Upcoming Retreats

Deposit
  • Commuting – $200.00
  • Camping – $200.00
  • RV/Camper Van – $200.00
  • Women's Dorm – $200.00
  • Men's Dorm – $200.00
  • Women's Quad – $200.00
  • Men's Quad – $200.00
  • Private Room- Twin Bed – $200.00
  • Private Room- Double bed – $200.00

Intro to Buddhism and Meditation: A Kopan West Lamrim Retreat

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

June 14 - 21, 2025

Please join us in June for a rare Kopan West Retreat during the summer! Kopan West is a Free, “Pay-it-Forward” retreat that is modeled after the famous Intro to Buddhism course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Begin your summer in the serene beauty of the California Redwoods at Vajrapani Institute!

 

Have you been interested in Buddhism but have not yet had the opportunity to explore it in depth?

This retreat offers a unique opportunity to engage with the foundational teachings of Tibetan Buddhism in a supportive and immersive setting. Perfect for beginners and those looking to deepen their practice, this program offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to Buddhist philosophy and meditation.

Guided by the esteemed Geshe Legtsok, we will explore the Lamrim, the step-by-step path to enlightenment, and learn how to integrate this profound yet practical wisdom into daily life—cultivating greater peace, happiness, and compassion. The retreat includes insightful teachings, engaging discussions, and a variety of meditation practices, such as concentration meditation for mental clarity, visualizations for inner transformation, and analytical meditation on key Lamrim topics.

 

Retreat topics include:

  • The Life of the Buddha
  • The Four Noble Truths
  • Developing Loving-Kindness and Compassion
  • The Mind, Emotions, and Karma
  • Death, and Rebirth
  • Impermanence
  • The Awakening Mind (bodhicitta)
  • The Wisdom of Emptiness – The Nature of Reality

 

We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Geshe Tenzin Legtsok back to Vajrapani Institute! After 20 years of dedicated study at Sera Je Monastery in India and the completion of his prestigious Tantric Degree at Gyumed Tantric College, Geshela has become one of a handful of Americans to achieve this remarkable milestone! With great enthusiasm, he is eager to share his deep wisdom and insights with students throughout the Bay Area.

Through November 2025, Geshela will be in residence at Vajrapani, while also serving as the resident teacher at Ocean of Compassion in Campbell. In addition, he will be teaching at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel and Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco. His presence is a true gift to our community, offering transformative programs such as Meditation 101, Discovering Buddhism, Exploring Buddhism, and more.

A chance to learn from a teacher of his caliber, who is also a skilled translator, is a rare and precious opportunity. We warmly invite you to join us in these enriching programs and experience the depth of Geshela’s guidance firsthand.

Who Is It For?

Students of any experience level will have an amazing opportunity to learn and grow from this course. Newcomers to Buddhism will benefit from the concise overview of the entire Buddhist path and have many opportunities to ask questions. More experienced students will find it a valuable way to deepen their understanding and practice, especially with such a prestigious teacher.

 

 

Registration Closes

June 7th

 

 

Course Schedule

  • Day 1 – Check-in, welcome talks, course introduction
  • Day 2 to 5 – Meditations, teachings, and discussion 
  • Day 6 and 7 – Dedicated guided meditation days in full silence
  • Day 8 – Check-out day, including final talks, and teacher offerings

 

 

The body of the course is composed of Buddhist teachings supported by discussion and meditation sessions. This 8-day immersive experience culminates with two days of intensive meditation, giving participants a chance to gain insight into the topics covered in the teachings and to apply them to instill a deeper level of transformation.

 

Silence

Partial Silence – There will be specific times where strict silence is kept, and other times allocated to facilitate discussion and conversation for students to bond and learn together. Silence is a wonderful and rare opportunity to help move these new concepts from head to heart. 

 

 

Suggested Reading

Is Partial Attendance Allowed?

No. To provide the most conducive conditions for retreat, we hold full-time, residential retreats only. This allows the group energy to build and minimizes distractions, so you can gain the full benefit of retreat. See our FAQ for more information. Some exceptions can be made for special circumstances and will need the approval of the teacher and our Community Relations Coordinator (CRC) before the retreat begins. Please contact our office at office@vajrapani.org.

 

How Does a “Pay it Forward” Retreat Work?

A $200 deposit is required to reserve a space for all accommodation options. There are no refunds for cancellations. If you attend the full retreat and would like your deposit refunded, you can visit the office on the last checkout day, making the retreat free for attendance. You may also decide to donate your deposit amount and “pay it forward” towards the cost of another student’s retreat.

 

The donation of your deposit, along with all the donations made during registration or at the end of the retreat, is how the Kopan West Pay-It-Forward from previous years has helped make this retreat possible for students who are not financially able to attend our regular-priced retreats.

 

The true cost of an 8-day retreat in the dorms is $972.  A donation of the true cost of the retreat would be incredibly appreciated if you are fortunate enough to be in a financial position to do so.  The normal retreat fees cover accommodation, 3 vegetarian meals a day, and facility costs such as upkeep of the land and operating expenses. Retreat fees cover about 40% of our costs while 60% is covered through donations. All donations are non-refundable.

 

Additional Information

  • Please plan on arriving between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on the first day of the retreat
  • Please plan on departing at approximately 2:00 PM on the last day of the retreat
  • Accommodations are first come first serve and you can see more information about accommodation during the registration process
  • For more detailed information, please see our FAQ

 

 

If you are interested in serving as Course Liaison for this retreat, please apply here

 

 

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 peaceful 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

Traditionally, spiritual teachings are considered priceless; the remuneration of our teachers is not included in the fee information detailed on this page. Instead, we invite you to consider bringing a cash donation with you to express your gratitude for the teachings. 

 

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. If you can’t afford to give a cash offering as Dana, a thank you note is perfectly generous.

 

Participants will get a chance to present a cash offering to the teachers on the last day of the retreat and this is supplemented by a donation from Vajrapani Institute. Please note that we don’t offer a credit card option for Dana

 

Teacher

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok
Geshe Tenzin Legtsok has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001 and is the first American to complete the twenty-year Geshe Studies Program in classic Indian Buddhist treatises and their Tibetan commentaries at Sera Jey Monastic University in South India, following the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. In 2025, he completed the traditional study of tantra at Gyumed Tantric Monastery. With over two decades of study and practice under the guidance of great masters, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Legtsok brings profound insights into the application of Buddhist teachings. Born in Virginia,…
Learn more about Geshe Tenzin Legtsok