Supporting the development of wisdom and compassion.

Iron Knot Ranch is a Buddhist Retreat Center in southern New Mexico.

Iron Knot Ranch lies at the end of a long dirt road in the mountains of southern New Mexico, 45 minutes beyond the middle of nowhere. Established under the guidance of the Tibetan Buddhist master His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Iron Knot Ranch is a developing retreat center founded on the belief that the true nature of all living beings is inherently pure, wise and compassionate and that it is only a pervasive but superficial confusion that prevents us from knowing this to be so. With this in mind, the work and spiritual practice of Iron Knot Ranch are dedicated to the discovery of this truth in ourselves and others.

Iron Knot Ranch upholds both traditional Vajrayana Buddhist Practice, and trainings accessible to people of all religions and walks of life through the Bodhisattva Peace Institute. These trainings offer a simple set of tools for anyone who wishes to effect positive change in their lives and the lives of others.

The Peace Institute

The Bodhisattva Peace Institute offers trainings for those who wish to effect positive change in their lives and the lives of others. The trainings make accessible to people of all religions and walks of life the profound methods of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition for awakening wisdom and compassion. 

Vajrayana Practice

In addition to the foundational Mahayana practice of bodhicitta , Iron Knot Ranch maintains practices of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. With the motivation to help all beings awaken from suffering, the Vajrayana practitioner relies upon the extraordinary skillful means of the Vajrayana to accumulate merit and wisdom, cultivate pure perception, and fully realize mind's nature.

Events

In addition to daily group practice and prayers, Iron Knot Ranch offers virtual and in-person instruction and training in meditation practices in the context of weekend or week-long retreats.

“Trying to change the world without changing our mind is like trying to clean the dirty face we see in the mirror by scrubbing the glass. However vigorously we clean it, our reflection will not improve. Only by washing our own face and combing our own unkempt hair can we alter the image. Similarly, if we want to help create conditions that foster peace and well-being in the world, we first need to reflect these qualities ourselves.”

— Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Change of Heart

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

For the spiritual power of peace to touch every person on this earth, it must radiate out from a profound peace within our own mind: across political and religious barriers, and across the barriers of ego and self-righteousness. To this end, we should seek an inner peace so pure and stable that we cannot be moved to anger by violence or to selfish attachment and fear by those who view or confront us with contempt and hatred. We can achieve such stability only by purifying mind’s poisons—ignorance, anger, attachment, jealousy, and pride; then we can clearly see that war and suffering are but their outer reflections.”

— Change of Heart: The Bodhisattva Peace Training of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche by Lama Shenpen Drolma

"Para que el poder espiritual de la paz toque a todas las personas en esta tierra, debe irradiar desde una profunda paz dentro de nuestra propia mente: a través de las barreras políticas y religiosas, y a través de las barreras del ego y la justicia propia. Con este fin, debemos buscar una paz interior tan pura y estable que no podamos ser movidos a la ira por la violencia o al apego egoísta y al miedo por aquellos que nos ven o nos confrontan con desprecio y odio. Sólo podemos lograr esa estabilidad purificando los venenos de la mente: la ignorancia, la ira, el apego, los celos y el orgullo; Entonces podemos ver claramente que la guerra y el sufrimiento no son más que sus reflejos externos".

— Change of Heart: The Bodhisattva Peace Training of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche by Lama Shenpen Drolma

Contact

Iron Knot Ranch is the residential center of the 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit Chagdud L'hundrub Ling.

Address:

Iron Knot Ranch
PO Box 2364
Silver City, NM 88062


Email

General Inquiries
ironknot@ironknot.org

Bodhisattva Peace Institute Inquiries
bpi@ironknot.org

Event Inquiries
events@ironknot.org

Phone
(510) 315-1960