Upcoming Events http://deerparkmonastery.org daily 1 2011-10-08T03:57:01Z Vesak Dana Weekend (May 24-26) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/retreats-events/vesak-dana-weekend-may-24-26 Please join us to celebrate the Manifestation Day (Vesak Day) of our Beloved Teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni - the Fully Enlightened One, the one who found the wonderful path of compassion and understanding and shared it with all beings. Two thousand six hundred years ago in the town of Kapilavastu, a Buddha known as Shakyamuni was a human being just as we are, but in him understanding and love were developed to a very high degree, and he became a fully awakened being. He was a beautiful and precious flower in the garden of humanity, an udumbara flower that blooms only once every three thousand years. He practiced the Way for countless lives. He appeared on this Earth as a prince who left his royal palace to practice at the foot of the Bodhi Tree. He conquered illusion. When the morning star arose, he realized the great path of awakening and turned the wheel of the Dharma.

With single-mindedness, all species aspire to experience the path free from birth. 
With single-mindedness, all species will experience a path free from birth.

 

The Four-fold Sangha of Deer Park Monastery will hold a special Day of Mindfulness on this Sunday. We will practice sitting meditation together, chanting, and touching the Earth. There will be a special Dharma Talk and a ceremony of chanting, paying respect to our ancestors, and ‘bathing the Buddha’.

We invite you and your family to come celebrate this weekend with us, beginning Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.  This weekend is Dana-based (giving from the heart).  

Registration is available online:

Registration form in word format also available, download - click here!

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team 2013-04-18T16:01:09Z Event Sunday - Day of Mindfulness (May 26, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/sunday-day-of-mindfulness/fourth-sunday-day-of-mindfulness-may-26-2013 touching our nature of understanding and compassion Please join us to celebrate the Manifestation Day (Vesak Day) of our Beloved Teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni - the Fully Enlightened One, the one who found the wonderful path of compassion and understanding and shared it with all beings.

Sundays are open for the public to come and practice with the monastic and lay practitioners of Deer Park Monastery.

Please come and join us for this Day of Mindfulness. We start to gather outside the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall at 8:45 am. We hope you are able to participate in all the scheduled activities this day.

9:00 am
 Children's Vesak Skit
9:30am

Dharma Talk by Venerable Phuoc Tinh

Vesak Celebration
12:30 Picnic lunch as a spiritual family

 

There is no need for registration and you are welcome to leave a donation at your own discretion.

Please click here for directions.

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Day of Mindfulness 2013-05-02T22:35:00Z Event NO Thursday - Day of Mindfulness (May 30, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/thursday-days-of-mindfulness/thursday-day-of-mindfulness-may-30-2013 the monastic community of Deer Park is away on a mindful camping and hiking trip Our next public day of mindfulness at Deer Park will be Sunday, June 8.

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Day of Mindfulness 2013-05-02T21:40:00Z Event NO Sunday - Day of mindfulness (June 2, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/sunday-day-of-mindfulness/no-sunday-day-of-mindfulness-june-2-2013 NO Sunday - Day of mindfulness (June 2, 2013) NO Sunday - Day of mindfulness (June 2, 2013)

 

The monastics will be away on a camping trip, Please Breathe and smile to your loved ones.

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Day of Mindfulness 2013-05-23T21:35:59Z Event Gen X Dharma Teacher Gathering http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/retreats-events/gen-x-dharma-teacher-gathering This event is for recognized Dharma teachers in a tradition of Buddhadharma which offers refuge in the Three Jewels, born between 1960 and 1980, who are actively teaching and guiding students individually and as a group in North America and Europe. It is intended to support and connect teachers for whom Dharma teaching is a (or the) significant life activity, whether through teaching retreats, guiding a Buddhist temple, or other format. While there are many others who are doing important and good work as board members of dharma centers, executive directors or administrators of sanghas, secular mindfulness teachers, MBSR instructors, etc., for this gathering we are aiming to invite those who are serving as Buddhist teachers as their primary role so we can share the joys and challenges of that role, build connections, and learn from each other.

Surrounded by the beautiful natural environment of Deer Park, at this gathering we hope to:

·       Learn from each other about teaching
·       Inspire each other
·       Foster collegiality between lineages
·       Learn from other Buddhist traditions
·       Develop relationships to support our work and lives
·       Create a safe space to grapple with issues for us as next generation teachers
What: We will be creating open space for exploring such questions as: 
  • What are our greatest challenges?
  • What can help sustain us?
  • How can we best teach Buddhadharma in the 21st century?
  • How do we hold the teacher role?

As well as time for hiking, campfire, creative sharing, storytelling, affinity groups based on identity, non-talent show and more. Here's a sneek peek:


For registration information, please contact the office at (760)291-1003 or deerpark@dpmail.net.

The lodging in Deer Park Monastery is simple with shared rooms Rooms have a toilet and shower/bath.

Tenting is also available with restrooms and individual showers in the campground. If you would like to camp,  bring your own tent and sleeping bags.

Food at Deer Park is vegan with non-soy and non-wheat alternatives when appropriate

What to bring:
http://dpweb.org/visiting-us/what-to-bring

Directions: http://dpweb.org/visiting-us/directions

Ridesharing

If you are interested in exploring rideshare options, please follow the link below to see what's possible:

http://bit.ly/genXride

Can't wait to be with you!

]]> No publisher Phap Hai 2013-02-17T03:05:00Z Event NO Thursday - day of mindfulness (June 6, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/thursday-days-of-mindfulness/no-thursday-day-of-mindfulness NO Thursday day of mindfulness - NO Thursday day of mindfulness due to the retreat.

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Day of Mindfulness 2013-05-23T21:20:00Z Event Community Work Day (June 22, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/community-work-days/community-work-day-june-22-2013 When we work in the garden we get in touch with the plants and nourish our connection to the earth we are living on. Dear Friends,

 

We ask for your help in our mindful work on Saturday June 22, 2013.

Please bring work gloves, wear casual clothing, and be prepared to work outside.

Many of the projects we work mindfully on during our Community Workdays are landscaping.

We will begin gathering at 8:45am outside the Ocean of Peace Hall to sing some songs and divide into groups to start our joyful service. There will be a break and snacks around 11am. At 12:30pm we will enjoy a mindful picnic meal together. In the afternoon at 3pm there will be a DVD Dharma Talk by our teacher if you would like to stay behind to listen.

 

9:00 am

Working together
11:00 Break
11:15
 Continue working
12:30
Picnic Lunch
3:00 pm
 DVD Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Our work becomes joyful service of the heart as we allow ourselves to work wholeheartedly, in harmony and not in a rush. You can read about the practice of working meditation on our website.

 

If you want to help Deer Park on an ongoing basis, there are many opportunities. To learn more about Friends of Deer Park, click here.

See a couple of monastics hard at work.

 

A Lotus for You a Buddha to Be
The Monks and Nuns of Deer Park Monastery

]]> No publisher Friends of Deer Park Community Work Day 2013-04-17T16:35:00Z Event Family Retreat (June 26-30) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/retreats-events/family-retreat-june-26-30 Touching joy, peace and togetherness. Our annual Family Retreat is a celebration in mindfulness, joy and peace! Many families has been coming for many years already to this retreat and many families come for the first time. This retreat is a time when the community comes together to practice as a large spiritual family. We help each other out through coming to the activities, supporting washing up after meals, playing with the children at the retreat. Our minds and bodies slow down, relax and open up. Where does my family end and yours begin? Mindfulness, joy and peace will bring us together and makes our lives more colorful and fragrant.

family hikeWith the practice of mindfulness as the base, we shall learn to practice deep listening and loving speech to nourish true harmony within our families. During this retreat, we shall learn to practice together as an extended family and to support each other at home, in the work place, and in school. At times, the parents and children will be together and at other times, they practice separately. It is a precious chance for the whole family to be in a practice setting and learn new ways of being with one another. We encourage both parents to join the whole duration of the retreat with their children. No partial attendance.

There will be a program for children (6-12 yrs old) and teens (13-18 yrs) during part of the day. Monastic and lay staff will help lead the program and we will ask support from parents to assist the groups during the retreat.

For the children's program we are trying a new way to divide the children into groups. On the registration online and the registration form there are four themes:

  • Theater and Music
  • Visual Arts and Crafts
  • Nature
  • Movement & Sports

We ask that you mark which group your child/ren would like to participate in.

 

Register:

We are aware that due to limitations in capacity (mostly our facility) we have closed the registration for this retreat a couple of weeks before the retreat for the last couple of summers. We hope that you will be able to register soon to be assured a place in the retreat. Thank you for your understanding.

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Special Events 2012-12-06T23:35:00Z Event Teen Camp (July 10-14, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/retreats-events/teen-camp registration is now available During this camp we will breathe, play, eat and be together like a family. We will learn and train how to return to the present moment. We will learn how to free ourselves from the grip of strong emotions, like anger and despair. We will learn to touch the joy and freedom of being alive in the present moment.

During this camp we will stay in tents (around 5 teens per tent). The teen girls will get assigned to a tent in Clarity Oak Grove and the teen boys to a tent in the Solidity Campground. There will be monastic and lay staff staying in both campgrounds. Deer Park will provide the tents, but we ask everyone to bring your own sleeping bags and sleeping pads.

Together as brothers and sisters in a family we will practice mindfulness of sitting, walking, exercising, hiking, working, resting, playing, singing etc. More about the practice of mindfulness - right here!

Register:

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team 2012-12-06T23:45:00Z Event Mindful Committed Relationship (July26-28) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/theme-weekends/mindful-couples-july26-28 Waking Up Together: Cultivating The Mind of Love - this weekend is open for couples/life partners to come together to deepen their mutual love and respect It is necessary to pre-register for these weekends, and space is limited.

Please understand that the prerequisite of this theme weekend is that one person in the couple must have previously attended at least one overnight retreat at Deer Park Monastery or in the tradition of Plum Village. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Together we will explore the core teachings, which support the deepening of true love and are at the core of spiritual friendships or being a “soul friend.” With relationship as a catalyst and mirror, we will discover how to nourish and strengthen the wholesome seeds and transform those that create suffering. Through these practices we can learn to wake up so that we may bring happiness into our lives and those we love. Participants will discover that these teachings apply to all kind of relationships including individuals, life partners, spouses, friends, mother-daughter, father-son, friends, co-workers and more. There are no boundaries or barriers to true love.

The Dharma Teacher group offering this retreat is Peggy Rowe, Jerry Braza, Tony Silvestre, Sr. Dac Nghiem and Br. Phap De.

Registration is now available online:

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Theme Weekend 2012-12-13T15:45:00Z Event Về Nguồn - Vietnamese Retreat at Deer Park (Oct 4-8, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/tours-with-thich-nhat-hanh/teaching-tour-with-thich-nhat-hanh-in-north-america/vietnamese-retreat-at-deer-park-oct-4-8  

 

The Vietnamese retreat, with the theme Về Nguồn, is one of five retreats that are being offered in our practice centers in the US in 2013.The retreat will be led by Thich Nhat Hanh along with the monks and nuns of Deer Park Monastery, Magnolia Grove Monastery, Blue Cliff Monastery, and Plum Village.

The retreat is open to all Vietnamese, including beginners, those who have previously attended retreats, and families with children.

Registration limitation: English-only speakers are asked to register for one of our English speaking retreats during the tour.

Registration available online:

As with all our retreats, we encourage participants to share rides wherever possible in order to reduce the environmental aspect of traveling. Please use the commenting system below to make connections with other participants to offer rides and insights on reducing the impact.

 

]]> No publisher Deer Park Web Team Special Events 2012-12-06T23:55:00Z Event Finding Our True Home (Oct 11-16, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/tours-with-thich-nhat-hanh/teaching-tour-with-thich-nhat-hanh-in-north-america/finding-our-true-home Mindfulness Retreat in English with Thich Nhat Hanh Registration for this retreat has filled up and is closed as of April 10.

The waiting list sign up was closed on April 23.

The English retreat, with the theme Finding Our True Home, is one of five retreats that are being offered in our practice centers in the US in 2013.The retreat will be led by Thich Nhat Hanh along with the monks and nuns of Deer Park Monastery, Magnolia Grove Monastery, Blue Cliff Monastery, and Plum Village. More information about all the other events, please visit our Tour Website.

For Retreat Information for Finding our True Home - Click here!

The retreat is open to all, including beginners, those who have previously attended retreats, and families with children. The first part of the talks are normally dedicated to children. The nuns, monks and staff members will lead a mindfulness practice program for teens (ages 13-17). Some parents will be invited to help other monks, nuns and laystaff with a similar program focused on children (6 to 12 years old). Children under 6 are welcome to join the retreat under the care of their parent.

We welcome the participation of people from all backgrounds, regardless of ethnic origin, race, cultural background, socio-economic class, age, gender, sexual orientation, or physical ability.

We are committed to fostering a practice environment where all may touch the Dharma and find healing and nourishment.

As with all our retreats, we encourage participants to share rides wherever possible in order to reduce the environmental aspect of traveling. Please use the commenting system below to make connections with other participants to offer rides and insights on reducing the impact.

]]> No publisher Chan Phap Ho Retreat 2013-01-09T00:45:00Z Event Day of Mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh (Oct 20, 2013) http://deerparkmonastery.org/events/tours-with-thich-nhat-hanh/teaching-tour-with-thich-nhat-hanh-in-north-america/day-of-mindfulness-with-thich-nhat-hanh enjoy a day in mindfulness, concentration and insight A Day of Mindfulness, led by Thich Nhat Hanh, will take place at the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California. The day will begin at 9:00am and is open to everyone. No advance registration is required but a donation for the teaching and meal is welcome. Because the event is open to the public at no cost, attendees should plan on arriving early to allow time to park and walk to the meditation hall. A shuttle will be available for those unable to walk the distance from parking to the meditation hall.

As with all our events, we encourage participants to share rides wherever possible in order to reduce the environmental aspect of traveling. Please use the commenting system below to make connections with other participants to offer rides and insights on reducing the impact.

]]> No publisher Chan Phap Ho 2013-01-09T16:56:58Z Event