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