Everyone has their own idea of paradise
For those searching for a rural Vermont retreat center, Karmê Chöling nestled amongst 500 acres of gently rolling countryside is ideal. Here you can find meditation intensives, basic Buddhist intro classes or short and long term meditation retreats.
Connect to the natural environment
This Northeast retreat center is immersed in lush forests, clear streams and open meadows. From the renowned rich autumn colors of New England to the deep quiet of winter to the vibrancy of life all around in spring and summer, this land gives rise to magic in all four seasons.
Places for Quiet Contemplation
Just walking on the land, one feels an appreciation for the environment. There are many places that provide an opportunity to take a quiet moment and connect back to one’s surroundings.
Contemplative Places
For Quiet Reflection
The Organic Garden
You can make your way to Karmê Chöling’s abundant one-acre Organic Garden. The Organic Garden has its own summer volunteer program and provides over a hundred varieties of herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Fresh organic produce is available to all who join us for a meal, including people who come for Day Visits, guided group retreats, residential retreats and more.
Learn more about The Organic Garden
Koi Pond
Just outside the Main House is our koi pond. In winter time the pond freezes over in sub freezing temperatures. Spring through fall is when it receives frequent visits from a variety of birds and waterfowl. This is also when the brightly colored koi can be seen.
Kyudo - Traditional Japanese Archery
Kyudo is one of the mind/body training paths available at Karmê Chöling. Its archery range, the Kyudojo, is just down the hill from the Main House.
Pictured in the foreground is the ‘Father Stone’, a traditional element of the Kyudojo.
Japanese Style Rock Garden
Stop by our Japanese-style Rock Garden. Built in the courtyard of the Main House, it is a quiet place for a moment of rest or contemplation.
Learn more about The Rock Garden
The Purkhang
The Purkhang is the structure that was used to cremate the body of Chögyam Trungpa. Located in the upper meadows, it continues to stand as a memorial to the founder of Karmê Chöling.
Learn more about The Purkhang
Kami Shrines
There are three Kami shrines on the land. Kami is the energy that evokes a sense of wonder and awe in the human heart. Karmê Chöling's Kami shrines are adopted from a Shinto tradition, and relating to them is intended to promote a sacred outlook on life and the world. If you would like to make offerings to the shrines while you are here, check in with the Retreats Department.
The Stevens River
Stevens River is the stream that runs through Karmê Chöling’s land. It has many moods throughout the year, ranging from a lively river in the spring, to a trickle in the fall, to an unseen but still heard presence under snow and ice in the winter.
Walking & Hiking Trails
If you are feeling adventurous and want to explore The Land in depth, there are 6 wooded hiking trails. These range from gentle to vigorous and will take you from the low areas around the Main House to the highest peaks on Karmê Chöling’s land.
View our Hiking Trails Guide
Ripened by several generations of practitioners and blessed by many great teachers for fifty years, the land at Karmê Chöling remains a constant source of wakefulness and delight for our worldwide community.
Caring for the Land
A Thoughtful Approach to Tick Management
This season, we've begun a gentle, ecologically aligned approach to reducing ticks across the Karmê Chöling land. Our first priority is your safety and comfort, whether you're here for a day program, a longer retreat, or working close to the land every day. Before choosing a path forward, we spent time researching the scientific literature on tick management to identify the most effective, evidence-based methods available. The methods we've chosen, beneficial nematodes and tick tubes, along with an intensified mowing schedule, reflect that care while remaining in balance with the surrounding ecosystem.
On June 6, we applied beneficial nematodes across approximately 20 acres, including areas along the main road, around the house, throughout the garden, near the pavilion, up into the campground, and around the purkhang. We've also placed 45 tick tubes around the house and garden to complement this work. Alongside these treatments, we've increased our mowing frequency in key areas, since keeping grass and brush low removes the humid, sheltered conditions ticks rely on.
How it works
Beneficial nematodes are living organisms that occur naturally in healthy soils around the world. After application, they actively seek out pest insects at vulnerable life stages, entering through natural openings and releasing bacteria that break down the host. The cycle continues as they move to new hosts, gradually reducing populations over time. They do not harm humans, pets, birds, or other wildlife.
Tick tubes work at a different point in the cycle. Our 45 biodegradable tubes contain permethrin-treated cotton that small mammals like mice gather for their nests. When ticks come into contact with the treated nesting material, they die, reaching them where soil-based methods can't.
What we're noticing
Staff who work closely with the land and gardens are already reporting that tick encounters feel noticeably reduced. It's still early in the season, but the observations are encouraging. This approach works gradually, building impact over time rather than delivering a sudden knockdown, so we'll continue to share updates with everyone periodically. It's also worth noting that this is a multi year effort. Nematode applications will continue several times a year as part of an ongoing, sustained strategy rather than a one time treatment.
We want everyone who comes to Karmê Chöling to sit, to study, to simply be here, to feel safe wherever they are. That means tending it with real attentiveness, not just to the ticks, but to the whole living system we're all part of. So we've chosen an approach that's effective, ecologically grounded, and rooted in genuine care.
We hope you notice the difference and feel confident that we're paying close attention to this land, and that your wellbeing is always part of that.
A little about Karmê Chöling …
Karmê Chöling is a Buddhist meditation retreat center founded by Chögyam Trungpa, a Tibetan lineage holder. Established in 1971, it is one of the oldest retreat centers in the US. It has become part of a global movement and community of meditators working together to build enlightened society.
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