Deer Park Monastery

{{Short description|Buddhist monastery in Escondido, California}}

{{About|the Deer Park Monastery in California|the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Wisconsin|Deer Park Buddhist Center and Monastery}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Deer Park Monastery
Tu Viện Lộc Uyển
大隱山鹿苑寺

| native_name =

| image = Deer Park Monastery4.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| alt =

| caption = Meditation Hall

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| location = 2499 Melru Lane Escondido, CA 92026

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| religious_affiliation = Order of Interbeing

| deity =

| country = United States

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| website = http://www.deerparkmonastery.org/

| founded_by = Thích Nhất Hạnh

| year_completed = 2000

}}

Deer Park Monastery (Vietnamese: Tu Viện Lộc Uyển) is a {{convert|400|acre|km2|sing=on}} Buddhist monastery in Escondido, California.{{cite web|accessdate=2019-10-18|title=It's Now, It's Zen and It's Life-Changing|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-01-me-monastery1-story.html|date=1 June 2004|website=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite web|accessdate=2019-10-18|title=Monastery's serene pond a tribute to koi show, lay volunteers|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-no-koi-pond-20190301-story.html|date=1 March 2019|website=San Diego Union-Tribune}} It was founded in July 2000 by Thích Nhất Hạnh{{Cite web|last=Greenblatt|first=Lilly|date=January 21, 2022|title=Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022)|url=https://www.lionsroar.com/thich-nhat-hanh-zen-teacher-who-popularized-mindfulness-in-the-west-dead-at-95/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Lion's Roar|language=en-US}} along with monastic and lay practitioners from the Plum Village Tradition. The monastery was under the direct guidance of Thích Nhất Hạnh and his Order of Interbeing in the Vietnamese Thiền tradition.

Details

Deer Park follows the same practices and schedule as Plum Village Monastery and its sister monastery Blue Cliff Monastery in New York and Magnolia Grove Monastery in Mississippi.

Since its founding in July 2000 the monastery has grown to be very active. In addition to its regular monastic schedule, Deer Park hosts weekly days of mindfulness which are open to the public as well as a variety of themed and general retreats. Over the years the ordained Sangha has been growing and currently consists of 14 monks and 23 nuns. Lay practitioners also live at the monastery.

The monastery is now composed of two hamlets; Solidity Hamlet for monks and laymen and Clarity Hamlet for nuns and laywomen.

All retreats at Deer Park Monastery include the basic practices of sitting meditation and chanting, walking meditation, mindful eating, group discussions, touching the Earth, total relaxation, and working meditation. Depending on the retreat, extra activities may include private consultations, mountain hiking, bonfire, and song & skit performances. Retreats are for beginners and experienced practitioners of meditation and mindfulness.