December 18, 2022 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm PST
The closing of the annual Rains Retreat will take place today. The Dharma talk today will be offered in English by Brother Phap Dung with live Vietnamese translation.
Important Information
Please register by 8 AM on the day of the event. If you need to cancel, please login again on this page and indicate you are not attending.
We ask that all guests please observe our dress code: out of respect for our monastic brothers and sisters, please wear sleeves that cover the shoulders (short sleeves are acceptable), shirts that cover the midriff, and long pants or long skirts that are loose-fitting and cover the knees at all times. Please do not wear shorts, tank tops, nor tight-fitting clothing. We kindly ask friends to dress modestly for the duration of their time with us and to share this information with anyone attending the event with you.
There is no cost incurred for participation in the Day of Mindfulness, but a donation is greatly appreciated to keep the monastery open and able to receive guests. You will find donation boxes in the meditation and dining halls or you can donate online.
Scheduled events occur rain or shine.
Schedule
8:00 AM – Gate opens to receive registered day visitors
9:00 AM – Walking Meditation
10:15 AM – Dharma Talk: Closing Annual Rains Retreat
11:30 AM – Ceremony to Close the Annual Rains Retreat
12:30 PM – Vegetarian lunch
2:00 PM – Day of Mindfulness concludes
Poem
Open the Road Wider
Hair which is the color of precious wood
is now offered as incense.
Beauty becomes eternity.
How wonderful the awareness of impermanence!
Since everything is as a dream,
the true mind is determined to lead the way.
After listening to the voice of the rising tide,
steps are made in the direction of the unconditioned.
The winds chant this morning on the slope of Gridhrakuta.
The mind is no longer bound to anything.
The song now is that of the lovely teaching;
its fragrance is the essence of truth.
In times past, it was with boket water
that her hair was washed,
then dried in the fragrant breeze of the late afternoon.
This morning it is the bodhi nectar that she receives
for the mind of enlightenment to appear in its wholeness.
For twenty-five years
she has made daily offerings
of loving kindness with her hands.
Compassion has never ceased to grow in her heart.
This morning her hair is shed,
and the Way becomes wide open.
Suffering and illusion, though limitless,
are entirely ended.
A heart can touch the ten directions.
This poem was written for Sister Chân Không the day she shed her hair on the Gridhrakuta Mountain to become a nun.
Excerpt From
Call Me by My True Names: The Collected Poems
Thich Nhat Hanh
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5 responses to “Open the Road Wider: Closing the Rains Retreat”
Hi I’d like to register for this event but don’t see a place to do so. Would love your guidance.
Thank you
Registration open on Tuesday
Hello friends,
I am looking for rides to and from this event – first coming up from San Diego and later going to L.A.
I have made a post in the rideshare forum which you can see here toward the bottom of the page, with more information:
https://deerparkmonastery.org/general/rideshare-to-deer-park/
I will delete this comment once folks have replied to my rideshare request at the link above.
Thank you very much, blessings!
My wife and I usually go to most of Deer park’s days of mindfulness. We would like to attend the day of mindfulness on dec.18th. We forgot to register on time for this day. The online registration is now full. May we still show up in person on dec. 18th? Much appreciation. Thai
We encourage you to check the event page again on Friday afternoon/evening and on Saturday morning. We usually have some cancellations and as they arrive we open up the spots.