The Deer Park Dharmacast

Dear friends,   Today we continue to share talks from the Miracle of Mindfulness Tour.  Sister Tue Nghiem shares the Buddhist framework of the mind and mental formations. She invites to let go of our rigid perceptions of truth and embrace the mantra given to us by Thay, "Are you sure?"   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,   Today, we continue Brother Phap Khoi's talk from the Miracle of Mindfulness Tour.  He shares the seventh and eighth exercises from the Full Awareness of Breathing: awareness of mental formations and calming our mental formations. In addition, our brother speaks about practicing in sanghas and how we can foster harmony.   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,   Continuing our sharing from the Miracle of Mindfulness Tour, today's dharmacast is from Brother Phap Khoi. Our brother shares the fifth and sixth exercises of Full Awareness of Breathing: cultivating joy and cultivating happiness. May this Dharma taught by the Buddha and our teacher, Thay, water the beautiful flowers in your heart.     Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,  This week we continue with Sister Dang Nghiem's sharing on the first four exercises in the Buddha's teaching on mindful breathing. Dwelling in the body grounds us. With our breath, solid concentration and kind relaxation, we can begin to walk towards freedom and begin deep healing.   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,  This week we share with you the first part of Sister Dang Nghiem's talk from the Miracle of Mindfulness retreat. For the children, our sister gives a teaching on patterns in nature and in our families. Then with the adults, she illuminates the ordinary nature of mindfulness in our everyday lives. The interbeing of all things comes to light as she prepares to discuss the Buddha's teaching on awareness of breath. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,      This week we continue the orientation sharing at the recent retreat. Sister Tang Nghiem tells the story of the Buddha's first teaching with children when they named the Path of Awareness. The way we enjoy our breath, our silence, our steps and our sitting meditation are all steps on the path. May you find peace and many friends along the way.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.   

Dear friends,    This week we share with you the first half of the retreat orientation with Brother Pháp Trạc. He invites us to listen to the bell, let go of our worries and eat with mindfulness. Whether you were at the retreat or were halfway around the world, allow yourself to begin your own retreat, wherever you are.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast. Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.    Over the past week, Deer Park Monastery welcomed lay friends to the Miracle of Mindfulness tour retreat. This year, the title of the retreat was, Breathe, It'll Be Okay. For this week's podcast, we offer the opening chant by the monastic brothers and sisters.  May your heart open as they invoke the name of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisatva of great compassion,    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today we share the the end of a question and response session a the recent Teen Retreat at Deer Park Monastery. The discussion between retreatants and monastics touches on the notions of activism, ultimate truth and interbeing. When we ask with open hearts and listen with a beginner's mind, we can better understand the nature of our ideas and concepts.   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   This week we bring you the second in a series of questions and responses during the Teen Retreat at Deer Park Monastery. Participants offer their concerns to the monks and nuns about how to practice outside the monastery, how to forgive, and how to center our youth in mindfulness. By practicing deep listening, may the questions and responses be illuminating for our own practice.   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  Dharma Flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   Today we offer the first in a series of questions and responses during the Teen Retreat at Deer Park Monastery.  Retreatants ask a panel of monastics about Thay's health, how to handle ancestral pain, and how best to support our future generations.  May the spirit of these questions stir compassion and insight in your own heart.   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear friends, Today we continue a talk given by Sister Hang Nghiem. She offers The Four Diligences as a way to practice taking care of the seeds in garden of our mind. So often we are concerned with the seeds and gardens of others; our sister reminds us to take time to recognize and tend to our own seeds.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today we share a talk given by Sister Hang Nghiem. She offers practical advice on how to practice -- by closing our eyes a little bit. In a literal sense, when we can do this during sitting meditation and when we have difficult emotions, but also figuratively when we are going about our daily lives. May we recognize our limits and take good care of ourselves.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today we continue a series of talks by Brother Phap Hai on The Eight Verses of Mind Training. Our brother invites us to return to the earth of our practice with the second and third verses:   "Whenever I interact with anyone, may I consider myself as lower and from the depths of my heart may I consider the other person as a treasure."   "In everything I do, may I look deeply into my mind and as soon as I recognize a mistaken view that endangers myself or others, may I practice diligently to embrace and to transform it."   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today we share a talk by Brother Phap Hai. He shares insights on our culture of consumerism and discusses how it applies to our practice. Over our time as a practitioner, we may have accumulated some layers of practice. Our brother encourages us to let go of these layers, these formalities and return to the essence of our practice.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.    (If you prefer the full 1-hr talk, it is available here.)  

Dear friends,   Today we continue Brother Phap Hai's talk from Deer Park Monastery. He introduces The Eight Verses of Mind Training to help us practice and transform. Over the course of the next few months, our brother will offer all the eight verses for us. Today, the first verse: "May I always cherish all sentient beings and consider that compared to a wish-fulfilling jewel, they are far superior for liberating my heart."   Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace. Today we share a talk by Brother Phap Hai, shortly after his return to Deer Park from Europe. Our brother reminds us of the the meaning of the word: gratitude. To feel gratitude is to know what has been done for us. May we look back and look inside to remember.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.     (The full 1-hour talk is also available here.)    

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   Today we continue to share a talk given by Sister Man Nghiem at the recent Wake Up retreat.  Our sister reflects on the idea of building our true home and asks us what we have chosen to build that home out of. Knowing to nourish ourselves with the Four Nutriments, we can build a solid home to withstand huffing and puffing from anyone and anything outside. To hear more about the Wake Up movement, go to wkup.org.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today we share another dharma talk from the recent Wake Up retreat for young people. Sister Man Nghiem reflects on how her definition of happiness has limited her actual happiness. She shares stories of her journey to realizing the Four Noble Truths, or as she calls them, The Fabulous Formula. For more on the Wake Up movement, go to wkup.org.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.    

Dear friends,   Today we share the second half of a talk given by Brother Phap Ho at the recent Wake Up retreat for young adults. Our brother speaks to the beginners and those with Beginner's Mind as he introduces concepts of the practice: mindfulness, concentration, insight, aimlessness, impermanence, and interbeing. To hear more about the Wake Up movement, go to wkup.org.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.