Upcoming Retreats

Suggested donation – $50.00 - $108.00

Wise Hope: Buddhist Practices for Uncertain Times

Guy Newland

October 11, 2025

Saturday October 11th | 10:00AM- 4:00PM | (PT) Online Only
Join us for a heart-opening Daylong Online Retreat where we’ll explore the deep intersection of hope and Buddhism in a time of uncertainty.

Held in a supportive community (Sangha), we’ll reflect on the Three Jewels—finding guidance in the Buddha, freedom in the Dharma, and inspiration in each other. Led by renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher Guy Newland, this retreat offers an opportunity to dive into the concept of “wise hope”: a resilient hope not bound by expectation, but rooted in compassion, clarity, and courageous action

 

Through meditation, heart-opening dialogue and contemplative practices, we’ll explore how embracing impermanence and interconnection can open the heart and energize meaningful action. This retreat is especially meaningful for young people seeking purpose and renewal—offering a space to move beyond despair, reconnect with values, and envision a future shaped not by fear but by the inspiring solidarity of our commitment to awakening.

 

Who is this for?

This retreat is open to all levels—whether you’re new to Buddhist practice or have years of experience, you’ll find practical tools for inner stability and clarity. We especially welcome those feeling grief, anxiety, or despair in response to the climate crisis, war, or the uncertain state of our world.

 

Watch this inspiring teaching, “Everyday Emptiness,” given at Ocean of Compassion by Guy Newland:

 

 

Registration Closes

October 11th, 10am PT

 

 

Tentative Schedule 

Sat, October  11th  (All Pacific Times)

10:00 am – 11:00 am—Opening Session

11:00 am – 11:15 am— Tea Break

11:15 am – 12:30 pm— Session 2

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm—Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:30  pm—Session 3

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm—Tea break

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm—Closing Session

 

Important Note

Vajrapani Institute may publish recorded sessions in the public domain (e.g., on YouTube). By registering for this event, you are agreeing to give your consent to this process. To protect your privacy, we recommend being conscious about any personal information you share during the sessions. To further enhance anonymity, you may want to consider turning off video or naming yourself using abbreviations.

 

About Vajrapani Institute

Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture was one of the first Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centers in America.  Vajrapani aims to provide a friendly and conducive environment for people of all nationalities to learn, put into practice the teachings of the Buddha, and connect with other Dharma practitioners.  Located on 70 acres of secluded land within the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains, Vajrapani Institute has been an immersive space for people of all backgrounds to find and deepen their spiritual practices, with the main goal of bridging the gap between the head and heart of the practice.

 

Teacher’s Fees 

The Buddha encouraged the practice of generosity as it develops non-attachment, loving-kindness, and compassion and deepens the awareness of our interconnectedness. Offering Dana to our teachers, a Pali word for “generosity,” is said to benefit both the giver and the receiver, helping the giver to practice generosity and the receiver to practice acceptance. Your offering of Dana can be whatever feels generous to you in your heart and your particular financial situation. 

 

Registration Fees

The suggested donation for this program is $50–$108.
We want the Dharma to be accessible to everyone, so please offer what you are able. If you are unable to donate or prefer to give a smaller amount, you are still warmly invited to register and attend.

All are welcome!

 

Teacher

Guy Newland
Guy Newland, Ph.D., is a scholar of Tibetan Madhyamaka whose teachers include Jeffrey Hopkins and Loling Geshe Palden Drakpa. He is a translator and editor of Tsongkhapa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment and of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings on that text, From Here to Enlightenment. Guy is the author of Introduction to Emptiness, Appearance and Reality, The Two Truths, and A Buddhist Grief Observed.
Learn more about Guy Newland