Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche's trailer, and has hosted many of our lama visitors over the years. It is available to Vajrayana Foundation Members only.

 

This cabin was originally a double-wide manufactured home that is now a comfortable one-bedroom house. The bedroom has a queen bed, full closet and bedside table. There is a full bathroom, with shower and bathtub, and a living-dining area with a table that seats 4, couch and coffee table. The kitchen is fully equipped. There is a full deck with patio furniture and beautiful view of the mountain and forest.

 

There is WiFi available at this cabin. You may book a stay for a minimum of 2 nights and up to 1 month. Please contact the office if you are looking to book a longer retreat.

  

Other Retreat Spaces

Depending on our wedding and group rental schedule, we may also have some of these accommodations available for Personal Retreats.

 

Orchard House

Located in a private meadow, the spacious Orchard House features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen. The living room has vaulted ceilings as well as a gas-burning fireplace. The great deck wraps around both the living and dining area and has a beautiful mountain view. Each large bedroom has a balcony and sliding glass doors. The downstairs master bedroom offers a queen-size bed, private entry, and a private bathroom. The three upstairs bedrooms have one or two queen beds each, and share a common bathroom. The Orchard House has WiFi and minimal cell phone reception.

 

Sangha House

Our Sangha House is a large, ranch style, four-bedroom lodge with a full kitchen and two group-size bathrooms, one with handicap access. The living/meeting room has an adjoined full-size terrace overlooking Monterey Bay. This house has 4 bedrooms with a total of 18 beds. Three of the bedrooms have queen beds, allowing couples to share a room for retreat. The Sangha House has adequate cell phone reception (Verizon) but no WiFi.

 

Yurt and Cabins

On a quiet hillside there is a Yurt and seven heated cabins with high ceilings and large sunny windows. Heated bathhouses for both men and women are nearby.  Most cabins contain a queen bed, a set of bunk beds, and a small clothing cabinet.

 

 

 

If you are interested in finding out more, please fill out this Personal Retreat Questionnaire and send it to privateretreats@vajrayana.org. We will respond with availability and pricing.

 

Use THIS LINK to submit a deposit or pay your retreat balance after receiving permission for your retreat. Please click here to review our Payment and Cancellation Policy.