Ser Chö Ösel Ling Retreat Center

KCC’s rural retreat facility is a 240-acre property located in the high desert foothills of the Simcoe Mountains seven miles north of Goldendale, WA. Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, heart son of Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, was the initial inspiration for building this retreat center and gave it the title Ser Chö Ösel Ling — “Land of the Clear Light Golden Dharma.” SCOL is designed to foster long and short-term spiritual retreats for both individuals and group practice. Sixteen cabins which can house one or two retreatants are arranged in two cloistered wings with shrine rooms and dining area attached to a central administration and kitchen area.

SCOL is managed by the SCOL Service Group, which focuses on the maintenance and care of the property. Full-time staff live on site and regular Sangha work parties are organized to do repairs, maintain the grounds, and ensure the facility is a supportive retreat environment.

 

Click to learn more about individual retreats or hosting a group retreat at SCOL:

Individual RetreatsGroup Retreats

 

Upcoming Retreats

Host a Retreat

To inquire about hosting a group retreat at SCOL in 2024 or coming out for an individual retreat, please contact our retreat team at scol.retreats@kcc.org to learn more.

More about SCOL

The Facility

The ADA-compliant retreat facility is designed to house up to 16 retreatants in cabins and dormitories in a cloistered environment for short and long retreats. SCOL is a multi-use facility with two wings connected by a central administration and kitchen building, modeled after traditional three year retreat centers with separately cloistered men and women.
1. Central Kitchen/Administration Building The retreat cloister was designed to make it easier for cooks to serve both wings from a central hub during retreat. At the center of the facility is a large commercial kitchen, designed to handle the needs of small or large retreats. Adjacent to the kitchen are offices with access to computers and printers.
2. Retreat Cabins Each wing of the cloister contains eight individual cabins, two of which are ADA certified (four in all). For shorter retreats, each cabin can be used as double-occupancy housing. When no retreats are scheduled, the cabins may be used for individual retreats.
3. Bathrooms and Dining Halls Each wing contains a bath house and dining hall. The dining rooms are connected to the central kitchen facility for ease of service and open out onto the cloisters for retreatant access.
4. Meditation Halls These graceful, tall spaces serve retreatants during group meditation. Designed to capture light even during the long winters, they are the centerpieces of each cloister. The North Wing meditation hall accommodates retreats of up to 27; the South Wing was designed to be slightly larger to accommodate up to 40 retreatants.
5. Multipurpose Rooms These spaces are designed for specific practices during long retreat, and serve as dorms, yoga halls, or meeting spaces at other times.
6. Staff and Teacher Quarters These residences are furnished with private baths and kitchenettes.
7. Fence Each wing is enclosed by a fence, protecting retreatants from visitors and allowing for greater withdrawal from the activities of day-to-day life.

History & Photo Montage

In 2001, KCC purchased 240 acres of wooded land north of Goldendale, Washington. Over the next decade, the community built a facility designed to accommodate retreats of all lengths, including fully cloistered, traditional three-year retreats like the one that concluded in 2018.

 

Discover how SCOL came to be:

Videos about SCOL


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