The Deer Park Dharmacast

Thay Phap Dang shares about the thresholds into our personal practice for joy, happiness and compassion.

The flowers are blooming in the hidden mountains of Deer Park. Much freshness and aliveness flows through the valley and this sharing. This is the second talk of the Spring Season offered by Sister Man Nghiem (Sr Brightness).

Brother Phap Ho continues to share about the practice of meditation through the Discourse on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. This is the second half from the Dharma Talk on 2017-03-19 and focuses on the practice of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind, in regard to the 5 Hindrances: sensual desire, anger/ill-will, dullness/drowsiness, agitation/restlessness, and doubt.

This is a translation of Most Venerable Phuoc Tinh's talk on the last day of Winter Retreat. This is an English translation of the talk.

Sister Mai Nghiem shares her practice of recognizing, embracing and transforming suffering. She also shares the teaching of the noble eight fold path, the four nutriments, including how different types of relationship are nutriments. Sister's Mai Nghiem poem: ☀ Why i don t want to be call an ally, ☀                                                Ally From the moment  i first heard the word, i got allergic to it...an ally allergy. Why? Well, the first thing is that in my french brain, "les alliés", as we call them,  are the good Americans and British soldiers coming to save us from the evil Germans. Word of war, violence, and partisan conflicts. But deeper than that, my brother, if you call me an ally, i'll get offended. Why? 'cause i expect you, to have a higher expectation of me. I expect you to expect me to fully embrace who i am. I expect you to expect me to break open, I expect you to expect me to show my shit with no shame This is why i do not want to be an ally 'cause i don t wanna help I don t wanna

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the sixth class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice and some questions and responses at the end. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us.

In the third to last Dharma Talk for the Winter Retreat series, Thay Phap Dang shares about how we can return to the present moment, how to relax and encourages us to walk on the Earth. Thay also share about the realm of perception and how to practice to love and accept. How can we look at a person with clear awareness, without judgement, just as when we look at a flower?  Find a calm place to listen to this talk, enjoy your breathing and the Dharma rain. May this sharing be of benefit.

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the forth class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us.

In this talk Sr Hang Nghiem shows a clip from one of Thay's talk in 2004, invites us to be light and playful in our practice. Our sister offers a song and commentary. Translation by Sister Bach Nghiem.

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the forth class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice and questions at the end. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us.

In this talk Thay Phap Hai shares with us how to enter through the door of signlessness in order to practice with perceptions and preconceived notions.     

Thay Phap Dang offers a beautiful and insightful talk with Emptiness (Sunyata) as main theme. As you listen to the Dharma Talk, allow it to wash over your like a sprinkling rain. Allow yourself to sit comfortably and follow your breathing, relaxing your body. May this talk and your practice bring about great benefit.

Nurturing our Roots, Strengthening our Branches, this months focus is the present moment. In this talk Sr Kinh Nghiem (Sr Reverence) shares about the monastic practice of sharing a room, changing room and hamlets. Our sister use a Russian doll to help us go deeper into ourselves, to embrace our sorrow and to nurture our joy. As you listen to this talk you can enjoy the natural flow of your breathing in and out of your body. May this sharing and your practice be of benefit you in your daily life.  

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the third class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice and questions at the end. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us. Here is the image, drawn on the board, regarding our consciousness and sense doors:

This talk was offered by Most Venerable Phuoc Tinh during our New Years Day of Mindfulness. The Venerable's teaching invites us to experience life deeply and enjoy the wonders of spring every day.  The poem in Vietnamese is: Ai trói lại mong cầu giải thoát Chẳng phàm nào phải kiếm thần tiên Vượn nhàn, ngựa mỏi, người đã lão Như cũ am mây trang một chõng thiền. Sister Kinh Nghiem helped translate this talk.

Brother Phap Don offers a peaceful and joyful setting for this talk. He shares his experience in arriving and enjoying each step as well as how to connect with nature for nourishment and healing. This talk is based in continuous practice, present moment, peaceful and happy dwelling. May this sharing be of benefit.

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the second class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice and questions at the end. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us.

This talk was offered in Vietnamese by Sr Truc Nghiem (Sr Bamboo) during our weekend with Order of Interbeing members of Southern California. It was translated by Sr Bach Nghiem (Sr Clarity). Our sister shares about how we can practice mindful breathing and stopping with the sound on the bell in order to nurture our calm and capacity to dwell in the present. She also shares how this ongoing practice can help us come in contact with and transform suffering deep in our consciousness. 

This Dharma Talk is the second for our Winter Retreat. The theme for the Sunday Dharma Talks this winter is: Nurturing our Roots, Strengthening our Branches - essentials of Plum Village Practice. Thay Phap Dang recently moved to Deer Park Monastery from Plum Village in France.

Brother Phap Ho is offering 6 classes during this winter retreat 2016-2017, on the first three foundations of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind. Below is a summary of the first class. The recording includes sharing and instructions, as well as practice and a question a the end. We hope you enjoy listening and practicing with us.