Blog

Spring 2021

Spring 2021

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 life, especially since everything came ...
An Update from Elaine

An Update from Elaine

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 into my meditation room this ...
Our COVID-19 Update

Our COVID-19 Update

Hello dearest community, In these uncertain times, our team, like so many communities worldwide, has had an opportunity to reflect on the interdependence of all beings. Recent events are inviting us to practice great mindfulness and caring, knowing that the ripples of our actions extend to all people, near and ...
Want to Know the Dalai Lama’s Secret?

Want to Know the Dalai Lama’s Secret?

By Catherine Graham A glimpse of the beaming face of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, especially in these queasy times, is hugely uplifting. It’s like the sight of ray of sunshine after weeks of grim rain. Consistently over the decades, media pictures show him laughing playfully, or connecting humorously with ...
Nurturing the Land: Letting Its Magic Shine

Nurturing the Land: Letting Its Magic Shine

by Heidi Oehler, Vajrapani Institute's Executive Director It’s time to take a deep exhale. Time to breathe and be. How often do you get caught up in the doing? The going? The ‘making’ things happen? Sensing into this energy, can you feel the quality of this? Can you feel the ...
Innate Creative Vigor

Innate Creative Vigor

Here at Vajrapani Institute, we are blessed with a very rare gift to help hold a sacred container for all people on their spiritual paths. Along with an amazing calendar of group retreats all year long, we also offer a special opportunity to go on private retreat here. So often, ...
From Boy Scout to Buddhist: A Conversation with Rob Preece

From Boy Scout to Buddhist: A Conversation with Rob Preece

In 2016, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Buddhist teacher, author, psychotherapist, and artist, Rob Preece. Since 2012, Rob Preece has led a number of meditation retreats at Vajrapani Institute. Rob will be leading two retreats at Vajrapani Institute in 2019, the first in March, titled Awakening the ...
Prayer Wheel of Compassion Phase One Complete!

Prayer Wheel of Compassion Phase One Complete!

Vajrapani Insititute has now finished Phase One of the Prayer Wheel of Compassion project that we first announced in December 2016.  Thank you!  But we still need your help; please read on. The 10 ft x 7 ft Prayer Wheel will contain 5 trillion (5,000,000,000,000) copies of OM MANI PADME HUM, ...
From Storms to a Record Breaking Year

From Storms to a Record Breaking Year

Dear Community Member, First of all, thank you for taking the time to look at this Annual Report. Thank you for caring. If there is a word that summarizes 2017, it would be: ‘Caring’. Depending on when you joined the community, you are probably already aware of the dramatic events that punctuated ...
Letter from Heidi to the Community

Letter from Heidi to the Community

Hello Family! It’s so good to be sharing with you all! Excitement dances through me as I write about stepping into serving you all once again.  Vajrapani Institute - the land, the founders, the staff (past and present) and the community, hold such a dear place in my heart. I ...
H.E. the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche - Brief Biography

H.E. the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche – Brief Biography

His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche was born in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, on 18 November 1985. In 1987, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama recognized him as the reincarnation of the 6th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche (1903 – 1983), who was the most Senior Tutor ...
Interview with Elaine Jackson, Resident Teacher

Interview with Elaine Jackson, Resident Teacher

We are excited to welcome Elaine Jackson as our new Resident Teacher.  She is a founder and former Director of Vajrapani Institute and a treasured member of our community for  many years. Here's an interview our staff member Louie Markovitz conducted with Elaine. What drew you to the spiritual path? Although ...
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Upcoming Retreats

Online Book Club – Vol 2: The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

Venerable Gyalten Chimé

October 25 - December 13, 2023
When On Zoom Every Wednesday for 8 weeks (Oct 25 to Dec 13) 6:30 - 8:00pm Pacific Time   ABOUT This weekly online book gathering will feature facilitated conversation, discussion and meditation sessions with Buddhist monastic Venerable Chimé. The text we will explore over the course of these 8 weekly Zoom gatherings is Wisdom Publications’ The Foundation of Buddhist Practice by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chödrön.  This is the second volume in the Dalai Lama's definitive and comprehensive series on the stages of the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion. The Foundation of Buddhist Practice describes the…

New Year’s Vajrasattva Practice Retreat

Elaine Jackson

December 30, 2023 - January 1, 2024
Most of us operate from profound ignorance, a solid mis-knowing. This ignorance – that happiness and unhappiness come from somewhere “out there” – blocks us from seeing our clear light mind. The Vajrasattva practice purifies our mind from grasping so strongly onto the mistaken view. Utilizing time-tested visualization and meditation, deluded states – pain, sorrow, hatred, pride, jealousy, doubt – lose their power. Our mind is purified. We’ll explore why this powerful Vajrasattva practice actually works, and how we can use it in our daily life to grow our happiness.

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