Karmê Chöling Meditation Retreat Center

Karmê Chöling Meditation Retreat Center Meditation retreats and contemplative programs for personal exploration, self-care & mindful living

Discover Karmê Chöling, a hidden sanctuary nestled in Vermont's serene Green Mountains, where you can find solace from the distractions and pressures of everyday life. Enveloped by 500 acres of tranquil forests, meadows, and streams, our retreat center provides space for individuals to quiet their minds, open their hearts, and awaken to their authentic selves. Established in 1970 on the foundation

of Buddhist principles, Karmê Chöling serves as a beacon for those seeking wisdom, compassion, and self-discovery. Our nonprofit organization is dedicated to supporting students on their path of personal growth through a holistic approach encompassing study, practice, and immersive experiences. The transformative insights gained at Karmê Chöling can be applied to all aspects of life, from individual well-being to creating positive change in society. We offer a diverse array of programs designed to meet the unique needs and interests of our students. Whether you are a beginner seeking an introduction to meditation or an advanced practitioner yearning for deep retreats, our offerings provide for all levels of experience. Steep in the stillness of meditation, explore mindfulness and contemplative practices, engage in body awareness disciplines, or delve into the teachings of various wisdom traditions. Our skilled instructors will guide you on a journey of self-awareness and personal discovery. Immerse yourself in our mindfulness-based community, either as part of our vibrant year-round residential program or by taking one of our shorter non-residential retreats. Either way, it is an opportunity to integrate the principles of kindness and awareness into your daily life. Whether you choose a long-term stay or attend a brief weekend program, Karmê Chöling will provide a nurturing and supportive environment for your personal and spiritual development. Join us at Karmê Chöling on a transformative journey to personal fulfillment and a more enriching life.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝘆A cloud gathers over the mountains,light moves across the window pane,and for a few q...
09/04/2026

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝘆

A cloud gathers over the mountains,
light moves across the window pane,
and for a few quiet moments,
the sky becomes something you have never seen before.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

At Karmê Chöling, practice is an invitation to become more present—not only while sitting on the meditation cushion, but in the ordinary moments of daily life.
Walking through the forest. Feeling the breeze. Hearing birdsong. Watching clouds gather and dissolve.

Mindfulness helps us notice the subtle details that are always unfolding around us, but that can easily go unseen when our attention is somewhere else.

You don’t need to create a special experience.
You just have to be there for the one that’s already happening.

🌿 Come practice being present at Karmê Chöling.
👉Follow our link to find 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀:
https://www.karmecholing.org/programs/all

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲̂ 𝗖𝗵𝗼̈𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Sunday, September 13, 2026𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 3-4 PM Easte...
09/03/2026

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲̂ 𝗖𝗵𝗼̈𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Sunday, September 13, 2026
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 3-4 PM Eastern Time (Online via Zoom)

In the Upper Meadow at Karmê Chöling, the Purkhang has quietly held space for nearly forty years. Built for the cremation of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1987, it has remained a living site of practice, quiet lineage presence, and devotion.

Though Purkhangs are traditionally temporary, Kagyu teachers directed that this
structure remain to eventually be consecrated as a permanent stupa (kudung chorten). As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Vidyādhara’s Parinirvāṇa in April 2027, that sacred responsibility has officially begun.

Join us online on Sunday, September 13, as Karmê Chöling Executive Director Lena DiGenti shares the history, meaning, and future vision of this landmark project.

The groundwork is already taking root. This summer, Karmê Chöling received a donated sokshing (life-force pole) from Lama Chopal and the Earth Journey community. In the photo above, Lena and long-time volunteer Gary are moving sacred volumes of the Kangyur and Tengyur into the newly established Stupa Project Room.

More than a monument, the completed stupa will stand as an active embodiment of awakened mind for generations of practitioners to come.

Register for the gathering and read more here:
https://www.karmecholing.org/program/fulfilling-the-vision-for-the-purkhang

What is ikebana, and why does it matter beyond flower arranging?Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, is built ...
09/02/2026

What is ikebana, and why does it matter beyond flower arranging?

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, is built on a core principle: Heaven, Earth, and Human are not separate realms but one interconnected whole.

As Hisaya Kumano writes in Ikebana: 𝘐𝘬𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢: 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬:
"𝘐𝘯 𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦."

At Karme Chöling, our Buddhist meditation center in Vermont, ikebana is practiced not just as visual art but as a form of meditation, a way of working with attention, presence, and relationship.

In this arrangement, the arching stems represent Heaven, the grounded dahlias represent Earth, and the space where they meet, held together in the bowl, represents Human.

If you're curious about contemplative arts, mindfulness practice, or how meditation extends into everyday activities like flower arranging, Karmê Chöling offers programs exploring ikebana and other practices rooted in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.

Learn more about our Kado / Ikebana programs and visit us in Vermont: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/kado-5-days-2026

𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴At Karmê Chöling, a Buddhist meditation retreat center in Barnet, Vermont, a decades-...
08/28/2026

𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

At Karmê Chöling, a Buddhist meditation retreat center in Barnet, Vermont, a decades-old promise is being completed. The Purkhang, the ritual cremation structure built in the Upper Meadow for the 1987 cremation of our founder Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, was never meant to remain unfinished. His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who presided over the cremation, asked that the structure be transformed one day into a kudung stupa, a sacred monument filled with relics and precious substances that becomes a lasting place of blessing and devotion.

That day has arrived. As the fortieth anniversary of Trungpa Rinpoche's Parinirvana approaches in April 2027, the project is moving forward under the guidance of Lama Tashi Dondup, a teacher trained at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim with lifelong expertise in stupa construction and consecration.

Volunteers, who prepare materials for the project, are part of the many hands carrying this work forward. Offerings of time, sacred materials, and financial support are coming in from across the community.

Founded in 1971, Karmê Chöling is one of the oldest Buddhist meditation retreat centers in the US and continues to serve as a place of practice, pilgrimage, and community.

Learn more about the Purkhang project and how to take part at: https://www.karmecholing.org/visit/visitors-guide/the-purkhang

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺What if the very thoughts and emotions we struggle against are not obstacles to awaken...
08/26/2026

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺

What if the very thoughts and emotions we struggle against are not obstacles to awakening, but the path itself?

In the Mahamudra tradition, confusion is not rejected or suppressed. It is recognized as inseparable from wisdom when we learn to look directly at the nature of mind.

This autumn, join Andy and Scott for a 7-day retreat exploring Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche's Essence Mahamudra teachings at Karmê Chöling.

Together we will:
• Revisit his instructions on shamatha and vipashyana
• Deepen our understanding through practice
• Continue investigating the nature of experience itself.

Whether you attended previous retreats or are entering these teachings for the first time, you are warmly invited.

Open to Tantrikas and Sadhakas who have received Pointing Out Instruction.

📍 Karmê Chöling
🧘 Group practice, discussion groups, and lineage connection
📿 Bring your copy of 𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘶𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.
✅ Open to sangha members revisiting completed Ngöndro too
🔗 Follow our link to learn more about 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/mahamudra-stepping-stones-2026

Join us Thursday, August 27 @ 6pm for a Sunset Social with Vermont Senate candidate David Roth — because democracy and d...
08/21/2026

Join us Thursday, August 27 @ 6pm for a Sunset Social with Vermont Senate candidate David Roth — because democracy and dharma can share a garden path.

🌸 Stroll our gardens as the light goes golden
🤝 Meet David and fellow Vermonters
🎶 Dance party with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and live music by 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.

📍 369 Patneaude Lane, Barnet, VT 05821
🕕 Thursday, August 27 @ 6pm
👉 All are welcome — bring a neighbor, bring your dancing shoes. 💃🕺
🔗 Follow our Linktr.ee link in our bio for more info on 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗵.

Note: Karmê Chöling does not endorse David Roth or any other political candidate. We are making space available as part of our commitment to civic engagement and to serving as a gathering place where community members can meet candidates, ask questions, and participate in public life. We are open to hosting similar gatherings for other candidates.

"𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲." — 𝗖𝗵𝗼̈𝗴𝘆𝗮𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗽𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: A 9-day Ngöndro practice intensive at Kar...
08/21/2026

"𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲." — 𝗖𝗵𝗼̈𝗴𝘆𝗮𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗽𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: A 9-day Ngöndro practice intensive at Karmê Chöling
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Practitioners of any Ngöndro lineage transmitted by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche — Kagyu, Nyingma, and/or Shambhala Ngöndro. Sangha members who've completed Ngöndro and want to revisit it are also welcome.
𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆: Dorje Loppon Lodro Dorje, one of Trungpa Rinpoche's closest students

Ngöndro connects us to over fifty generations of mahasiddhas and to the greater Vajra sangha of living masters today. This retreat is a chance to engage in the traditional accumulations of wisdom and merit while exploring the questions that naturally arise through the practice:

• How do I understand the guru and the guru principle?
• How do I connect with devotion when a teacher is distant, deceased, or when devotion doesn't come naturally?
• What does it mean to discover the guru not just as a person, but to see the world and our own lives as sacred teachers?
• How do surrender, egolessness, and bodhicitta live in my practice?
• What am I actually doing when I practice visualization and formless meditation?

Drawing on the Vajrayana teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and other • • Tibetan Buddhist masters, the retreat includes group practice sessions, discussion groups, and time to connect with the lineage's energy and blessings at Karmê Chöling.

Please bring all Ngöndro texts and materials needed for your practice.

Follow our link to learn more: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/ngondro-practice-retreat-2026

𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻Stop by our Farm Stand and enjoy a taste of the season. Each week, our selection of o...
08/20/2026

𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻
Stop by our Farm Stand and enjoy a taste of the season. Each week, our selection of organically grown vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other garden delights changes according to what is ripening in the garden. Every visit offers something new to discover.

Our gardens are under the guidance of Master Gardener Jan Enthoven, whose decades of experience with the land help ensure a healthy harvest throughout the growing season. By growing organically, we nurture the soil, support local ecosystems, and provide nourishing produce for our community.

Check back often—the harvest is always changing, and each week brings new flavors from the field.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Karme Choling's Main Parking Lot
369 Patneaude Ln, Barnet, VT 05821
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: 9-Noon Saturdays until mid-October
𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Cash or check only

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼. 🍂☀️❄️When we practic...
08/19/2026

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼. 🍂☀️❄️

When we practice Tai Chi in alignment with nature, we learn how to move with these seasonal shifts instead of resisting them. If you are ready to build a deeper relationship with your body mechanics and physical vitality, join us at Karme Choling for an immersive movement experience: Tai Chi: Seasons of Energy.

Led by long-time practitioner and teacher Joseph Pascutazz, who brings more than twenty years of daily practice to his students, this retreat is designed to help you tap into your own energetic awareness.

This program is part of an ongoing seasonal series exploring the five elemental energies and their direct correspondences within both nature and the human body. Through hands-on guidance, you will explore how to anchor your practice through the seasons. This program focuses on Summer.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁:
• Direct experience with proper body mechanics and gentle alignment
• Practical tools to cultivate, balance, and sustain your body energy
• The living, healing relationship between Tai Chi movements and the natural world
• A peaceful, supportive outdoor platform setting surrounded by the Vermont hills

Whether you want to deepen an existing movement practice or discover the benefits of moving meditation for the very first time, you are welcome here.

📍 Barnet, Vermont
👉Ready to align your movement with the rhythm of the seasons?
🔗 Follow our link to learn more and reserve your spot: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/tai-c

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Join us for Harvest of Peace, our annual autumn equinox celebration of good food, good company, and a little joyful chao...
08/15/2026

Join us for Harvest of Peace, our annual autumn equinox celebration of good food, good company, and a little joyful chaos. Everyone is welcome, from longtime practitioners to friends and neighbors.

Our celebration begins with a relaxing, Half-Day Meditation Retreat in the morning, followed by a shared community luncheon. Together, we will enjoy fresh, nourishing food prepared by our loving kitchen and garden staff, alongside heartfelt conversation and seasonal reflection.

The retreat and the luncheon are completely free and open to everyone. We simply ask that you register in advance so our kitchen team can set a place for you at the table. Come enjoy the beauty of autumn in the Vermont hills in great company.

📍 Karmê Chöling, Barnet, VT
👉 Learn more about Harvest of Peace
🔗 F𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/harvest-of-peace-2026

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369 Patneaude Lane
Barnet, VT
05821

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