Visiting Deer Park Monastery
Throughout the year our doors are open to receive guests. We invite you to join us for Days of Mindfulness, special or themed retreats, or a general stay outside of our Retreat program.
Mindfulness Days: Twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays we hold Days of Mindfulness. The day starts at 9:00 am with either a live Dharma talk by one of our resident Dharma teachers or a recorded teaching on CD/DVD by Thay. Other activities include walking meditation, silent meal, and a discussion of the practice. We welcome day visitors. Registration is not required, and there is no cost incurred for the day participation, but dana or donation is greatly appreciated.
Special Retreats: Throughout the year we offer retreats of various themes, including our annual Teen Camp and Family Retreat, our annual Winter Retreat, retreats for college students and professors, retreats for young adults, and more. Please check our calendar of events for a list of retreats and dates. (Please note that each retreat on our program may have different arrival days. Also after each retreat, the community will be closed for a few days to clean up. You may contact us to find out about these dates.)
General Stay: Outside of our special or themed retreats, you can come join us for a general stay. To help make our practice stable and solid, Friday is our only arrival/departure day each week. We will give an orientation about our practice to new arrivals each Friday evening, which is essential for you to really benefit from and enjoy your stay. For a deepening of the practice to occur and for mindful living to take root and become a vital part of daily life, we recommend a minimum stay of one week. If you cannot stay for one week, you can participate in our weekend program, which starts on Friday afternoons and ends on Sunday afternoons.
