Dear Friends,
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.
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.
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.
“The greatest gift we can offer the future is to care deeply for what allows peace to blossom in the present.” - Thích Nhất Hạnh
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