Vision
The Mandala of Tara
Inspired by the vision of a Western retreat center that she had while living in the Himalayas and the need to create a place for the reemergence of the sacred feminine, Tsultrim Allione founded Tara Mandala in 1993. Symbolically, the Mandala of Tara, the female Buddha of compassion, is a kind of architecture of the awakened psyche. To experience the phenomenal world as an integrated mandala of compassion is Tara Mandala.

Big Sky
Bordered by the San Juan National Forest and Ute Tribal Land near Pagosa Springs in Southern Colorado, Tara Mandala Retreat Center is rooted in the Buddhist tradition, a partnership with earth, animals, family, and respect for all wisdom traditions. In a region known for its ancient archaeology,
unmatched mountains, rivers, canyon lands, and rich cultural history, the focal point of Tara Mandala is a beautiful breast-shaped peak surrounded by four valleys in the center of its 700 acres.

The land, lying at about 7400' elevation, offers deep silence, vast views, and an unparalleled play of light and rainbows that engenders a natural experience of the union of emptiness and radiance. Wildlife abounds and there are so many medicinal plants that the land is virtually a medicinal garden. The sacred space of Tara Mandala has to do with the shape and power of the landscape itself which has been recognized by Tibetan Lamas as the body of Tara.
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REFUGE, RENEWAL & RETREAT
In a chaotic and stressful world, Tara Mandala offers refuge and renewal. The experience of retreat in nature brings the gift of peace to the individual and ultimately those practicing deep meditation in retreat affect the fabric of the world.

While the West developed its advanced outer technology, the Tibetans were developing inner technology. Tara Mandala was established to foster the development of this inner wisdom for the benefit of all beings, much as in the retreat centers in Tibet. It is a place for those who wish to explore and stabilize profound states of meditation in short or extended retreats in hermitage cabins that offer panoramic views as well as solitude and sanctuary. We also offer group retreats in Buddhism and other disciplines.

Tara Mandala is intended to foster spiritual and ecological awareness, a place for those who want to explore and stabilize profound states of meditation which require lengthy periods of retreat. We believe that people reaching deep levels of meditative awareness have a profound effect on humanity.
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What does Tara Mandala mean?
Tara is the female Buddha of compassion. Tara has 21 forms each depicting different kinds of enlightened capacity. The Mandala is a model for spiritual development which literally means 'center and fringe'. The mandala is the cosmological structure of Tibetan teachings. It is not a static graph or artistic pattern. It is an active diagram leading to realization, a practical structure for the development of the individual. The Mandala of Tara is a kind of architecture for the psyche, which we enter through visualization, when we experience the phenomenal world, as the integrated mandala of compassion, this is the awakened state.
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Vision Statement
"If a person goes in search of a silent and tranquil place, and applies the practice, their qualities will without doubt become infinite. Someone who directs themselves in such a direction, will accumulate a benefit far superior to that of the one who makes offerings to the Buddhas as numerous as sand of the river Ganges."
Moon Torch Sutra
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Quotes
"I have no doubt that Tara Mandala will be important, not only for America, but for the whole world."
Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche, Tibetan meditation master and artist

"I loved being at Tara Mandala. It is one of those rare, special places where we need only relax and open to what is around us to discover what is within us. It is a place that compels one to be present, awake and connected."
Sharon Salzberg

"I could actually hear the silence, the beauty of the land penetrating my being. I returned home with a feeling of inner calm and confidence."
Retreat Participant

"I felt I needed to quiet my mind and stop imaginary dialogue. It was clear to me that meditation was something that I wanted. I was looking for peace. Being here is something I love and the land speaks peace."
Patricia Yenawine

"What you are trying to do here has the blessings of the land's guardian, in fact all that you are trying to do is already here, you must just bring it from the spirit world into the material world. So it will not be difficult, there will be a lot of support."
Bertha Grove, Ute elder
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