Mindrolling Lotus Garden

THE CENTER

Mindrolling Lotus Garden is a Tibetan Buddhist center of the great Mindrolling lineage of the Nyingma school. Lotus Garden, the North American seat of Mindrolling International, is located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, about 2 hours southwest of Washington DC.

The Founding of Lotus Garden

In 1994, the Baltimore Shambhala Center first hosted Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche for a single day of teachings to a group of 20 students. This single day of teachings eventually led to the founding of Mindrolling Lotus Garden in 2003. Lotus Garden was established by Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche primarily as a group and individual retreat and study center.

Lotus Garden Today

Sangha members from around the globe now come to Lotus Garden to receive teachings from Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, to attend programs offered throughout the year and to undertake personal retreats.The programs that are offered at Lotus Garden include the annual Vajrayana Retreat which takes place in September and the Mindrol Lekshey Summer Program during July and August. During the remainder of the year, smaller programs and retreats are led by the lopöns and drupön under the guidance of Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and Mindrolling Jetsün Dechen Paldron. Training in Tibetan language and ritual is also provided by Mindrolling monks and the nuns of Samten Tse who travel from to Lotus Garden annually to instruct students during the Mindrol Lekshey Summer Program.

Lotus Garden Residents

In addition to maintaining the shrines, land and buildings, handling administrative matters and staffing programs, the residents of Mindrolling Lotus Garden maintain a strict schedule of daily prayers and feast practices according to the lunar calendar of auspicious days.

Oversight and Guidance

The day-to-day activities of Mindrolling Lotus Garden are guided by Mindrolling Jetsün Dechen Paldron who is in residence for six-months of each year with children Dungse Rinpoche and Jetsün Rinpoche. Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche Rinpoche resides at Lotus Garden during the annual Vajrayana Retreat, the Mindrol Lekshey program and at other times of the year as her schedule permits.