Land of Medicine Buddha — Soquel, United States

A 108-acre redwood Tibetan Buddhist retreat center in Soquel, California

Along the paths at Land of Medicine Buddha, benches sit among the redwoods, each carrying a verse meant for contemplation. They line the Eight Verses Trail, one of the one-, two- and six-mile routes that wind through 108 acres above Soquel. The center began at Lama Yeshe's request, as a campus for his Universal Education Project, and it continues under the guidance of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It belongs to the Gelug lineage founded by Lama Tsongkhapa and to the FPMT. In 2001 it hosted the Dalai Lama for teachings and a Medicine Buddha initiation at Shoreline Amphitheater. The land rests on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi people, part of the Ohlone Nations. The work reaches past the meditation hall, or Gompa. There is Tara Redwood School, a primary school, and Tara Home, an end-of-life program partnered with hospice. Near the dining hall, a spring-water-fed pool, a sauna and a massage yurt make up a quiet area set aside for healing. The calendar mixes in-person and online offerings: weekly Medicine Buddha and Cittamani Tara pujas in the Gompa, Lama Chopa Puja, Discovering Buddhism, and weekend retreats such as the Heart Sutra. Nineteen guest rooms sleep up to 50, with a seasonal yurt village, vegetarian meals and a Pine Room that seats 60. Guests keep five guidelines, including no killing of any being, even an insect, and no intoxicants. Others come for one to three months in the Service-Study program, giving 25 hours a week in exchange for room, board and classes.

Traditions: Tibetan Buddhism, Gelug lineage, FPMT, Medicine Buddha practice, Tara practice, Lamrim

Programs: Weekly Medicine Buddha Puja, Weekly Cittamani Tara Puja, Lama Chopa Puja, Weekly Drop-In Meditation, Discovering Buddhism, FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training, Annual Namgyalma Retreat, Service-Study Program