Land of Calm Abiding is a Buddhist retreat center set among 525 pristine acres within the Silver Peak wildness area of Los Padres National Forest. It was donated to Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1999 by Mary Alice Baldwin. It had been in Mary Alice’s family from 1925 to 1999 and was known as the Baldwin Ranch. Mary Alice Baldwin came to know of Lama Zopa due to the younger community of her caretaker friends that were a dedicated handful Buddhists interested in abiding retreat in the various cabins on the land. After just roughly one week of being with Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Baldwin Ranch, Mary Alice was so inspired by Lama Zopa’s deep affection and respect for all living beings that she stopped hunting or causing any more harm to animals for the rest of her life. It was also after this first visit that Mary Alice knew she wanted to give the land to Lama Zopa.

In 1999 the transition to being called Land of Calm Abiding was the only change. Mary Alice continued to visit the Main House as her health allowed her to travel, and dedicated Dharma aspiring yogis continued to show up to use the other available cabins for meditation retreats.

Lama Zopa called this place Shinay Land. “Shinay” is the Tibetan name for the meditation practice of calm abiding, where with a virtuous motivation one allows the mind to come to complete single-pointed concentration for as long as one wishes without wavering even the slightest. Such a serviceable mind is essential to cultivate spiritual realizations on the Path of Awakening for All Beings. Henceforth, this vast and unscathed land of natural beauty is the ideal place for all sincere meditators to fulfill this most sacred aspiration.