A Brief History of the Vajrayana Foundation and Pema Osel Ling
Located on 104 acres of redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Pema Osel Ling hosts retreats, parties, wedding ceremonies and receptions. Our eco-friendly retreat center features indoor and outdoor meeting areas, a wide range of overnight accommodations, a full-size lap pool, and a commercial kitchen that provides personal catering with our on-site Chef. Our rates are reasonable, and our friendly, supportive staff is available to assist you and your group with all aspects of your visit.
The story of Pema Osel Ling begins in 1984 when Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, an accomplished Tibetan Lama of the Nyingma tradition, came to America. Lama Tharchin began teaching in Spokane, Washington and many students sought his knowledge. By 1988, he settled in Santa Cruz, CA and formed the Vajrayana Foundation in order to preserve and establish the spiritual, cultural, and artistic traditions of Tibetan Buddhism through educational teachings, creating art, offering retreat practices, translating texts and more.
By 1990, the Foundation had outgrown its small center in Aptos, CA and began searching for a center. An early winter rain left Camp Corralitos glisteningly beautiful on that morning in November when an excited group of members first sighted Pema Osel Ling. Rinpoche quickly recognized the potential of the land and with generous support from members, the Foundation was purchased. As we continue to grow and aspire to meet the needs of our members we improve our lovely retreat center.
When you visit, we invite you to enjoy the peace of the land, and visit the shrine and its' installment. You will see our 20’ statue of Guru Rinpoche, created here on the land with the wisdom and instruction of Lama Tharchin Rinpoche. Be sure to take time to stroll through the redwoods to our Stupa and World Peace Park.
Our setting, with stunning views of the Monterey Bay, offers a place of refuge and renewal for guests throughout the year. The facilities of Pema Osel Ling are well equipped to host a wide variety of events, from retreats and weddings to educational activities and workshops. A wide variety of groups choose to hold their events at Pema Osel Ling in support of our mission to cultivate the Buddhist ideals of peace and compassion.
Thank you for considering Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center as a host for your group's activities.
Because we are a Buddhist center we request that all our guest follow rules of conduct that are in accordance with our spiritual practice. These include no smoking on the land (an area just off the land is provided); no abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, illicit or otherwise; the use or threat of physical violence; the propagation of misguided racial or sexual attitudes, abuse, or harassment.