The Deer Park Dharmacast

Sister Boi Nghiem studied nursing before being ordained, and works regularly as a nun with the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and teen communities. "I think I have a very healthy relationship with myself. Very healthy mental dialogue with myself. There were times I comforted myself. There were times I'm very firm with myself, tell myself to stop thinking that way. And they help. This is why I kept on sharing the importance of self-love. Because by the end of the day, it is the self-love that helped me, that saved me, that keeps me going. Because if I continue to criticize myself or have excessive negative thoughts, I cannot do much. It's very tiring. So I think that is the reason why that helped me not to fall into burnout."" 3:07 Heartbreak, Visiting Green Mountain, Deer Park, and Plum Village 6:37 Novicehood at Plum Village  11:40 Magnolia Grove Monastery 25:00 Interest in Social Injustice 28:34 Teens 34:42 LGBTQIA+ 40:55 BIPOC 53:26 Burnout 1:07:07 Basic Practice 1:17:25 Advice for Potential Monastics You can support th

It's Meet the Monastics! Brother Phap Dung is a Vietnamese refugee who worked as an architect in Los Angeles before finding the practice, healing his relationship with his father, and changing the course of his life. "Now you get to choose, and it's deliberate. That is a monk. I choose to be in this intimate way with the community, with this path. I choose not to be in a romantic relationship. I choose to have real relationships with people I come across with. It's always a constant choice." 2:35 Meeting Thay and the Sangha 9:51 Joining the Buddhist "Enterprise" 14:40 Signs 19:28 Transformation 31:36 Advice for Potential Monastics 36:11 Love for Monastic Life 44:00 Engaged Buddhism You can support this podcast by leaving a comment or review in your podcast application and by sharing it with friends. Financial support can be offered through the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. In this episode of Meet the Monastics, Brother Minh An interviews Brother Phap Dung, also known as Brother Fabian or Brother Embrace. They e

Sister Kinh Nghiem, one of the funniest and most stylish nuns in the world, was ordained when she was only 14. "Get rid of all of your ideas of what monastic practice is. You know, you come here, I mean, the practice is wonderful. And it's for you to come and see for yourself. But if you start getting ideas of what you expect monastic life to be like, you'll have a hard time. Because there's two sides to the coin, if you want to say it, you know? Sometimes the sisters have some expectation, and then you and yourself have some expectation. "Oh, I thought this was a Buddhist community. I think we're supposed to practice loving kindness and compassion and help, and everybody's so mean." You know, I mean, honestly, if you let go of the ideas and just focus on your bodhichitta, focus on what you want. And those other things of how people say things to you, which is sort of like, be a minor, it's not important." You can support this podcast by leaving a comment or review in your podcast application and by sharing i

Brother Minh Luong was raised in Laguna Beach, California, and went to NYU, where he read a book that changed his life. "I realized recently that there really is no separation between the practice and everything we do in our daily life. Either we're creating conditions for a practice space, like an internal practice space, or we're taking conditions away. And so if I can live in a calm and peaceful and serene way and do things that contribute to mindfulness and peace in my daily life, then I'll have a lot of success in my spiritual practice."   2:03 Introduction to Buddhism 5:58 Moving Home 8:50 Ideas about Monastic Life 13:49 India Trip and Meeting the Sangha 19:29 Why Monastic Life? 25:12 Sacrifice and Aspiration 31:19 Bhikshu Ordination 34:22 Moving to Thailand 39:03 Being a Western Monastic and Advice for those Interested   You can support this podcast by leaving a comment or review in your podcast application and by sharing it with friends. Financial support can be offered through the Thich Nhat Hanh Fou

Weekly Episodes Starting October 15   From Deer Park Monastery, it's Meet the Monastics, a new podcast featuring interviews with fully ordained monks and nuns, hosted by Brother Minh An and produced by Kenley Neufeld. As monastics, the most common question asked of us is, you guessed it, why did you become a monastic? This podcast is for anyone who's ever wanted to ask that question. Each week, we'll bring you conversations with fully ordained monks and nuns about their journey to monastic life and what inspires them now. We hope they inspire you to live a happier, kinder, and more meaningful life. And who knows, maybe some of you will even consider monastic life yourself. Listen wherever you get your podcasts (search for Meet the Monastics) or on the Deer Park Monastery YouTube channel.   Get a preview here: https://meetthemonastics.org

A Dharma talk with Br. Man Tue from the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall at Deer Park Monastery during our Day of Mindfulness, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Our theme is how to stop, rest, and heal. 

Sister Áo Nghiêm offered this beautiful and personal Dharma talk for our Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, July 16, 2023. 

From our series of questions and responses on March 26, 2023 in the Ocean of Peace Meditation, we heard this question. When moments of personal suffering take over and have a combustable quality, what advice do you have for a person experiencing this? Or someone who is helping that person?  Our response is offered by Sister Phu Nghiem. 

From our series of questions and responses on March 26, 2023 in the Ocean of Peace Meditation, we heard this question. Thich Nhat Hanh says that anxiety means not being able to dwell in the present moment. But there are times when it is very difficult. In this kind of situation, what other suggestions do you have for coming back to the present moment? Our response is offered by Brother Phap Luu. 

From our series of questions and responses on March 26, 2023 in the Ocean of Peace Meditation, we heard this question. How can I let go of attachment to worldly love? Our response is offered by Sister Huong Nghiem. 

From our series of questions and responses on March 26, 2023 in the Ocean of Peace Meditation, we heard this question. Regarding the goals of the practice. What are the goals of the practice? Do I need to change my needs in life to be happier? Then there is the other end of the spectrum. How to practice? What exactly to relate to ones own needs for the purpose of alleviating suffering? Our response is offered by Sister Phu Nghiem. 

On March 26, 2023 we held a session of Questions and Answers during our weekly Day of Mindfulness. Rather than release the entire session as one recording, we are offering question and response one at a time. This is the first question.  How can we work with, in our practice, racial bias and cultural insensitivity? The response was offered by Brother Phap Dung. 

From our Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, March 12, 2023 we hear a Dharma talk by Brother Ngo Khong, also known as Brother Freedom. 

This is the English translation of the Dharma talk originally offered in Vietnamese by Thích Phước Tịnh. Translation provided by Sr. Dang Nghiem.

A Dharma talk offered during our Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, February 26 from the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall. The talk was offered in Vietnamese and this is the English translation provided by Br. Earth.

The Dharma talk is in English from Sister Kinh Nghiem during our Day of Mindfulness on February 19, 2023 from the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall. 

Here we have a Dharma talk offered by Thay Pháp Xứ from the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall at Deer Park Monastery on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The teaching is on a Day of Mindfulness with the theme The Power of True Love. Thay offers us one of his poems as the foundation for the teaching. This is a translation from the Vietnamese by Sister Mai Trang.

Dear friends, This is the English translation of a Dharma talk offered by Sr. Uyển Nghiêm at the close of the lunar new year. The talk occurred in the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall with several hundred people present for the new year celebrations. During the talk, she uses poetry to explore the dharma plus a song is shared with those present. Please enjoy. The translation is offered by Br. Minh Dia. 

The Dharma talk offered here by Thay Phap Luu took place on Sunday, January 2, 2023 on the last day of our annual Holiday Retreat. The theme for our holiday retreat this year is "The Path is Our Home" and over 300 people gather here at Deer Park Monastery from December 29th to January 2nd, 2023. Our talk theme is Confidence in the Dharma