Our facilities, including a meditation hall, accommodations, and blessed land are available for rental to spiritual groups of all traditions.
Vajrapani Institute is a sacred, 70-acre retreat center located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the stillness of the California redwoods. While secluded in a peaceful forest, it is also conveniently located to the nearby major cities and airports of San Francisco and San José.
We love to host all kinds of groups from a wide variety of spiritual traditions. Buddhist and non-Buddhist groups alike are welcome to enjoy the blessings of Vajrapani Institute.
“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
Vajrapani Institute is one of the first Buddhist centers to be founded in the US. Many highly regarded teachers have stayed here and blessed the land, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Unlike some of the larger retreat centers, we host one group at a time. This means that your group will have the center to yourselves and feel like the space belongs to you.
“Vajrapani Institute is my all-time favorite retreat center!”
– Adyashanti
Benefits
Direct feedback and authoritative answers to questions as they arise
Sharing of experiences and ideas through discussion
Extra stamina and momentum from a shared group dynamic
Increased confidence in your own ability and skill in the practice
Meeting like-minded individuals for companionship on your spiritual journey
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.
What type and size of group can you accommodate?
Vajrapani is best suited for groups of up to 42-50 people or 75 people in the dry season. The wet season generally runs from November to April. Minimum group size: 21 participants
Please speak with our Facility Rental Manager if your group is close to meeting these requirements.
Length of stay: Groups must stay a minimum of 3 nights. There is no maximum.
Is my group suited for the center?
The stillness of our forest has a special quality best experienced from a tranquil frame of mind. Therefore, groups with a subdued and contemplative tone are best suited to our center.
Please ask if you aren’t sure whether your group would fit into this atmosphere.
“Truly, we are always so grateful to you for so generously sharing your sacred space with us. It is sacred to us, too.”
– Misha (Zen Teacher)
What are the facilities like?
Potala Lodge Capacity: 39-43 people Main Women Dormitory with 14 beds Main Men Dormitory with 12 beds
Two Semi-Private Dorms with 4 beds each Four Private Rooms with a double bed each One Private Room with a single bed
Cabins We have seven private cabins situated on a beautiful ridge above the Potala Lodge. There is a shared private indoor bathhouse as well as outdoor showers with a fabulous view of the surrounding mountains. The private cabins have single beds and can be set up for double occupancy with the addition of a cot bed.
Capacity: 7 to 14 people
Teachers House The Teacher’s House is a beautiful two-bedroom house with its own secluded garden. It has a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Capacity: 1 to 2 people
Camping We have 36 camp sites around the land. Size of sites vary and can accommodate a 2-4 person tent.
Capacity: 36-50 people
Outdoor Showers The Outdoor Shower Building, situated on the private retreat cabin ridge have spectacular views of the surrounding Santa Cruz Mountains. A student from Montana once said: “These showers alone are worth flying in from Montana for”.
Meeting Hall We have a beautiful Meeting Hall that’s been blessed by 30 years of spiritual practice. The Meeting Hall has a capacity of up to 115 people. Meditation cushions, chairs and teaching thrones are provided. A sound system is available upon request.
Dining Vajrapani Institute is renowned for the deliciousness of its vegetarian cooking. Rental includes three meals per day. Our indoor/outdoor eating area capacity is 115 people. The indoor dining area sits up to 45 people.
Library Vajrapani Institute has a Dharma Library with many out of print books and a sitting area available to all.
Stupas Stupas are symbolic of the unlimited mind of all enlightened beings. Shakyamuni Buddha taught that performing spiritual practices at a stupa would have the same effect as making offerings to the Buddha himself. There are a number of stupas on the land. The main one is situated within close proximity to the main building. The others are up on Lama’s Ridge where the private cabins are located.
Sitting Areas The land is beautiful to explore. Whilst walking around, there are many places where one can sit, contemplate, and enjoy the view. The stillness of the forest and surrounding mountains has a special quality which generates an expansive spaciousness of mind.
Hiking Vajrapani Institute offers a number of beautiful hiking opportunities. The Peace Trail circumambulates the land and its holy objects. Another trail meanders into Castle Rock State Park for stunning views of the Monterey Bay.
What are your prices?
2019 Rates
Rates inclusive of accommodation, three meals per full day, general facility use (meditation hall, use of lands and trails, main building use):
Group Size: 21 minimum Length of Stay: 3 night minimum
Standard Rates
Per Person Per Night
Commuter includes meals
$67
Camping
$78
Dormitory
$108
Semi-Private Dormitory (4 People)
$115
Private Room (Single Occupancy)
$165
Private Room (Double Occupancy)
$134
Retreat Cabin (Single Occupancy)
$185
Retreat Cabin (Double Occupancy)
$144
Most Secret (Single Occupancy)
$214
Most Secret (Double Occupancy)
$171
Teacher’s House (Single Occupancy)
$242
Teacher’s House (Double Occupancy)
$212
Rates inclusive of accommodation, three meals per day.
What is your Cancellation Policy?
All deposits are non-refundable.
Your group may cancel your reservation at any time, minus deposit fees.
We would appreciate advanced notice for any cancellation so we can offer your dates to another group.
How do I make a reservation?
Contact our Center Manager to begin your reservation process:
Our calendar tends to book up a year ahead of time. The more notice you can give us, the more likely we’ll be able to provide you with the dates you want.
We will ask you to enter into a contract for your reservation, including liability protection, a payment agreement, etc. We will be happy to go over this contract with you when you are ready to book your reservation.
Your dates will be guaranteed from the time you sign and return this contract to us with your first deposit.
We require two non-refundable deposits, each calculated at 25% of the estimated final total cost.The first deposit is due with your signed contract. The second deposit is due 6 weeks prior to your reserved dates. All deposits are non-refundable.
Starting March 7th, 2021 and continuing the first Sunday of each month 10:00 am to 12:00 pm PDT A gathering of Vajrayogini practitioners to engage experientially with the Vajrayogini sadhana.
Every Monday 4:30pm to 5:30 pm Mindful attention to the present moment allows us to see what is helpful and beneficial, leading towards peacefulness right here, now. Learning to see what brings benefit and what brings harm, will incline us towards developing skills that lead to more clarity and peace, and away from those things that bring harm, obstruction and confusion.
Elaine Jackson, our resident teacher, has been in self quarantine with her partner Keith since the beginning of March. She is using this time for retreat and doing prayers for the center and all of us. She shares this with you during this time. Walking......
28 March, 2020
Vajrapani Institute is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition www.FPMT.org
In 2019, we made some very important changes to our systems that focused on becoming more eco-conscious. We began to turn our minds towards the effect we have on the collective and how we could start to look at ways that we could leave a smaller, more intentional imprint on the environment. We realized that investing in these changes was worth the increase in cost and slight decrease in convenience for the huge impact it has on our environment as a whole.
Here are some highlights:
Paper Products
When we started to do our research on the effects of buying toilet paper from large corporations, we found that over 22 million acres of boreal forest in Canada have been cut down for the mass production of toilet paper. We knew then it was very important to find a different way to source our paper products at Vajrapani Institute.
We found an amazing organization called Who Gives a Crap which uses all bamboo, recycled paper, and sugar cane to source their products. This organization is doing some amazing work for the world. They donate 50% of their profits to building toilets and improving sanitation in the developing world. We are so fortunate to source all of our paper products with them!
We also started using computer paper that is sourced from 100% recycled materials.
Cleaning Products
We made the shift to using cleaning vinegar and baking soda as our primary cleaning solutions to reduce the need to use other harsh chemical cleaners.
Suppliers
We made some important changes to which suppliers we buy from. We moved away from buying from large corporations and found locally and consciously sourced products and organizations to purchase from instead.
Kitchen
We began to purchase organic and locally sourced produce whenever possible.
We are now sourcing our coffee from a local coffee roaster. The blend we are currently ordering is fair trade certified, organic, sustainably grown, rainforest certified, and supports indeginous women in Veracruz, Mexico.
We started ordering our bulk items from a small, family-run distributor that focuses on providing organic, natural, well-sourced products for the good of the planet.
We have also significantly reduced our usage of single-use plastics and began prioritizing food ordering with a minimum waste impact in mind.
In increasing our spending for these very vital changes, we began to look at ways to streamline our other systems to reduce spending. What we found was with just a little bit of intention and exploring, we could significantly reduce our costs.
Here are some highlights:
Switching Systems
We started to look into our costs with our phone system and realized there was a big opportunity to streamline it to cut down spending significantly. We switched providers for our main phone number which saves us almost $150 a month and also reduced the amount of landlines which saves us almost $200 a month. With these changes alone, we are saving over $4,000 annually.
We changed our system for our water treatment and safety checks. In making this change, we have saved approximately $200 a month.
We also changed our retreat booking software to a more streamlined and user-friendly booking system. With this switch, we have saved approximately $400 a month.
We combed through all of our subscriptions and found quite a few that had been unused for quite some time. In cancelling these, we haved saved about $70 a month.
In total, we have saved upwards of $10,200 annually!
Maintenance and Repairs
As a team, we have shifted our perspective on maintenance and repairs around the center. We have found that by taking the time and energy to strive to repair things instead of replace things whenever possible, we are saving quite a bit of money annually.
We have been getting out on the roads in the middle of rainfall to make sure that we are tending to the ditches. This keeps our road safe and those who come and go safe as well. We are proud of our team for getting out there and staying proactive!
2019 was a very powerful and illuminating year for Vajrapani as an organization. We prioritized streamlining our processes, taking care of our planet, and creating a culture of collaboration. We rejoice in all of these highlights and so much more!
We are so grateful to all who have helped and donated so far to help make this magnificent work of art and auspicious holy object come to life!
It’s quite a sight to see the Compassion Wheel come to life as this magnificent vision starts to become a reality. As a reminder the vision for the prayer wheel at Vajrapani Institute is to fill a 7’x10’ prayer wheel with 5 Trillion Mani Mantras which will be spun at the heart of the land here, blessing all who come and the surrounding area.
The basic structure has been framed out by our amazing carpenters. Mechanical engineers have designed, built and installed a new structurally reinforced frame and bearings system to hold the weight of the mantras and spin it with the force of one hand. We are now focused on putting together the wheel and getting it filled. As fortune would have it, a past staff member and Nalanda Monk who had been studying the Basic Program and helping Nalanda to fill its statues and prayer wheels recently returned to help us here! We are so grateful to Venerable Gyatso for helping to take on the project of filling this amazing compassion wheel.
Gelek Sherpa from Land of Medicine Buddha, painted the sky and earth mandalas which go inside the wheel. He will also be painting the ceiling of the prayer wheel house and traditional Tibetan artwork surrounding the wheel. Venerable Tsering from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s home in Aptos, CA painted the mantras in gold on the center pole. Vajrapani has ordered one trillion micro films with the Om Mani Padme Hum compassion mantra. These films are being printed and gradually shipped to Vajrapani now. Venerable Gyatso began filling the wheel on Saka Dawa.
While the current plan is to start by filling the wheel with one trillion mantras and cover it with its custom bronze cladding so that the wheel can start to be spun, our goal is to eventually raise the funds to order four trillion more mantras to be added to the wheel. In the meantime, work on the traditional Tibetan style roofing and ornamentation will continue in 2020. As well as progress on the traditional artwork that adorns the site. Eventually, as work continues, we can then expand our focus to the landscaping surrounding this beautiful prayer wheel.
We are so grateful to all who have helped and donated so far to help make this magnificent work of art and auspicious holy object come to life! There will be more opportunities to help in filling the wheel as well as helping to continue to donate to the completion of this beautiful project.
As I sit down to write this letter to you all, I have warmth in my heart and a smile on my face. 2019 was another year to rejoice in. It was a year filled with so much growth, community support, and abundance. I celebrate the opportunity to share with you all of the ways we grew as a center.
It is pretty amazing to reflect on the massive generosity of our donors and community. Because of all of you, Vajrapani became debt-free for the first time in decades! We were also able to streamline our operating systems and reduce some expenditures while investing in more sustainable practices.
2019 was also a year filled to the brim with amazing retreat offerings with wonderful teachers. We were able to host two retreats with Rob Preece, two retreats with Glen Svensson, as well as group retreats led by powerful teachers like Geshe Gelek, Geshe Sherab, Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, Venerable Amy Miller, and our Resident Teacher Elaine Jackson. Alongside these wonderful offerings, we also hosted several secular retreats such as Cultivating Emotional Balance, Compassion Cultivation Training, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. In addition to our calendar, we also hosted an array of groups from different spiritual traditions through our Facility Rental program. I rejoice in the knowing that we helped create the causes for these beings to benefit from the blessings of this precious land.
In addition to a wonderful program year, we made significant progress on our Prayer Wheel project. Truly, a remarkable sight to see this magnificent project continue to unfold.
Of course, none of this is possible without the support of the special people that come to offer service to Vajrapani. 2019 saw various wonderful staff members come and go. This allowed for the opportunity for even more amazing beings to come and help steward this special place. I extend my deepest thanks to all who have come and gone from Vajrapani and offered their service. Regardless of the length of time here, you all have made a lasting imprint that will reverberate out to all who walk these lands for generations to come.
Lastly, as you may have imagined, I am writing this letter to you now in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. During these challenging times, I am rejoicing that due to the abundance of last year, the generosity of donors like you, and in particular, one very generous donor – we were able to not only become debt-free, but also, these funds have become paramount in sustaining Vajrapani through these difficult times. What a huge blessing! In 2019, we planned for a very fruitful 2020 program calendar. Although that inevitably has changed, we are able to utilize funds raised in 2019 towards essential upgrades to our aging buildings and infrastructures. These upgrades ensure the health of Vajrapani’s land and facilities for many years to come.
As I end this letter, my heart is full. Thank you for all of your continued support of Vajrapani. Thank you for sharing your practice with us. Thank you for your generous donations of financial resources, time, energy, and love – we feel all of it and are truly grateful. Vajrapani would simply not exist without the support of those who come, those who wish to develop their minds in the Dharma, and for those that believe in its mission to help all beings transform their minds.