Attend a KCC Retreat

KCC has both an urban center in NE Portland, Oregon, with weekly practices, study groups, and special events, and a 240-acre retreat center—SCOL—near Goldendale, Washington. Throughout the year, KCC offers numerous residential retreats at SCOL ranging from weekend retreats to weeklong and longer retreats. From 2013-2018, KCC led both a one-year and three-retreat at SCOL. We aspire to offer multi-month retreats again in the future—please let us know if you are interested!

Many retreats are lead by KCC’s Resident Lama Eric Triebelhorn, while others are lead by guest teachers, senior students, and sangha members. We often have retreats on Shamatha (Calm Abiding) and Vipashyana (Insight or Clear Seeing), as well as Chenrezi, the Seven Points of Mind Training, and a variety of dharma topics. We also have regular work parties that are more casual times to be at SCOL while helping with projects and maintenance of the retreat center.

During a retreat, three vegetarian meals are served each day, along with snacks and tea available in the dining halls. Mornings and evenings are often in silence to allow practitioners to carry the meditation practices and be with one’s experience. Lunchtime is often a time of optional talking to allow the opportunity for connecting with fellow retreatants. During longer retreats, there might be a few full days of silence in the middle of the retreat. There are spacious breaks throughout the day to rest and further integrate the teachings and practices off of the meditation cushion.

There are five miles of walking trails around the 240-acre property. Retreatants are housed in single or double cabins. Please see Our Facilities page for more details about the layout of the retreat center. Four cabins are ADA accessible, with two located directly beside the south meditation hall for ease of access along the cement pathway.

Please feel free to email us anytime if you have questions about attending a retreat at SCOL or about the retreat facilities.