Named Karma Kunzang Ling, meaning “All-Good Place,” the Western Retreat Center (WRC) was purchased in 2009 and is located on the Central Coast of California, nestled in the mountains of the Diablo Range. It offers “top of the world” views in a setting of acoustic and visual privacy. All eighty acres of its pristine, protected land provide an excellent opportunity for development of a retreat center that supports sustainable, off-the-grid living, in harmony with the natural beauty of the surrounding area.
The WRC offers rustic but comfortable conditions for individual or couple retreats, as well as monthly group meditation and work retreats. So far we have hosted two national courses with Lama Ole Nydahl and one “Living Buddhism” bodhisattva course without the lama. Our deepest gratitude goes to great friends from all over the USA and the world for coming out, helping run these courses, and giving us your support on many levels! In the process, we have been able to build lasting connections and form reliable teams for joyfully handling future events at the WRC.
We have recently applied for the Conditional Use Permit and entered the fulfillment stage of our Master Plan—a complex and multifaceted assignment requiring the involvement of local government and different county agencies, as well as extensive expertise of professionals in the area of designing and building. In this way, we are planning to comply with all the requirements necessary for operating a retreat center and establishing the WRC in the local community.
The WRC’s long-term development goals include building a permanent gompa, a sufficient number of meditation cabins, a main lounge, and the lama house. Additionally, by improving the access road, building an adequate septic system, using the solar energy and utilizing wind power, we are planning to create the infrastructure necessary to comfortably hold regional retreats and accommodate larger sangha gatherings year-round.
The WRC is also instrumental in growing the Diamond Way activity in California and the entire West Coast. Since the WRC is not a live-in center, its development and activity depends entirely on the support of the regional sangha. As Lama Ole says, “People vote with their legs,” and many people drive five or six hours from all over California to come here. Some friends even come from Oregon to attend the monthly work and meditation retreats. Through this consistent joyful effort, strong connections have been made among people from different regional centers. As a result, the WRC team has become a well-functioning entity capable of putting on varied retreats at the WRC, along with supporting the development of the dharma in the region, through work and effective communication among the local centers.
We look forward to hosting you at the WRC soon!
Photo credit: Marcin Muchalski – Diamond Shot Studio | Photo Studio, NYC
