The Deer Park Dharmacast

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   Today we share a dharma talk given by Brother Phap De at Deer Park Monastery.  Our brother shares on the importance of brotherhood, sisterhood and Engaged Buddhism in our practice.  Through sangha and action, we are sure to become Thay's continuation.     Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear friends,   Today we offer a dharma talk given by Sister Quynh Nghiem at Deer Park Monastery. Our sister invites us to heighten our awareness and choose mindfulness in our everyday lives. We can choose what we consume with our senses and how we deal with difficulty in our lives. May the dharma help us all see our situations clearly and bring us peace.    Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear friends,  Every year on Lunar New Year's eve, Thay recites a poem and gives a dharma talk with insights into Vietnamese poetry, culture, and tradition. This year, as our teacher receives treatment in the hospital, Venerable Thich Phuoc Tinh continues the tradition. He recites a poem of Thay's and gives us a rare glimpse into the life of our teacher.  To aid in your understanding of the poem, we offer the poem in its entirety to you here:   Clouds softly pillow the mountain peak. The breeze is fragrant with tea blossoms. The joy of meditation remains unshakable. The forest offers floral perfumes. One morning we awaken, fog wrapped around the roof. With fresh laughter, we bid farewell. The musical clamor of birds send us back on the ten thousand paths, watching a dream as generous as the sea. A flicker of fire from the familiar stove warms the evening shadows as they fall. Impermanent, self-emptied life, filled with impostors whose sweet speech hides a wicked heart. My confidence intact,

Dear friends,   Today we share the orientation for retreatants at the Holiday Retreat. Brother Phap Hai shares how they enjoy their practice at the monastery. They invite us to stop our habit energies and start monotasking -- as we breathe, walk, eat, and act. May these gentle reminders fill your life with the spirit of refuge at Deer Park Monastery.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear friends, Today we continue to explore the Five Mindfulness Trainings with the second half of sharings by lay friends at Deer Park during the Holiday Retreat. Our friends share their experience with the two trainings on Loving Speech and Deep Listening, and Nourishment and Healing. May these sharings fill your heart and nourish your practice. Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. 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 share the first half of the Five Mindfulness Trainings Presentation at Deer Park Monastery during the Holiday Retreat.  Lay friend, Kenley Neufield, introduces the trainings and practitioners share their experience with the first, second, and third mindfulness trainings, Reverence for Life, True Happiness, and True Love. In every one of our friends on the path, there is the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.    

Dear friends,   Today we share the Question and Answer session from the Holiday Retreat at Deer Park Monastery. Brother Phap De leads the group of monastics and lay friends in exploring questions about our practice. Looking deeply, we see how the practice can permeate all aspects of our lives and guide us to greater peace.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear friends,   Today we share a talk given by Brother Phap Ho on the first day of this new year. The theme of the talk is virtue, which our brother frames as "the act of living up to one's potential." He shares specifically on The Three Virtues: cutting through afflictions, love, and insight. May you be inspired to cultivate these virtues in 2015 and reach your true potential.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. 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 share with you a dharma talk given by Brother Phap Hai at the end of 2014. He shares with us the sutra, The Fruits of the Contemplative Life. Our brother encourages us to pause and consider the nature of our own contemplative life. There is Dharma to experience in every moment and a unique path of practice for every practitioner.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.    **We are trying different options: posting podcasts on Saturday and also posting the whole one-hour podcast rather than 30 minute parts.  What do you think?**

Dear friends,   Today, we continue Sister Mai Nghiem's talk on our inner hungry ghost. Our sister shares on the beauty of taking refuge and accepting things as they are: our community before it is perfect, the Buddha in us with the hungry ghost in us, the lotus and the mud.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   Today, we offer dharma jewels from another sister new to Deer Park, Sister Mai Nghiem.  Our sister introduces us to our "hungry ghost," which is the energy of craving in us. By understanding the suffering of our hungry ghost, we can take better care of the here and now.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply. 

Dear friends,   This week we continue Sister Jina's first talk at Deer Park. She reminds us of the basics of our practice and how we can be present for ourselves and others. At a time when we may be traveling home or hosting friends and family, let us offer them the gift of our presence. May you and your family have a wonderful and nourishing holidays.    Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net and on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast -- Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   We're happy to introduce a new member of the four-fold sangha at Deer Park Monastery on the podcast this week, Sister Dieu Nghiem, also known as Sister Jina. She gives this talk just before Thanksgiving and leads a guided meditation on awareness and gratefulness of the cells in our body. Joining her in mindfulness, we can remember that one breath is enough to bring us back to our true home.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net and on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast -- Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   By request of a fellow Dharmacast listener, this week, we offer a talk by Venerable Thich Phuoc Tinh given at the beginning of the Winter Retreat. In his signature energetic and fast-paced style, the Venerable reminds us that every moment in meditation is a moment in the presence of Thay and the Buddha. That Buddhism is not a philosophy to be intellectually debated, but rather a very clear and simple practice.    The Dharmacast team loves to hear from our listeners. If you have feedback on past podcasts or requests for upcoming podcasts, let us know by email. But for now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   We hope that your holiday has been restful and nourishing. Have you had a chance to stop and return to your breath? This week we invite you to join Brother Phap Ho in a session of guided sitting and movement meditation. Our brother gently reminds us that every moment is an opportunity to quiet our thinking and experience our breath in the body.   With Thay peacefully healing in the hospital, we have the chance to support his continuation through the building of the Deer Park Nunnery. The four-fold sangha continues to raise funds to build environmentally sustainable straw bale housing for the sisters and a hut for Thay. See deerparknunnery.org for updates on the construction and how to donate. Most recent updates on Thay's health can be found at plumvillage.org.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharings from our worldwide listeners on any of our online homes or by email. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look de

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast -- Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   This week, we present insight from our monastic brothers and sisters at Deer Park Monastery on the art of suffering.  During a question and answer session, retreatants ask how to best practice with suffering in our families and at work. When difficulties manifest in the world around us, we can remember to take refuge in the Dharma, the sangha, and the Buddha nature in ourselves and others.   With our teacher still recovering in the hospital, we have the opportunity to deeply practice his teachings. The most recent official announcements on Thay's health can be found at plumvillage.org.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharings from our worldwide listeners on any of our online homes or by email. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast -- Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.   Earlier this week, the worldwide sangha was informed that Thay is in the hospital. The monastic community has asked lay friends around the world to practice mindfulness, stability and peace to support our beloved teacher, remembering that we are all cells of the great sangha body that Thay has manifested in his lifetime. More information can be found via official announcements at plumvillage.org.   For the podcast today, we bring you a rich sharing from our monastics during a question and answer session at this year's General Retreat at Deer Park Monastery. A retreatant asks how to work with and transform strong sexual cravings. The monastics respond insightfully on how to practice, look deeply, and see clearly into the nature of sexual energy. With mindfulness and equanimity, everything is possible.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharin

Dear friends,   To continue last week's sharing on Beginning Anew, today we offer a sharing by two lay friends and long-time practitioners.  As life partners, they share their experience with Beginning Anew and demonstrate how they practice it. We hope this wonderful gift from them encourages you to try it with your loved ones, your sangha, and yourself.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharings from our worldwide listeners on any of our online homes or by email. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,   Today we bring to you a presentation by Brother Phap De on Beginning Anew, a practice taught by Thay to heal and make fresh our relationships with others. Our brother shares the separate steps of Beginning Anew along with his understanding of the practice in light of his Christian roots.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharings from our worldwide listeners on any of our online homes or by email. 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 second half of Brother Phap Hai's dharma talk from this year's General Retreat.  He shares that despite a recent study showing that most people do not want to sit alone with their thoughts, as practitioners, we sit and look deeply into our thoughts quite frequently. Rather than choosing to react, we can choose this moment to see what this person, or this situation, is teaching us. Rather than trying to transcend, we can choose to accept and transform.   Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast on Facebook, iTunes, and Twitter. We welcome dharma sharings from our worldwide listeners on any of our online homes or by email. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.