Celebrating 50 Years of KCC!

In 2026, Kagyu Changchub Chuling (KCC) celebrates a momentous milestone: its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1976 by the renowned Tibetan meditation master Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, KCC has served for half a century as a sanctuary for those seeking the authentic teachings of the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu lineages. This golden jubilee offers a profound opportunity for the Portland community and the wider Sangha to reflect on a journey that began with a handful of dedicated practitioners and has since blossomed into a pillar of Vajrayana Buddhism in the Pacific Northwest.

Lama Michael Conklin and Lama Eric Triebelhorn at KCC’s Urban Center.

The history of KCC is a testament to the vision of Kalu Rinpoche, who was one of the first great lamas to bring the Dharma to the West. Following his arrival in the United States in the 1970s, he established KCC to ensure that the “Oral Transmission” (Kagyu) and the path of “Awakening” (Changchub) would find a “Place of Dharma” (Chuling) in Oregon.

In its earliest years, students met in bookstores and rented houses, eventually securing a permanent home in Northeast Portland in 1981. In addition to serving as a sacred space to gather, the home provided quarters to host many eminent teachers, and as a residence for KCC’s first resident teacher, Lama Thinley Drupa, and a few sangha members.

The 50th anniversary honors our founder, Kalu Rinpoche, his successor and important inspiration for KCC, Bokar Rinpoche, and the many lineage holders who have guided the community over these fifty years. We are also grateful to our three resident lamas—Lama Thinley Drupa, Lama Michael Conklin, and Lama Eric Triebelhorn, as well as the hundreds of sangha members who have supported and sustained KCC’s activity.

A significant chapter in KCC’s five-decade history is the manifestation of the Ser Chö Ösel Ling (SCOL) retreat center in Goldendale, Washington, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. This “Land of the Clear Light Golden Dharma” serves as the rural heart of KCC, providing facilities for solitary and group retreats that run for a weekend, a week or a month, up to a one-year and a traditional three-year retreat. This anniversary celebrates not just the Portland urban center, but the vast, quiet beauty of SCOL that supports periods of more sustained meditation and integration.

Flowers blooming in the SCOL cloister in springtime

Throughout its 50th year, KCC is hosting a series of special programs, retreats, and community events designed to honor the past and envision the path ahead. From daily meditation sessions, to classes, visiting teachers, and a variety of retreats, KCC marks the transition into this milestone year with a sense of joy and a commitment to spiritual renewal. These gatherings bring together founding members who have practiced since the 1970s with a new generation of meditators, illustrating the vibrant, evolving nature of a community that has become a true family of the Dharma.

As Kagyu Changchub Chuling looks toward the next fifty years, the anniversary serves as a bridge between tradition and the future. The center remains dedicated to making the Buddha’s teachings accessible in the modern world, integrating formal meditation with the demands of daily life. By celebrating this half-century of practice, KCC reaffirms its mission to be a refuge where all beings can seek clarity and wisdom. The enduring legacy of Kalu Rinpoche lives on in every chant, every sit, and every act of clarity, kindness, and compassion manifested in the world by KCC’s ever-growing community.

 

Timeline

1976: KCC Founded

1981: Permanent site acquired at 73 NE Monroe Street

1980-1991: Lama Thinley Drupa served as KCC’s first Resident Lama

1993: Lama Michael Conklin becomes KCC’s second Resident Lama

1996: Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche visits Portland and teaches the Mahamudra Seminar

2001: KCC begins work on a rural retreat center in Goldendale, WA

2003: Thrangu Rinpoche visits to bless Ser Chö Ösel Ling retreat center in Goldendale

2004: Death of Bokar Rinpoche

2013: Cloistered one-year retreat conducted at Ser Chö Ösel Ling

2015: Cloistered three-year retreat begins at Ser Chö Ösel Ling

2017: KCC relocates to a larger urban center at 4936 NE Skidmore

2019: Lama Michael Conklin announces his retirement

2020: Lama Eric Triebelhorn becomes KCC’s third Resident Lama