Barre, a small colonial New England town settled in 1722, is located in the Nashoba Valley in Central Massachusetts.  In the past two decades Barre has evolved as a well known center for Buddhist study and retreat, housing the Sakya Retreat Center, the Insight Meditation Society and the Buddhist Study Center.

A tradition of emphasizing meditation retreats impelled the Sakyas toward founding the Sakya Retreat Center.  The Retreat Center is nestled on 165 secluded acres of forest abutted by state conservation forest land.  Located at the end of a mountainous private road, the Sakya Retreat Center offers a peaceful place to develop meditation and practice. Once a rustic hunting camp, the property has been transformed to its present state – from a place of violent sport to an environment of spirituality – such a place as Shantideva described when he said, “When shall I come to dwell in forests amongst the deer, the birds and the trees?”

With the encouragement and blessings of the late Most Venerable Deshung Rinpoche, the Sakya Retreat Center was purchased in 1984.  Subsequently, it has been blessed by other most prominent Sakya masters.

In 1985 His Eminence Ludhing Khen Rinpoche, the head abbot of the Ngor lineage, performed the meditation retreat of Shri Hevajra and bestowed the Hevajra empowerment before teaching the Lam Dre (The Path and Result) for the first time in North America. In 1988 His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, head of the Tsar lineage, bestowed the Kalachakra Empowerment and its Six Branch Yoga, Vajrapani and Mahakala empowerments and special teachings from the Sakyapa treasury of Lam Dre.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin, head of the Sakya lineage, visited in 1989 and consecrated the site with a Fire Puja and bestowed precious Hevajra Teachings. In 1989 H.H. Sakya Trizin appointed Acharya Lama Migmar Tseten as the head of the Sakya Retreat Center. Sakya students perform graduated retreats starting with Common Foundations Retreat (meditating on the faults of samsara; the preciousness of human life; impermanence and dealth; and the karma of cause and effect); Vajrapani Retreat; the Uncommon Foundations Retreat (100,000 refuge, prostrations, bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, mandala offerings, and guru yogas); and Yidam Retreats. Lama Migmar Tseten has led various group retreats.  Individually, students have performed various solitary retreats, ranging in time from two days to three years.

Due to the age of the deteriorating structure and the demand for more retreat space, improvement and new construction of lodging for teachers and retreatants is imperative.  The main building which houses the shrine room, a small kitchen and bath, lama quarters, and two small bedrooms is in great need of improvement.  Our goal is to modernize and expand the Retreat Center into an accommodating environment in which to conduct regular group programs, special programs conducted by visiting Sakya masters, and private individual retreats.

Our immediate needs to be realized are the construction of private retreat cabins; new and larger kitchen and bath facilities requiring a new septic tank; heating system and plumbing; and improvement of existing out buildings.

An account has been established to accumulate funds for the expansion goals of Sakya Retreat Center in order to continue and increase its dharma activities.  Your support is vital to the Dharma.