Our Mission

Vision

To offer people the meditative tools to recognize the nature of their minds and achieve their highest potential for the benefit of all.

Mission

Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture supports the transformation of spiritual teachings into experience through contemplative retreat. As a spiritual community serving the needs of retreaters in all traditions, we are nurtured by the energy of our Tibetan Buddhist founder Lama Thubten Yeshe and our spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche, by our teachers and holy objects, and by the stillness of the California redwood forest.

Values

Wisdom – where mind awakens

Harmony– where joy flows

Loving-Hearted– where kindness is

Spaciousness– where all expands

Clarity– where vision is present

Trust– where friends share

Diversity– where all aspects of people are respected.

 

Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition and is dedicated to preserving Lama Tsong Khapa’s rich living tradition of wisdom and compassion.

Upcoming Retreats

Everyday Awakening: Tools for Inner Peace

Charok Lama Rinpoche

May 29 - June 26, 2025
Dates: Thursday Evenings, May 29 to June 26, 2025 Time: 6:00- 7:30 PM (PT) Place: Online Only, offered generously through our sister FPMT center in Sante Fe New Mexico, Thubten Norbu Ling.      Transform your relationship with life’s challenges through time-tested Buddhist wisdom In this five-week course, discover how ancient Buddhist principles can bring clarity, purpose, and peace to your modern life. Everyday Awakening offers practical tools for understanding the mind, cultivating awareness, and finding meaning amidst challenges.     What you’ll Experience: Uncover why outer success doesn’t always lead to inner satisfaction Develop mindfulness practices that fit into your life…

Exploring Buddhism

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

June 16 - December 14, 2025
Exploring Buddhism is the newest foundational-level course co-developed by FPMT Education Services and senior FPMT teachers, including Geshe Tenzin Namdak, Geshe Tenzin Legtsok, and Venerable Joan Nicell. Geshe Tenzin Namdak and Geshe Tenzin Legtsok serve as the main contributors. The program has been revised from the original pilot offered at various FPMT centers.   It was conceived as a bridge between the FPMT Discovering Buddhism and the FPMT Basic Program. The EB program presents selected topics that provide a strong basis for more advanced study. The program is intended for students with a good understanding of basic Buddhism.    What…

Our Blog

  • Spring has officially arrived and with it a sense of renewal, a spark of hope. Trees are leafing and blossoming. So many wildflowers dot the hillsides. Bees are buzzing and early morning birds chatter like townsfolk exclaiming the beauty of this valley.  Living a quiet......

Vajrapani Institute is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition www.FPMT.org