Deer Park Monastery
Deer Park Monastery, started by the well-known Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), is a peaceful place for mindfulness and where monks and nuns learn. It's a place to calm your mind, explore deeply, and enjoy life's beauty. You can do this by sitting quietly, walking mindfully, eating thoughtfully, relaxing deeply, and sharing time with others.
The sanctuary, spread across 400 acres in the quiet mountains of southern California, is surrounded by giant oak trees and natural landscapes. It began in July 2000 with the Plum Village four-fold Sangha. Now, it's a safe and calm space for many people to come and learn how to live mindfully. People practice together in a community called a Sangha.
A group of monks and nuns live at Deer Park, and others join in regularly, all following the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thây). They practice mindfulness every day, all year round, in the style of engaged Buddhism. There are two groups within the community: Solidity Hamlet, where monks and laypeople stay, and Clarity Hamlet, where nuns and laywomen stay. These two groups come together several times a week to practice together.
At Deer Park, nourishment doesn't only come from formal meditation. It's also part of daily activities outside the meditation hall. Everyone follows Thây's teachings on mindfulness and creating peace. Living together as a community, they find wisdom and support in each other.
Deer Park is connected to a family of monasteries, with Plum Village in France as the main one, where Thay lives. All the monks and nuns at Deer Park follow Thay Nhat Hanh and receive his guidance directly. Deer Park is a living example of Thây's teachings, providing a place for genuine practice and profound change in embracing mindful living.
Detailed information:
- Address: 2499 Melru Ln, Escondido, CA 92026, United States
- Phone: +1 760-291-1003
- Website: https://deerparkmonastery.org/
