The Sangha recently gathered to celebrate Thay’s 100th Continuation Day and Day of the Dead, ceremonies to honor our spiritual and blood ancestors and remember the love, wisdom, and teachings they have passed on to us. As we enter November, we carry their presence with us in gratitude as we continue to practice, learn, and nourish one another.

For those who were unable to join us, we invite you to watch the replay of Thầy’s 100th Celebration & Exhibition, a joyful day honoring our beloved teacher and his continuation in the Sangha.

The talks from our recent The Buddha the Scientist Symposium are also now available, bringing together monastics, scientists, and researchers to explore the meeting place between mindfulness, Buddhist wisdom, and modern science.

In honor of Thầy’s 100th Continuation Day, Tricycle has published Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh at 100, featuring personal reflections from Sister Dinh Nghiem, Sister Dang Nghiem, Brother Phap Luu, and other students of Thầy.

On November 15, we hope you will join us for a special Day of Mindfulness and Book Signing with Sister Dang Nghiem, celebrating the release of her new book, Live Beautifully, Die Beautifully, while raising funds to reopen Deer Park.

You are welcome to join us on Thursday, November 26, for our Day of Gratitude celebration. Then, on November 27, we will gather online for our fourth annual Make Black Friday Brown gathering, practicing gentle resistance to over-consumption and returning instead to the happiness already available to us in the present moment.

On Saturday December 12, we warmly invite you to join us for a special Hike-A-Thon fundraiser. Together, we will walk in the beautiful California chaparral, enjoy our collective mindful steps and practice eating meditation together.

We are also hiring a Part-Time Bookshop Assistant, and we welcome applications from those who would like to bring their mindfulness practice into the everyday work of supporting our in-person and online Bookshop.

As we continue the work necessary to reopen Deer Park’s residential retreat program, we invite those who are able to support the renewal of our facilities and infrastructure so that the monastery may once again welcome overnight retreatants.

We hope these offerings bring you moments of nourishment, connection, and joy throughout the month ahead. Thank you, dear friends, for continuing to walk with us and for being part of the Deer Park Sangha, wherever you may be.

With gratitude,
The Monastics and Staff of Deer Park Monastery

Replay: Celebrating Thầy’s 100th

Watch the replay of Thay’s 100th Celebration & Exhibition at Deer Park above or view the photo gallery here.

The Buddha the Scientist Symposium Talks Now Available

On October 5, monastics, scientists, and researchers gathered at UC San Diego for a one-day symposium exploring the relationship between mindfulness, Buddhist teachings, and modern science, held in collaboration with the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion at UCSD. Watch the talks on our YouTube channel here.

Tricycle Article: Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh at 100

In honor of Thich Nhat Hanh’s 100th Continuation Day, Tricycle shares heartfelt reflections from his students on the life, teachings, and enduring legacy of our beloved teacher. Sister Dinh Nghiem, Sister Dang Nghiem, Brother Phap Luu, and others offer personal stories and memories of Thầy, reflecting on the many ways his presence and teachings continue to live on through the Sangha and in the world.

Read the Article

Fundraiser for Deer Park: Book Signing with Sister Dang Nghiem

Join us this Sunday for a special Day of Mindfulness and Book Signing with Sister Dang Nghiem (Sister D), celebrating the release of her new book, Live Beautifully, Die Beautifully, and raising funds to reopen Deer Park. Book copies will be available for purchase on-site, or you may bring your own copy to be signed.

Register Here

Make Black Friday Brown (Nov 27)

Join us in gentle resistance to over-consumption on the day after Thanksgiving for our fourth annual "Brown Friday” gathering. Register for the Zoom link here.

We’re Hiring: Part-Time Bookshop Assistant (On-site)

Do you want to use your practice of mindfulness to create a more compassionate, peaceful, and mindful society? We are seeking a Part-Time Bookshop Assistant to support the day-to-day operations of our in-person and online Bookshop. Learn more and apply today.

Help Reopen Deer Park Monastery

We are seeking financial support to renew our facilities and infrastructure so we can continue serving as a place of mindfulness, retreat, healing, and community. Every gift, offered in the spirit of generosity, becomes part of what allows Deer Park to open our doors again to overnight retreatants. We hope you will consider offering a gift to help support this work of care and renewal. Donate to Deer Park here.

Podcast Interview: The Five Remembrances with Sister Dang Nghiem

On the Ten Percent Happier podcast with Dan Harris, Sister Dang Nghiem shares a tender and deeply personal conversation about aging, loss, grief, and death, and how Buddhist practice can help us meet these realities with greater acceptance and peace.

View Our 2027 Retreats & Events Schedule

We are pleased to share our 2027 Retreats and Events Schedule. All retreats currently scheduled to take place at Deer Park are LTBD (Location to Be Determined) pending confirmation that we are able to resume hosting retreats on-site. If we are unable to host retreats at Deer Park, we plan to hold them at suitable off-site venues.

Love Letter: Children’s Expression of Gratitude

Young children, touched by a past Family Retreat, write to share their love and gratitude with the monastics of Deer Park. Read the love letters here.

Deepen Your Practice: Tree Hugging

Thay frequently spoke about being one with the universe, teaching that we inter-are with people, animals, plants, and minerals. In his book, Happiness, he reminds us that when we touch something in nature, we receive something beautiful and refreshing in return. Read more about tree hugging here.

Looking Ahead:

• November 15, 2026 - Sister Dang Nghiem Book Signing & Day of Mindfulness

• November 17, 2026 - Campus Tour of TNH School of Interbeing

• November 22, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• November 26, 2026 – Day of Gratitude: Thanksgiving Day of Mindfulness

• November 27, 2026 - Make Black Friday Brown (online)

• November 29, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• December 6, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• December 12, 2026 - Hike-A-Thon Fundraiser to Reopen Deer Park (Save the Date!)

• December 13, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• December 20, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• December 24, 2026 – Christmas Eve Day of Mindfulness

• December 27, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness

• December 31, 2026 – New Year’s Eve Day of Mindfulness

View All Events on our Events Calendar here.

View our 2027 Events Calendar here.

The intense heat wave has made it easy to forget that fall has arrived. Here in Escondido, the days still feel very much like summer, though we are beginning to notice a few gentle signs of the changing season.

Over the weekend, our community gathered at Lions Camp for The Buddha the Scientist Retreat, followed by the symposium at UC San Diego. Together, these two gatherings brought more than 150 practitioners together to explore the beautiful intersection of mindfulness and science, and to contemplate how these two ways of understanding the world can enrich one another.

Our refuge exists today because of the love, dedication, and generosity of countless friends who have cared for it over the past 26 years. Today, we are being called to care for it once again. Every gift, large or small, brings us closer to opening our doors to overnight retreatants once again. Please consider contributing to our fundraiser and supporting the care and renewal of our beloved sanctuary.

This year, we celebrate 100 years since the birth of our beloved teacher, Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. On Sunday, October 25, we invite you to join us at Deer Park for a special Day of Mindfulness & Exhibition honoring his life, teachings, and the many seeds of peace and compassion he has planted in the world.

Registration is closing soon for the third cohort of the Who is Thích Nhất Hạnh? course. Starting this Sunday October 11th, you’ll embark on a 15-week contemplative journey to explore the life and teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh.

We are delighted to present a short film capturing moments from The Sun My Heart Retreat in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Through mindful breathing, meditation, deep listening, and time together as a sangha, we shared precious moments of peace, joy, and connection. May this film bring a little of the retreat’s spirit into your heart.

We are happy to announce our 2027 Retreats and Events Schedule. The schedule includes confirmed events, and additional details will be available closer to the date.

As you continue reading this month’s newsletter, may each mindful breath invite you to pause and appreciate the present moment.

With love and gratitude,
Your Brothers and Sisters at Deer Park Monastery

Help Reopen Deer Park Monastery

We are seeking financial support to renew our facilities and infrastructure so we can continue serving as a place of mindfulness, retreat, healing, and community. Every gift, offered in the spirit of generosity, becomes part of what allows Deer Park to open our doors again to overnight retreatants. We hope you will consider offering a gift to help support this work of care and renewal.

Donate to Deer Park

Exhibition Celebrating Thầy’s 100th Birthday at Deer Park

Join us to celebrate 100 years of Thay at a special Day of Mindfulness honoring his life and teachings. The event will include Walking Meditation, Lyrical Meditation in Celebration of Thay, and an Exhibition of Thay’s life. Register here.

Who is Thích Nhất Hạnh? Course Begins This Sunday Oct 11

Join us for the third round of the Who is Thích Nhất Hạnh? course, a 15-week online course inviting you on a transformative journey into the life, teachings, and legacy of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh. This online course offers a deep dive into the wisdom and insights of one of the most influential spiritual leaders of our time. The course will run from October 11, 2026 – January 31, 2027. Reduced rates are available for returning alumni.

Learn More & Register Here

Nov 1: Day of the Dead at Deer Park

Join us on the hidden mountain to welcome home our ancestors and loved ones during our annual Day of the Dead celebration. Día de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican holiday that we have begun to celebrate at Deer Park Monastery. Join our Southern California sangha to celebrate Día de los Muertos on Sunday November 1.

The Buddha the Scientist Retreat & Symposium Photo Gallery

Over the weekend, monastics, scientists, and researchers gathered for our fifth The Buddha the Scientist Retreat & Symposium, bridging scientific inquiry with contemplative practice. View the photo gallery here.

In the Footsteps of the Buddha: Pilgrimage to India & Nepal

March 16th-29th, 2027, ioin monastics from the Plum Village tradition and Dharma Teacher Shantum Seth on a transformative 14-day pilgrimage through India and Nepal, following in the footsteps of Shakyamuni Buddha. Visit sacred sites connected to his life while deepening your practice through meditation, cultural exploration, and the shared experience of traveling together as a spiritual community.

Learn More & Register Here

Share Your Reflections on Sister Đẳng Nghiêm’s New Book

We invite you to read Live Beautifully, Die Beautifully by Sister Đẳng Nghiêm, MD. This tender and deeply insightful memoir offers a powerful journey through suffering, loss, healing, and transformation.

And if the book has touched you, please consider sharing a few words about your experience. Your review can help others discover this meaningful book and its message of healing, peace, and mindful living.

Amazon Review Page

Audiobook Now Available: The River In Me Narrated by Sister Đẳng Nghiêm

The River in Me traces Sister Đẳng Nghiêm’s deeply personal journey from suffering toward healing, mindfulness, and spiritual freedom. Narrated by Sister Đẳng Nghiêm herself, the audiobook offers an intimate invitation to flow with life, transform our suffering, and discover the peace and wholeness within. It is available through Audible and other major audiobook retailers and library platforms.

Listen On Audible

Announcing Our 2027 Deer Park Retreats & Events Schedule

We are pleased to share our 2027 Retreats and Events Schedule. All retreats currently scheduled to take place at Deer Park are LTBD (Location to Be Determined) pending confirmation that we are able to resume hosting retreats on-site. If we are unable to host retreats at Deer Park, we plan to hold them at suitable off-site venues.

The Sun My Heart Retreat: Treasured Moments

Enjoy this short film by Song Lu capturing moments from The Sun My Heart Retreat, held in August 2026, at YMCA Estes Park in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. We hope this film offers a glimpse of the peace, joy, connection, and community that filled our days together—and brings a little of the retreat’s spirit into your own heart.

Mother & Daughter Find Meaning and Acceptance at Deer Park

On their first retreat at Deer Park Monastery, a mother and daughter find meaning, acceptance, love, and validation among the peace and tranquility they experience. Read their Love Letter here.

How to Relax: Letting Go of Worrying

In his book, How to Relax, Thay describes how to let go of worry that preoccupies us and causes us suffering. The practice helps us to come home to the present moment, to our body, our feelings, to the environment around us. Read the full article.

Looking Ahead:

• Oct 11, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness & Ordination Ceremony

• Oct 11, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 - Who is Thích Nhất Hạnh? Online Course [Cohort 3]

• Oct 18, 2026 - Day of Mindfulness & Opening Of Rains Retreat

• Oct 25, 2026 - Thay’s 100th Celebration & Day of Mindfulness

• November 1, 2026 – Day of the Dead Celebration

• November 26, 2026 – Day of Gratitude (Thanksgiving)

• December 24, 2026 – Christmas Eve Celebration

• December 31, 2026 – New Year’s Eve Celebration

• January 24, 2027 – Memorial Ceremony on the Fifth Year of Thầy’s Passing

View All Events on our Events Calendar here.

View our 2027 Events Calendar here.

As summer draws to a close, we pause with gratitude for the moments of practice, connection, and growth that have shaped these past months, and we are joyful to share our September newsletter with you.

Shortly after returning from Estes Park, Colorado, our Sangha hosted the True Love Heals Online Retreat for 250 frien…

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As summer unfolds, we are grateful for the many ways our Sangha continues to practice, learn, and come together—across monasteries, retreat centers, classrooms, and our homes.

Many of our monastics are currently in Estes Park, Colorado, where they are gathering with friends for The Sun, My Heart Retreat at the YMCA of the Rockies. A d…

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We thank you all for the outpouring of support, generosity, and care following the recent on-campus retreat cancellations. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, we are still open throughout the summer for Days of Mindfulness and will be offering several off-campus and online offerings to support your mindfulness practice.

We are ha…

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We recently celebrated Vesak, the Buddha’s birthday, with more than 350 friends gathered at Deer Park Monastery. Vesak is one of the most important observances in the Buddhist tradition, honoring the birth of the Buddha and commemorating his enlightenment and passing into nirvana. It was a joyful day of practice, community, and grati…

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Families are carrying so much right now. Many parents are navigating overwhelm, disconnection, technology overload, and the challenge of finding moments of true presence together. At the same time, we know how deeply healthy relationships, mindfulness, and compassionate community can support the well-being of children and families.

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We invite you to pause, take a deep breath, and gently receive this month’s newsletter, filled with mindfulness offerings and volunteer opportunities at Deer Park Monastery.

A delegation of Dharma Teachers are traveling around the East Coast this month to visit Dartmouth for the fourth year in a row, as well as visits to Harvard a…

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As we welcome the freshness of spring, let this season remind us to breathe deeply, embrace new beginnings, and cultivate kindness toward ourselves and others. We are currently in the middle of the Wake Up Retreat, our annual mindfulness retreat for friends ages 18-35. Over the weekend we offered a Chanting for Peace Ceremony to …

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As the first hints of spring stir beneath the soil, we arrive together at a significant threshold: Tết, the Lunar New Year, and the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse.

Tết is our tradition’s most cherished celebration. It is a time for togetherness as well as a sacred pause to bow to what has been, to tend what is here, and to…

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As we step together into this new year, we pause to bow in gratitude for all that has been and to open our hearts to what is unfolding. May 2026 be a year of deepened practice, tender connection, and renewed commitment to walking the path of mindfulness — for ourselves, for one another, and for our precious Earth.

We are happy to s…

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As 2025 draws to a close, we pause with joy and gratitude to reflect on our journey together. This year, our community has grown and flourished, welcoming new friends while cherishing long-standing ones. Thank you for your continued support and connection. We look forward to seeing you all in the new year, whether that be in person…

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On this day before Thanksgiving, we pause to honor the land ancestors—the Luiseño people of the Kumeyaay Nation, the indigenous peoples who tended this sacred mountain with wisdom and reverence, and all the plants, animals, minerals, and elements that continue to nourish our lives.

With gratitude for their endurance and teachings, and with …

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As the maple trees ripen to red and the dewy morning air turns crisp and cool, our Sangha continues to gather in gratitude, remembrance, and renewal. Earlier this month, more than two hundred friends joined us for our annual Day of the Dead celebration, honoring our ancestors and all those who have walked this path…

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This week, we pause in mindfulness to honor the Indigenous Peoples of this land on which Deer Park Monastery now rests. Long before we arrived, the Kumeyaay and Luiseño peoples lived, loved, and practiced their ways of harmony—with one another and with the natural world.

Their presence is still alive in the stones …

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A historic moment is approaching for our global spiritual family. Plum Village practitioners around the world are invited to host local “fire-building sessions” to shape our collective future. We invite you to read more about this important initiative in September’s issue of Coyote Tracks.

We are happy to announce a second cohort o…

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The footsteps on the dirt path to the Stupa quietly remain as reminders of our friends who visited last weekend during our annual Vietnamese Retreat. This was a special time of deep practice, cultural celebration, and connection across generations.

In this month’s issue of Coyote Tracks, we are delighted to share several joyful ann…

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Our annual Family Retreat concluded with many joyful footsteps and tender moments of connection. The sound of children’s laughter still echoes through the trees in the Oak Grove in Clarity Hamlet. Now, the monastery is alive with the vibrant energy of Teen Camp, as we welcome many young people who are practicing together with sinc…

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We are happily celebrating the partial completion of a newly paved road here in the Hidden Mountain. Thank you to all who donated to the Road Repairs fundraiser.

If you are looking for peace and practice, we invite you to come stay with us this year for an upcoming Special Retreat, such as the Vietnamese Retreat or Rains Retreat, o…

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