Vedanta Society Of Southern California, Ramakrishna Monastery

The Ramakrishna Monastery is a monastic complex in Trabuco Canyon featuring Mediterranean-inspired buildings set across rolling hills. Visitors can follow paths through natural areas that connect different parts of the grounds and its shrine areas.

Gerald Heard founded this site as Trabuco College in 1942, and a donation in 1949 brought it to the Vedanta Society of Southern California for use as a monastery. This change of purpose transformed the original educational project into a monastic community.

The monastery contains worship spaces honoring multiple world religions, demonstrating the Vedanta Society's understanding of spiritual diversity. Visitors walking through the grounds can experience how different traditions coexist within the same community.

The monastery welcomes visitors during specific hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with a bookstore open during these times. Wear comfortable shoes since the grounds involve walking on paths across hills and natural areas.

Writer Aldous Huxley spent about six weeks here in the early years and wrote The Perennial Philosophy during his stay. This philosophical work went on to become an influential text on spiritual thought.

Location: Trabuco Canyon

Address: 19961 Live Oak Canyon Road

Website: https://vedanta.org/trabuco-canyon-monastery

GPS coordinates: 33.67342,-117.61014

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:58