Sakya Kachod Choling’s gompa or meditation house, a hidden gem among natural surroundings.
Photos by: Anthony Bruno, Eric A. Kessler, Al Reid, Sakya Kachod Choling, Kira Sewell, Nancy Young

After offering teachings and retreats for decades on a Washington state island, Sakya Kachod Choling Retreat Center is preparing to sell its 20-acre property and relocate. At its next site the center will continue its mission, by offering a conducive environment for Buddhist learning and practice.

The retreat center was established under the direction of Her Eminence Sakya Jetsun Chimey Luding Rinpoche (Jetsun Kushok), who is one of the most accomplished female teachers and practitioners in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Jetsun Kushok was born in Tibet and received her spiritual training alongside her brother, His Holiness the Sakya Trichen, the 41st throne holder of the Buddhist Sakyapa Order.

The main meditation room, with hand-painted Buddhist artwork and murals.

The current location on San Juan Island, Washington, was found in 1987 after an extensive search by two of Jetsun Kushok’s students. Removed from the bustle of modern life yet a short distance from the U.S. mainland, the place has long enchanted Dharma students and practitioners. It is graced with Pacific madrone trees, Douglas fir, plant-covered hills, and rocky outcroppings. It is also a sanctuary for deer, songbirds, and other wildlife. 

The retreat center offers a variety of spaces for gatherings and retreats. It has hosted not only Buddhist retreats, but also individual retreats by practitioners of various spiritual backgrounds. The current location is ideal for meditation, yoga, wellness, and rejuvenation. Alternatively, it could serve as a private getaway or residence.

Nestled within natural surroundings, the main building—dubbed the gompa or meditation house—opened to the public in 1991. It is replete with columns, a tiled roof, and a grand front stairway. The gompa’s upper level features a spacious meditation room. With many windows and a skylight, the building is filled with natural lighting during the day. Its walls are adorned with Buddhist artwork and murals, hand painted by Tibetan artists.

Group photo of Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Rinpoche and students.

The upstairs also includes two private rooms where students have spent anywhere from a few days to several months in retreat. The kitchen, complete with a commercial stove, allows retreatants to be served delicious meals prepared by resident staff and volunteers. For those seeking cozy relaxation on winter evenings, extra warmth is provided by a cast-iron, wood-burning stove.

A full wrap-around deck surrounds the upper level. The deck serves as a way for people to circumambulate (Tib. koras), a form of walking meditation around a sacred site. The downstairs includes private living quarters, as well as an office space. Right outside the gompa, facing east, is a stupa or sacred Buddhist monument.

Around the property, groomed paths meander to multiple sleeping huts, tent platforms, and yurts. Three of the huts have electricity and heating units, so they can be used year-round. Other amenities include an art studio, a greenhouse, and an organic garden, where vegetables have been grown for retreatants and staff.

Historic group photo of His Holiness Sakya Trichen and dharma students, from 1995 Lamdre teachings.

Neighbor and long-time member Susanna Salsbury, who has helped take care of the property and garden since the center’s inception, said the center is unique.

“Having the great privilege of residing next door,” she said, “On my daily strolls through a trail down the hill I stop and ponder the wonder of this beautiful center, and all the gifts it has provided to so many individuals.”

Although the current location is a natural oasis for tranquil retreat, Sakya Kachod Choling’s spiritual leaders reassessed the situation last year. They concluded that a location with expanded facilities and activities, would better meet the needs of a growing number of Buddhists and meditation practitioners. The board of directors then unanimously decided to sell the property on San Juan Island, and to find a new location.

An aerial view of the retreat center, which is within walking distance of the Salish Sea. 

The new location has not yet been determined, but will be selected after careful consideration. Jetsun Kushok asked His Holiness the 43rd Sakya Trizin Gyana Vajra Rinpoche (Trizin Rinpoche), the current Sakya throne holder and one of Sakya Kachod Choling’s spiritual leaders, to oversee the center’s long-term development.

Trizin Rinpoche explained that although the center will be relocating, its main objectives will continue to be three: 1) to provide Buddhists and non-Buddhists a place for retreat in a conducive environment; 2) to hold teachings and cultural events; and 3) to support the cause of the displaced Tibetan people in maintaining their unique religious and cultural heritage.

To fulfill these objectives and cater to the needs of contemporary society, Trizin Rinpoche said the new center should develop its visibility in terms of its physical location and its social media presence. He said it should appeal to the contemporary world and the younger generation.

The greenhouse and garden for vegetable growing.

As aptly summarized by the center’s current president, Kira Sewell: “Per the advice of our teachers, we cannot be attached to location. We look forward to the center’s continuation, in a different form, as a place where the Dharma continues to take root in the hearts and minds of people.”

The center’s name, Sakya Kachod Choling, reflects its mission and affiliation with the Buddhist Sakyapa Order.

Sakya literally means “pale earth,” and refers to the color of the earth where a monastery was founded in 11^th century Tibet by Khon Konchok Gyalpo. His ancestors date back to Tibet’s early history, and were devoted Buddhist practitioners. His son, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, fostered this spiritual heritage by receiving numerous Buddhist teachings and practices recently transmitted from India, as part of the second wave of Buddhist translations.

Trizin Rinpoche by nearby South Beach, on San Juan Island.

From then onward, the Sakya tradition has been primarily held by Sachen’s descendants through a hereditary line of spiritual teachers, who have maintained and practiced the Buddhist teachings without interruption. 

Among the precious teachings held by the Sakyapa Order are those related to the female buddha Vajrayogini. Systematized by the Indian mahasiddha Naropa, the Vajrayogini teachings contain the essential aspects of all the Buddhist teachings. Jetsun Kushok has bestowed these teachings multiple times at the retreat center, and dozens of students have completed the Vajrayogini three-month basic retreat here. Kachod—the second word of the center’s name—refers to Vajrayogini and her pure realm—which is synonymous with complete enlightenment.

The last word of the center’s name, Choling, means place of dharma. As Trizin Rinpoche has emphasized, the center’s members have been “extraordinarily fortunate” to receive dharma teachings and blessings from some of the greatest masters of our time. His Holiness the Sakya Trichen in 1995, bestowed the “Path with Its Result” (Tib. Lamdre) teachings. His Eminence the late Luding Khenchen Rinpoche, the 75th throne holder of the Ngor tradition of the Sakyapa Order, was one of the first teachers to visit the center.

Jetsun Kushok has bestowed numerous teachings on various meditation practices to students, who would come from around the world to receive her teachings at the center.

Morning sunrise by the stupa, with Tibetan prayer flags among the trees.

In addition to the formal teachings, local residents of various backgrounds for years gathered at the center for an hour of meditation every Sunday afternoon—interspersed with Buddhist readings and reflections on applying Buddhist teachings to daily life.

Further Information

Sakya Kachod Choling is owned and operated by Sakya Society, a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For those interested in supporting the retreat center during its transition, please see donation options online. Although the physical center is closed pending its relocation, it continues to host online programs, including a weekly Green Tara practice led by Lama Ngawang Tenzin.

For those interested in purchasing the San Juan Island property in Friday Harbor, Washington, please see the listing and contact licensed broker Nancy Young (nancy@sanjuanislands.com) of Coldwell Banker/San Juan Islands Inc.