Current Initiatives

YMCA 36 scaled

Deer Park and the Plum Village family have dozens of initiatives underway worldwide. All of our initiatives expand access to Thay’s teachings and apply mindfulness and collective transformation to the most pressing crises facing our world to realize harmony with the Earth and all beings.

Deer Park Initiatives

Explore the active initiatives at Deer Park.

DSC03245 edited scaled
Deer Park Happy FarmInspired by the Happy Farms at Plum Village in France, we are establishing a community-centered organic farm that integrates mindful living with regenerative farming. Learn More
Wake up2
Action Wake UpAction Wake Up (AWU) is a new 15-month residential training program in Buddhist spiritual practice, applied ethics, community living, mindful service, and leadership development. Deer Park Monastery will welcome the first Action Wake Up cohort of young people (aged 18-35) to live and train in Escondido, California in October 2025.Learn More
Copy of TNH School of Interbeing 2
The Thich Nhat Hanh School of InterbeingThe Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing — which aspires to open in Fall 2026 — is dedicated to advancing Thay’s vision of nurturing kind, wise, and compassionate human beings. Rooted in Buddhist principles and applied ethics, the school offers a holistic approach to education for children that integrates mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and ethical living.Learn More
MB92 02 resting monastic Germany tour Freiberg May 2023 by Thien Khai PV monastic Sangha 1200x900
Earth Peace TreatyThe Earth Peace Treaty can be seen as a set of mindfulness trainings through the lens of the climate crisis, with concrete practices to guide our engagement with our climate reality, and to restore harmony in ourselves and Earth's systems. Learn More
Hiking4
Hiking ZenDeer Park regularly hosts Hiking Zen activities, including backpacking retreats and day hikes where we practice mindful walking and sitting meditation, listen to short Dharma talks, and participate in Dharma sharing circles outdoors in nature. Occasionally we work with our sister centers in France and Germany to run special Hiking Zen retreats in locations worldwide.Learn More
SYMPOSIUM 10 scaled
The Buddha the Scientist Symposium & RetreatThese symposiums bring together mindfulness practitioners and scientists to explore the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern scientific inquiry. Rooted in the teachings of the Buddha — who approached the mind and body with a spirit of experimentation and inquiry — they offer a transformative space to cultivate mindfulness, insight, and resilience. Learn More
Music Festival 2024 63 1 scaled jpg
Rhythm of The Earth Music FestivalA celebration of music, mindfulness, and community, hosted at Deer Park, this joyful gathering brings together people of all ages for a day filled with live music, walking meditation, and delicious food — all set against the serene backdrop of Hidden Mountain. Proceeds from the event support meaningful projects at Deer Park.Learn More
Music Festival 2024 62 1 scaled jpg
Thundering Silence RecordsThundering Silence Records was founded by a group of lay friends and monastics at Deer Park Monastery to compose and share music that supports mindfulness, healing, and spiritual practice. The name was inspired by the Buddhist teaching of thundering silence (the profound wisdom found in stillness and silence).Learn More
Thay Phap Niem writing calligraphy in the new Thich Nhat Hanh Museum in Hue
The Thich Nhat Hanh MuseumThe Thich Nhat Hanh Museum is an up-and-coming project in Los Angeles, dedicated to preserving and sharing Thay’s teachings on mindfulness, peace, and engaged Buddhism. Still in the planning stages, as the project unfolds, it will bring Thay’s legacy to life and inspire future generations in the practice of mindfulness and compassionate living.Learn More
Kids
Happy Families Change the WorldThay had the vision to bring mindfulness to the life of every family. Happy Families Change the World is an initiative to bring together the work that we’ve done for decades in our Family Retreats and Children’s Programs. Now we are working on a comprehensive online course designed for adults, children, tweens, and teens to learn and deepen their mindfulness practice. Learn More
Monastic healthcare
Monastic HealthcareJust like anyone else, our monastics occasionally need to see medical professionals to maintain their health. Donations provide accessible health care for our monastic brothers and sisters. We know when we take care of our monastic friends, we also benefit from their presence and practice.When you donate to Deer Park, you can ask that your donation be used to help maintain the health of our monastic community. We thank you for your generosity.Learn More

Global Plum Village Initiatives

Deer Park supports initiatives established by our global Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.

Happy farm PV
Happy FarmsThe Happy Farm, which originated in Plum Village France, is an agroecology project which incorporates regenerative and organic practices.  Our farms are located within our mindfulness practice centers and communities. Volunteers and retreatants experience first-hand the interconnection between earth, rain, sun, and seed with the hand and food of the farmer.Learn More
Wake up schools
Wake Up SchoolsWake Up Schools support educators to bring the practices of mindfulness and applied ethics into their own lives so they may be happy and free and in turn share these practices with colleagues and students in their school communities. With mindfulness, teachers and students can experience more peace, learn how to take care of difficult emotions, and create conditions for a happy school and a happy world.Learn More
Thich nhat hanh hero
Thich Nhat Hanh FoundationThe Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation works to continue the mindful teachings and practice of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, support our mindfulness practice centers around the world, and engage in Sangha (community) building in order to foster peace and transform suffering in all people, animals, plants, and our planet.Learn More

Explore Online Courses

From time to time we offer multi-week courses related to mindfulness, the teachings and life of Thich Nhat Hanh, and a variety of similar subjects. Please see our schedule of upcoming courses.

Upcoming Courses
Laptop mockup

Plum Village App

Take the Deer Park Monastery and Plum Village community with you wherever you go. The Plum Village app is designed to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and joy through guided meditations, deep relaxations, practice poems, bells of mindfulness, and other practices — all through a mobile device.

Open Plum Village Mobile App in the App Store
Open Plum Village Mobile App in the Google Play Store
Family Retreat 02

Turn Your Inbox into a Dharma Door

Subscribe to our Coyote Tracks newsletter on Substack to receive event announcements, writing, art, music, and meditations from Deer Park monastics.

Support Deer Park

Donations are our main source of support, so every offering is greatly appreciated. Your contribution helps us to keep the monastery open to receive guests throughout the year.

Donate