Deer Park Monastery

This 400-acre sanctuary rests peacefully in the chaparral mountains of southern California, surrounded and protected by oaks and the natural landscape.

Deer Park Monastery was established in July 2000 by the Plum Village four-fold Sangha. Now, it is a safe and serene refuge for many practitioners to come and learn the art of mindful living and to practice with a community, a Sangha. At Deer Park, the residential community of over thirty monastics and lay practitioners, live and practice together year round under the guidance of our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thầy), in the tradition of engaged Buddhism, practicing mindfulness through out our everyday life. There are two hamlets: Solidity Hamlet (for monks and laymen) and Clarity Hamlet (for nuns and laywomen). The two hamlets come together several times a week to practice.

At Deer Park, we are nourished not just by the formal sitting meditation sessions, but also by the practice of meditation in our daily activities outside the meditation hall. We are guided by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thầy) on mindfulness and peace-making. We learn to live together as a community and to take refuge in the wisdom of the Sangha.

Find out about visting Deer Park Monastery here, including days of mindfulness and retreats.