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About
Us




Vajrapani
Institute for Wisdom Culture is a Tibetan Buddhist retreat
center located in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Boulder Creek,
California, USA. The Institute is set in 70 acres of spectacular
redwood forest populated by many species of birds and a variety
of wildlife including deer. Being quiet and remote, but also
relatively close to major cities and airports, Vajrapani is an
ideal setting for retreat, serenity and quietude. Vajrapani is
an extremely blessed setting and has been visited over the years
by many Holy Beings including a visit by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama in 1989. As a result of this, we provide a rare and sacred
space for spiritual healing and growth. We appeal to a wide
spectrum of visitors: people who participate in facility
rentals, practice in our private retreat cabins, and take part
in our courses and group retreats.

Vajrapani
Institute is part of the Foundation for the Preservation of
the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a worldwide organization of more
than 130 retreat and city centers, hospices and health care
projects, monasteries and nunneries, and schools and publishing
houses. We follow the Geluk-pa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, as
founded by Lama Tsong Khapa (1357-1419). Founded in 1977 by Lama
Thubten Yeshe, who established the FPMT, Vajrapani is now under
the care of Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, foremost disciple of
Lama Yeshe and the present spiritual director of the Foundation.

Traditional
for Tibetan retreat centers, the land is situated in the ford of
two creeks. It borders a state park with accessible hiking
trails. All buildings and facilities have been built and are
maintained in an environmentally-conscious manner by residents
and community members, some of whom have lived here for more
than 20 years. We generate our own power through a solar and
hydroelectric system. The Institute is a registered 501(c)(3)
organization and is also classified in Section 509(a)(2) of the
Internal Revenue Code as a tax-exempt non-profit organization.
The
spiritual heart of the center is an Enlightenment Stupa, a
monument dedicated to the life and works of Lama Yeshe.

Meditation
Hall
Private
retreat cabins
Facility
Rentals
About
our Wisdom Culture
“In the midst of a thick
forest
Of a wealth of turquoise trees
Lies the monastery – dharma
center of the
Glorified owner of secrecy,
Vajrapani
May every single outer and
inner harm
Of generous people be pacified.
May their life, merit and
wealth increase.
May this land be pervaded by
holy beings,
Holders of the teachings,
Who have completed the practice
of the three higher trainings.”
Serkong Rinpoche, a teacher of
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama wrote this praise of
Vajrapani’s land during his stay at Vajrapani Institute in
1983. This was followed three years later, in 1986, by a visit
from His Holiness himself. Vajrapani Institute is nestled within
70 aces of sparkling turquoise redwood forest. Our trees shimmer
green in the winter rain and glow red in the summer dusk. This
forest is sanctuary to numerous deer, rabbits, hawks, finches,
humming birds and other illustrious denizens. Our wooded areas
and trails offer life’s weary traveler many opportunities to
be surprised and rejuvenated by life herself.
Our Institute is named for
Vajrapani, the Tibetan Buddhist Archetype for the energy of
wisdom. This archetypal Buddha is considered the guardian of the
Buddhist tantras. Tantras here refer to secret buddhist
teachings about the true nature of reality. These unique tantras
describe sacred environments that restore our body and spirit.
At these power places we easily experience our
interconnectedness with all life and are made whole.
Buddhists do not consider these
sacred environments as places to escape from reality, but to
enter into it even more fully. This journey is made through the
three trainings of ethics, meditation and wisdom understanding
the true nature of reality; done with the higher motivation of
benefiting others. In this journey we are guided by the many
Buddhist teachers that visit our institute.
This journey is not made by
just visitors to our institute but also by our staff. The
multinational staff at Vajrapani Institute sees their service as
an extension of their spiritual journey. The qualities of wisdom
culture inform our customer service. These are:
1. That all things arise due to
causes and conditions
2. That beings seek to be happy
and avoid suffering
3. That all experience and
knowledge is dependent on mind and its projections
4. That mind is a continuum
whose essential characteristics are awareness and clarity
5. That this awareness and
clarity is clouded by opportunistic afflictions
6. That we all have the
potential of reconnecting with this clarity
7. That all actions of body,
speech and mind have consequences and influence future
circumstances
8. That the key to achieving
peace and happiness for oneself is to work for peace and
happiness of others
These qualities allow us the
freedom to attend to the unique needs of each of our guests as
they represent an aspect of our inner selves, an invitation from
life to host a particular quality of ourselves. In this, we are
inspired by our precious founder, Lama Yeshe.
Our Institute was the second
world-wide center founded by pioneering Tibetan teachers, Lama
Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the late 70s. The organizations
that they founded today numbers 143, of which Vajrapani
Institute remains an elder sister. Lama Yeshe passed away in
1984 and his remains are enshrined in a Buddhist memorial called
a stupa. Many of our guests have remarked that they can still
feel the kind motherly presence of Lama Yeshe on our land.
We extend this opportunity for
you to experience for yourself the qualities described in the
Praise above.
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