Land of Medicine Buddha occupies 108 acres of redwood and mixed-evergreen forest in the Santa Cruz mountains near Soquel, California. The center was founded in 1991 as a Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) center, and the property's name reflects a particular emphasis: Medicine Buddha practice and the integration of Tibetan Buddhism with healing arts. The site had previously been a Catholic seminary, which left a campus of buildings well-suited to retreat use, and the FPMT network purchased and adapted the property to its purpose. The campus includes a main gompa (shrine room), residential lodging, a dining hall and kitchen, a smaller meditation hall, a Medicine Buddha statue and stupa, and walking paths through old-growth redwood. The 108-acre forest setting is significant; the trees, the trails, and the quiet are integrated into the practice. The center is set up for sustained residential retreats and shorter weekend programs. Programming spans the standard FPMT curriculum: introductory lamrim courses, ngondro retreats, deity-practice intensives, and visiting teachers from the broader Tibetan Buddhist network. Alongside the traditional curriculum, Land of Medicine Buddha runs programs at the intersection of Tibetan Buddhism and health: Medicine Buddha retreats, Tibetan medicine seminars, qi gong and yoga programs, and wellness intensives that draw on the Tibetan medical tradition. The combination is unusual in the FPMT network. The center plays a particular role for the broader Bay Area FPMT sangha. Vajrapani Institute, also in the Santa Cruz mountains, is the older sister center; the two are roughly an hour apart and share programming and visiting teachers. Land of Medicine Buddha tends to host the larger group retreats and the wellness-oriented programs; Vajrapani holds the long-retreat cabins and more solitary programs. Practitioners often move between the two depending on the program they want.
Daily programs include morning and evening pujas in the main gompa, study periods, and meditation sittings. Retreats follow program-specific schedules: extended sitting for silent programs, ngondro practice for those doing preliminaries, Medicine Buddha sadhana for healing-focused retreats, and group teachings from visiting lamas. Tibetan-language chanting in pujas with English texts. The wellness programs often integrate sitting practice with qi gong, yoga, or Tibetan medical instruction. Posture is open: cushions, benches, chairs.
The teaching line is Tibetan Buddhist Gelug by way of Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, the founders of FPMT. Land of Medicine Buddha is in the same lineage as Vajrapani Institute and the wider FPMT network, with rotating visiting teachers from FPMT's geshe and lama community. The wellness-oriented programs draw on Tibetan medicine teachers in coordination with the FPMT Tibetan medicine network.
Tibetan Buddhist students in the Lama Yeshe / Lama Zopa Rinpoche lineage who want a Bay Area retreat house with the full FPMT curriculum.
Practitioners drawn to the Medicine Buddha sadhana, Tibetan medicine, and the integration of Buddhist practice with healing modalities.
Practitioners in the Bay Area who want a forested mountain weekend or week-long retreat with vegetarian meals and a strong group container.
Arrival is at the main lodge. Yogis check in and are oriented. Lodging is in the residential buildings, shared or single rooms. Pujas are open. Meals are vegetarian, taken communally. The forested setting is cool and damp year-round, with rain in winter. Phones are stored during silent programs. The walking paths through redwood are part of practice for many programs. Departure is at the close of the program.
The campus includes the main gompa, residential lodging in shared and single rooms with shared bathrooms, dining hall, kitchen, smaller meditation hall, and a Medicine Buddha statue and stupa. Meals are vegetarian buffet with dietary accommodations available. Walking paths extend through 108 acres of redwood and mixed forest. The setting is wooded, cool, and quiet.
Program fees are published by length, typically $200 to $2,500 covering lodging and meals. Wellness and Tibetan medicine programs may carry additional teacher fees. Teacher dana is traditional in Tibetan Buddhism and invited at the close of teachings. Scholarships and work-exchange are available through the registration office. The center is donor-supported.
FPMT in the redwoods, with Tibetan medicine and Medicine Buddha at the center.
Both centers are FPMT in the Santa Cruz mountains and share the same Tibetan Buddhist lineage. Vajrapani is older (1977) and has long-retreat cabins for solo practice. Land of Medicine Buddha (1991) is larger and tends to host group retreats and wellness programs. The two share teachers and programming.
The center hosts retreats and seminars at the intersection of Tibetan Buddhism and health, including Medicine Buddha retreats, Tibetan medicine teachings, qi gong, and yoga programs. The combination draws on FPMT's Tibetan medicine network and is unusual in US Tibetan Buddhist centers.
Pujas and liturgy are in Tibetan with English texts. Dharma teachings are in English by Western-trained teachers, or in Tibetan with translation by visiting senior lamas. Wellness programs are typically taught in English.
The center is in the Santa Cruz mountains, off Highway 17 between San Jose and Santa Cruz. Most participants drive. Some carpooling is organized through the registration system; the center can advise on options.
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