Rains Retreat 2024-2025

Rains Retreat:

Three Months of Engaged Mindfulness Practice

We warmly invite you to join our Sangha of monastics and lay practitioners for the annual 90-Day Rains Retreat at Deer Park Monastery. 

This sacred period, deeply rooted in the ancient 90-day practice tradition which dates back to the time of the Buddha, offers a unique opportunity to dwell peacefully in the great hidden mountain of Deer Park Monastery, nurturing your mind and spirit.

The Rains Retreat is a time to immerse yourself in the practice of mindfulness, to look deeply and learn profoundly. 

Living in the serene and healthy environment of Deer Park Monastery, we create the conditions to nurture wholesome seeds within us, allowing them to grow stronger each day. This mindful environment helps us to recognize the roots of our pain and suffering, transforming them and bringing peace to ourselves and our loved ones. Together, in a mindful community, we can accomplish many wonderful deeds to alleviate the suffering in society, far beyond what we could achieve alone. 

Many Rains Retreat participants envision this sacred time as a sabbatical from their professions, allowing them space to gain deeper clarity, new tools, and an intentional community to support them on the path of Right Livelihood. The monastery also draws from a deep history and commitment to Engaged Buddhism, which guides the framework of our teachings and retreat programs. 

To gain perspective from past participants, read the powerful reflections of Jessie (an artist), Danny (a chef), Monica (an environmental activist), and Rachel (a research associate). Their diverse backgrounds and experiences offer inspiring insights into the true nature of the Rains Retreat and the gifts (and challenges) it holds.

We hope you will join us for this transformative experience. Come, breathe, and walk with us. Together, we can touch the wonders of life and the peace within and around us.

With love and trust,

The Monastics of Deer Park Monastery

NOTE: We will also be offering one-week and two-week long stays during the Rains Retreat, which are called Seasonal Retreats. For more info about these shorter stays, please see here.

Eligibility Requirements

You must be willing and able to stay at the monastery for the full 90-day period, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.

There are boundaries in place with the intention of  encouraging your full participation in the Sangha for the entire 3-month period. 

Please note that all Rains Retreat participants will be reviewed after two weeks and your full 90-day stay is not guaranteed. In the event that someone is not practicing in harmony with the community, they may be asked to depart (in which case we would of course offer a refund). 

You must be 18 or older to attend without a parent or guardian present. For all retreat stays at Deer Park (with the exception of Teen Camp) we cannot accept minors under the age of 18 attending without a parent or guardian.

Important Dates

The opening ceremony for the Rains Retreat will be held Sunday, October 13, 2024 during the Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park Monastery. We will close the retreat with a ceremony on January 12, 2025. Applications are due September 6, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible as this retreat will fill up quickly.

• September 6 — We ask that all interested parties submit a registration form a minimum of four weeks in advance of the retreat arrival date
• October 4 — Arrival Day, 2 pm – 4 pm
• October 12 — Counting Sticks Ceremony, 7:30 pm
• October 13 — Rains Retreat Opening Ceremony
• October 27 — Review of each person attending retreat
• January 12, 2025 — Closing Ceremony
• January 13, 2025 — Departure Day, 9am

Retreat Cost

	Dorm Room	Tent Camping
Supporter Rate	$13,500	$9,450
Benefactor Rate	$10,800	$7,560
BASE RATE	$9,000	$6,300
* Reduced Rate	$6,750	$4,725
** Special Case Rate (18-35)	$4,500	$3,150

You may be eligible for the Hemera Fellowship for partial cost coverage. Please note that Hemera Fellowships only apply to the first 30 days of long retreats, such as the Rains Retreat. Hemera Fellowships only apply to the BASE RATE and cannot be combined with other scholarships or discounts.

* For Reduced Rate, we require a letter of request to the community prior to approving this rate. Upload your letter on our Contact Us page. Please include your gender and a statement of your current financial status.

** The Special Case Rate is for those ages 18-35, we require a letter of request prior to approving this rate. Upload your letter on our Contact Us page. Please include your gender and a statement of your current financial status.

If none of these rates meets your financial situation, please write a letter of request to the community. Upload your letter on our Contact Us page. Please include your gender and a statement of your current financial status (please include what rate you are able to afford). You may be requested for a virtual interview prior to approval.

FAQs

Please note that all Rains Retreat participants will be reviewed after two weeks and your full 90-day stay is not guaranteed. In the event that someone is not practicing in harmony with the community, they may be asked to depart (in which case we would of course offer a refund). 

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If you have questions about which hamlet to apply to, or if you have any additional questions, please contact our registration office: Contact Us