Rains Retreat 2025-2026

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. 

October 26, 2025 – January 25, 2026

The arrival date for those attending the full 3-month retreat is Oct 17

There will also be opportunities to register to attend shorter stays during the Rains Retreat. If you are interested in shorter stays during the Rains Retreat, please keep an eye on our website here. This page is for those interested in applying to attend the FULL 3-month Rains Retreat only.

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. Please know there will be NO REFUNDS given for voluntary early departure.

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 26, 2025 during the Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park Monastery. We will close the retreat with a ceremony on January 25, 2026. Applications are due September 19, 2025 but we encourage you to apply as soon as possible as this retreat will fill up quickly.

• September 19 — We ask that all interested parties submit a registration form a minimum of four weeks in advance of the retreat arrival date
• October 17 — Arrival Day, 2 pm – 4 pm
• October 25 — Counting Sticks Ceremony, 7:30 pm
• October 26 — Rains Retreat Opening Ceremony
• November 9 — Review of each person attending retreat
• January 25, 2026 — Closing Ceremony
• January 26, 2026 — 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

* 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.

Action Wake Up

Action Wake Up (AWU) is a new 15-month residential training program in Buddhist spiritual practice, applied ethics, community living, mindful service, and leadership development. Deer Park Monastery will welcome the first Action Wake Up cohort of young people (aged 18-35) to live and train in Escondido, California in October 2025, with the beginning of the Rains Retreat.

Learn more about Action Wake Up Here.

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