09/11/2025
On October 26, we formally opened the Deer Park Monastery Rains Retreat with the Face-to-Face Ceremony (Ceremony of Refuge) with 107 counted (104 people including the Buddha, Thay, and the Kitchen Bodhisattva) committing to practice dwelling peacefully together for 90 days.
The "face to face ceremony" at the start of a Rains Retreat is a formal Ceremony where practitioners gather to officially begin a 90-day period of intensive mindfulness practice.
During the ceremony, monastics and laypeople formally commit to practicing together, often reading aloud their intentions and making a shared commitment to the community and their collective practice.
During this 2025-2026 Rains Retreat, we will explore Thay's teachings on Manifestation-Only Buddhist psychology.
Facilitated on Wednesday nights by Brother Phap Luu, the course will explore Thay's radical interpretation of the Yogacara teachings of Asanga and Vasubandhu on Buddhist psychology, and how these relate to cutting edge neuroscience and understanding of the nature of consciousness.
Local friends are welcome to join us on Wednesday nights during the Rains Retreats for the Buddhist Psychology course here in the hidden mountain. Learn more here: https://deerparkmonastery.org/visit/events/buddhist-psychology-course-in-person-only/
