Vajrapani Institute
P.O. Box 2130
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
(831) 338-6654 

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Facility Rentals

Are you looking for a serene setting to support your spiritual group’s retreat?

Your group can rent our facilities at Vajrapani Institute.

Pathway

"Vajrapani is my all time favorite retreat center!" ~Adyashanti

“As we drove into Vajrapani, I felt like I was embraced by God. There could be no better welcome.”
~ Student from Center for Spiritual Enlightenment

More Testimonials

Main Building
Main Meditation Hall and Dining Room

Overview

Vajrapani Institute is a sacred, 70-acre retreat center located in the stillness of the California redwoods, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. While secluded in a peaceful forest, it is also conveniently located near the major cities and airports of San Francisco and San José.

Vajrapani Institute is ideally suited for meditation retreats, yoga workshops, and all types of spiritual activities. While our center’s history and practices are rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, we welcome contemplative groups of various traditions to share our facilities.

Inside Meditation  Hall
Inside Meditation Hall

Yoga & Main Hall
Yoga on the Stupa Deck and Misty view of Main Hall

We have clean and comfortable private/shared accommodations that are maintained in an environmentally-conscious manner, for up to 45 people. During warmer weather, larger groups may also use our 25 campsites. We also maintain a picnic area, a beautiful “Peace” trail for exploring nature, and ridge-top showers with an expansive view of the woods.

Our experienced cooks serve hearty and delicious vegetarian meals, which are lovingly prepared in our kitchen. We are happy to offer homemade soups, hearty grains, seasonal vegetables, cheeses, breads, fruits, a variety of teas, and other culinary delights to nourish our guests.  

Dormitory
Dormitory Sleeping 36

We are at your service to help make your stay worthwhile. Our staff is a community of practitioners committed to understanding and serving the needs of retreaters and to embodying the values we hold most dear.

About Our Facilities

The land is situated in the ford of two creeks. It borders Castle Rock State Park with accessible hiking trails to amazing views of the Santa Cruz mountain ranges. One can see all the way to Monterey. Additionally, we have a “Peace Trail” that circumambulates the land and provides a pleasant 30-40 minute hike through the woods.

Land

The spiritual heart of the center is an Enlightenment Stupa, a monument dedicated to the life and works of Lama Thubten Yeshe, our founder. Vajrapani Institute has been blessed over the years with visits by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many other esteemed spiritual teachers.

Stupa

About Our Values

Vajrapani’s shared values are the bedrock of our spiritual community, holding us accountable to ourselves and to others. Our staff uses these values as a pole star, through effort and intention, to embody them and serve those who come here, thereby becoming living pole stars ourselves for the benefit of all.

Wisdom: Understanding how reality actually exists by removing the veils of “mis-knowing” – developing mindfulness of impermanence, selflessness and seeing the rainbow-like quality of all phenomena

Harmony: Non-divisive, open and respectful

Loving Hearted: Warm, sincere, gentle, kind and generous

Spaciousness: Tolerant, forgiving, flexible, relaxed, expansive

Clarity: Focused, centered, clear, dependably real

Trust: Grounded, confident, dependable

About Renting Our Facilities

Here are some essential facts and suggestions about renting our facilities. Please let us know if you might have any questions.

Size of Group
We have an 18 person minimum. During colder weather months, we can accommodate up to 45 people. During warmer weather months, we can accommodate up to 70 people, as we maintain 25 campsites.

Duration
We have a 2 night minimum. Many groups find that arriving on Thursday for a weekend retreat is preferable so that students reap the benefit of two full days of practice. Of course longer retreats are welcome.

Contemplative Environment
Our center best supports a mindful, introspective, and contemplative style retreat. In addition to group retreats, we host private retreaters in cabins on the land throughout the year. Part of our mission is to support those retreaters as they do their spiritual work. As a result, we ask our guests to maintain a modicum of silence – refraining from chatting in our silent areas, speaking softly, putting cell phones away and generally slowing the pace. We are a rare haven of peace and quietude. For most, this is a great blessing. For some, it is a challenge.

Fees
Fees are all-inclusive, based on the accommodation choices of your participants. Your contract will state that you agree to pay for the accommodations used. For example, we request a fee of $70 per person/night in the main dormitory, our most basic accommodation. This fee includes accommodation, meals and use of the main facility and grounds. If 18 people were staying in the main dormitory for 2 nights, the total cost for your group would be $2520.00.

Retreat Cabins
Retreat Cabins on “Lama’s Ridge”

Outdoor Showers
“Showers with a View” on “Lama’s Ridge”

For an additional fee, participants may choose to upgrade to semi-private dorm rooms, private single rooms, or one of our private retreat cabins. Group leaders may wish to use our Teacher’s House as well. We are happy to share specific details about fees with you.

Teacher's House / Trail
Teacher’s House and the Trail to “Lama’s Ridge”

Making a Reservation
Upon booking, we will send you a contract. A 25% non-refundable deposit to hold a reservation for your group is required along with the signed contract.

We do not directly take bookings for your group’s participants. You are responsible to book your students, assign their accommodations and collect their fees. You are then responsible for the final payment on the contract based on the number of participants and accommodation used.

Set-Up and Departure Times
We invite organizers to arrive for set-up at 1:00pm on the date of arrival when the Main Building will be ready, followed by the students who arrive at 3:00pm when accommodations will be ready.

Check-out time is after lunch on the day of departure (2pm). We appreciate your adherence to this timetable. We also appreciate that the accommodations are vacated prior to lunch for the benefit of our housekeeping staff.

Karma Yoga – Work Meditation
Since we are “off-the-grid,” thereby generating our own electricity, we do not have the luxury of a commercial dishwasher. We ask for your group’s participation in dish and pot washing and a number of other small tasks that support a smooth retreat. These work meditations are designed to take around 30 minutes per student per day. We find that our groups are happy to participate and welcome an opportunity to offer service in support of their retreat.

For More Information
We are delighted for you to visit us and experience first-hand what our continually repeating customers find so magical and inspirational about our center. Please phone or email in advance to arrange a tour.

Please contact Jacob Lindsley, Assistant Director at (831) 338-1311 or email: jacob@vajrapani.org for pricing information and availability.