Deer Park Monastery

06/18/2026

Dear friends,

With a tender heart, we share an important letter from Deer Park Monastery regarding our upcoming 2026 retreats.

We know many friends, families, young people, and loved ones have been preparing to come home to the mountains and practice together. We are deeply sorry for the disappointment and difficulty this news may bring.

Please take a moment to read the full letter in the images above. Information about refunds, support, and other practice opportunities is included.

Even in this difficult moment, we trust in the support of the Sangha and the practice. We still have each other. We still can breathe, smile, and walk in peace together, wherever we are.

With gratitude, love, and deep bows,
Deer Park Monastery

06/15/2026

📍Dublin, Ireland
📅 Thurs 2 July at 17:30

Monastic disciples of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh will lead Walking Meditation and mindful movement, followed by a sangha picnic.

Join Zen Monks Brothers Pháp Lưu and Phap Xa, authors of Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature, for a mindful hike on the Howth Cliff Loop, Thursday 2 July at 17:30.

Meet at the Ready Boat Pillar, opposite the Howth Market.

Please bring a vegan/vegetarian packed dinner to enjoy following the hike.

You may join us for the whole 5 mile loop, or take public transit near Baily Lighthouse to return.

This special event offers a chance to slow down, connect with the present moment, and experience the healing power of mindful walking.

Whether you’re new to mindfulness or a longtime practitioner, this gathering will be an opportunity to nourish body and mind in a supportive community.

Register at hikingzen.org.

06/12/2026

🐾 June issue of Coyote Tracks is Now Live!🐾

Dear Beloved Sangha,

We recently celebrated Vesak, the Buddha’s birthday, with more than 350 friends gathered at Deer Park Monastery. Vesak is one of the most important observances in the Buddhist tradition, honoring the birth of the Buddha and commemorating his enlightenment and passing into nirvana. It was a joyful day of practice, community, and gratitude.

As summer unfolds, we look forward to our upcoming Los Angeles Day of Mindfulness on July 25. This month, several Dharma Teachers, our Action Wake Up Resident Advisor, and others are traveling to Plum Village to participate in the global Order of Interbeing gathering, celebrating 60 years of the OI. Along the way, they will also join friends in London and Dublin for Hiking Zen events, bringing the practice of mindful walking to communities abroad.

We are happy to share that the long-awaited Happy Families Change the World course begins tomorrow with its first live Zoom gathering. We are also excited to announce a new retreat in Portland, Oregon, from August 1–4, offering an opportunity for our Pacific Northwest friends to come together in mindfulness, connection, and renewal.

There is also much joyful activity surrounding the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing as we prepare to welcome students for the inaugural school year beginning August 17. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kim Nolan as the school’s founding Head of School. Our teaching team is coming together beautifully, and we look forward to introducing our teachers and sharing more updates with you in the coming weeks.

May your practice continue to bring peace, stability, and joy to your daily life.

With gratitude and trust,
The Monks and Nuns at Deer Park

Read the full newsletter here: https://tracks.deerparkmonastery.org/p/happy-families-course-begins-sat

06/10/2026

Interested in the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing? Join us this Thursday June 11 for a virtual Information Session & Gathering on Zoom.

Parents, caregivers, and interested community members are warmly invited to an online session to learn more about the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing — our vision, values, how to enroll your child, and how to support this new model of education.

Discover what makes this school unique, meet our community, and explore ways to get involved.

An online gathering for parents and guardians who are interested in enrolling their children in the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing

06/02/2026

On Sunday, more than 350 friends gathered at Deer Park Monastery to celebrate Vesak, one of the most important holidays in the Buddhist tradition.

Vesak commemorates the birth of the Buddha, and in many Buddhist traditions also honors his enlightenment and passing into nirvana.

Vesak is a time to come together as a community to touch the Buddha’s teachings of mindfulness, compassion, and understanding, and to recognize the Buddha nature that exists within each of us.

The day began with a Dharma talk by Brother Mãn Tuệ, followed by a beautiful Vesak ceremony, mindful walking, joyful connection, and a delicious vegetarian lunch shared in community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in making this celebration so warm, joyful, and meaningful. May the insight and compassion of the Buddha continue to guide our collective path toward greater peace in ourselves, our families, and our world. 🙏

05/28/2026

We are happy to announce that Hidden Mountain Record issue #3, which recaps the year 2025, is now available.

Hidden Mountain Record is Deer Park Monastery’s annual publication that tells the stories and highlights of how mindfulness and Engaged Buddhism have evolved at Deer Park over the past year.

This publication is the result of much hard and loving work from our monastic sangha, Parallax Press, the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, and lay friends.

Hidden Mountain Record issue #3 is now available for your download here: https://deerparkmonastery.org/books/the-hidden-mountain-record-3/

05/26/2026

Recently, we hosted 110 BIPOC friends for our BIPOC mindfulness weekend.

The lantern-candle light walk to Pray for Peace was the last activity of the day on Saturday. The whole sangha came together, gathered by the Ocean of Peace meditation hall at 7:30 pm to receive the lantern and walk in meditation to Mount Yen Tu where we placed the lanterns.

All of us stood around the lantern circle and offered our chant (The Discourse on Love and May The Day Be Well)

After the ceremony, we practiced walking meditation down to the meditation hall to close the evening in silence and peace around 9:00pm.

“Communities of resistance should be places where people can return to themselves more easily, where the conditions are such that they can heal themselves and recover their wholeness.”
— Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh in The Raft Is Not the Other Shore (129)

For more BIPOC resources, visit https://deerparkmonastery.org/community/bipoc/

05/21/2026

🐾Coyote Tracks May Issue Out Now!🐾

Dear beloved community,

Families are carrying so much right now. Many parents are navigating overwhelm, disconnection, technology overload, and the challenge of finding moments of true presence together. At the same time, we know how deeply healthy relationships, mindfulness, and compassionate community can support the well-being of children and families.

This month, we are joyful to share Happy Families Change the World, a new online course rooted in decades of family mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and developed in partnership with researchers from Dartmouth College.

Alongside the course, Dr. Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Dr. Orlaith O’Sullivan, Brother Pháp Lưu, and Sister Phú Nghiêm will offer a free webinar exploring how these practices can become more accessible to families around the world.

This offering is especially meaningful as it is the first wider-world offering connected to the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing, our new Plum Village-inspired elementary school opening near Deer Park Monastery this fall.

We are also deeply grateful to celebrate a beautiful fundraising milestone: together, our global sangha has now raised $700,000 toward bringing this vision to life, including more than $100,000 raised through the Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival.

As we continue to support children, teens, and families through retreats, mindful education, and intergenerational practice, we are reminded that peaceful, connected families truly can change the world.

We invite you to enjoy your breathing as you read through the May issue of Coyote Tracks.

Read Coyote Tracks here: https://tracks.deerparkmonastery.org/p/happy-families-change-the-world-hidden

With gratitude and warmth,
Your Brothers and Sisters at Deer Park

05/20/2026

Brother Stream (Br Phap Luu) at Deer Park Monastery responds to a practitioner's question about what to do when focusing on our breath makes us feel even more fear and anxiety.

05/19/2026

With deep gratitude, we would like to thank everyone who joined us for the Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival and everyone who has already offered their support to the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing.

Because of your generosity—through ticket purchases, onsite offerings, YouTube donations, volunteer service, and countless acts of support—we have raised $100,000 through the festival fundraiser so far, bringing our total funds raised up to $700K!

Together, we are one step closer to our aspiration of raising $1 million by August to help bring this vision into being.

In a world shaped by conflict, isolation, and increasing disconnection, this school is a living response: a place where children can learn peace as a way of life. A place where mindfulness, compassion, community, and reverence for the Earth are not simply taught, but lived each day together.

Every offering—whether large or small—is part of this collective awakening.
As Thầy reminded us, “The next Buddha may take the form of a Sangha.” We truly feel this school is being born through the energy of community, shared aspiration, and love.

If you feel called to support the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing and a new wave of mindful education, we invite you to make a donation today.

Donate here: https://giving.tnhf.org/page/schoolofinterbeing