Mindfulness As A Foundation For Health: The Buddha the Scientist Symposium & Retreat in Vancouver
The Mindfulness As A Foundation For Health Retreat offers a transformative opportunity to immerse yourself in the practice of mindfulness in the serene setting of UBC’s Point Grey campus in Vancouver.
May 16-20 / 9:00 am-5:30 pm
The Mindfulness As A Foundation For Health Retreat offers a transformative opportunity to immerse yourself in the practice of mindfulness in the serene setting of UBC’s Point Grey campus in Vancouver.
From May 16-19, 2025, this retreat invites participants to cultivate presence, peace, and insight through guided meditation, walking meditation, mindful eating, and periods of noble silence, all under the guidance of Zen Buddhist monastics from Plum Village and Deer Park Monasteries. The retreat is now sold out.
On May 20, 2025, The Buddha the Scientist Symposium invites scientists from around North America to explore the intersection of Buddhism, psychology, and neuroscience through the embodied practice of mindfulness. The symposium combines mindfulness practice with groundbreaking scientific inquiry and discussion.
About the Retreat
Rooted in the teachings of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, this retreat emphasizes the integration of mindfulness into daily life, providing a nurturing environment to slow down, connect with the present moment, and deepen your meditation practice.
Participants will have the rare opportunity to join scientists and scholars in shared mindfulness activities, creating a space where contemplative practice informs and enriches intellectual exploration.
Whether you are new to mindfulness or a seasoned practitioner, this retreat will support your journey of inner transformation and cultivate the clarity and compassion needed to make meaningful impacts in your life and the world.
Although the retreat is sold out, you may join the waiting list or join us online for The Buddha the Scientist Symposium on May 20.
About the Symposium
The Buddha the Scientist Symposium invites scientists from around the world to explore the intersection of Buddhism, psychology, and neuroscience through the embodied practice of mindfulness. The symposium combines mindfulness practice with groundbreaking scientific inquiry and discussion.
The Symposium will be offered in person on May 20 and also streamed via Zoom. Click here to register for just the livestream event if you cannot make it in person.
Inspired by “The Buddha, the Scientist” series held at Deer Park Monastery (2022, 2023) and Dartmouth College (2025), this retreat and symposium brings Thích Nhất Hạnh’s vision of integrating mindfulness into scientific communities to life.
Attendees will experience the unique format of practicing mindfulness alongside scholars, who then present their research in a reflective, inspirational symposium. Following the presentations, a panel Q&A will offer opportunities for meaningful dialogue.
Our aspiration is to support you in deepening your mindfulness practice while offering profound insights into how Buddhist wisdom and scientific discovery can unite to create lasting solutions for the world.
This event is co-hosted by UBC’s Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society, The BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness, and Monastics from Plum Village and Deer Park Monasteries
Can’t make it live? Watch the livestream here.
Symposium Presenters
Dr. Michelle A Williams, Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Stanford University
Dr. David R. Vago, Research Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Lynn Quarmby, Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University
Dr. Dzung X. Vo, Clinical Associate Professor & Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia & Co-Director, BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness.
Dr. Elli Weisbaum, Assistant Professor, Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program (BPMH) and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Brother Pháp Liệu, A cardiologist before ordaining as a novice monk with Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh in 2003. Became a Dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition in 2010.
Sister Hội Nghiêm, A former school teacher, ordained as a novice with Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh in 1999 and became a Dharma Teacher in 2007. Translator of The Buddha Body, the Buddha Mind, encompassing Thích Nhất Hạnh’s teachings offered during the first neuroscience retreat in Plum Village in 2006.
Brother Pháp Lưu, Ordained in 2003, and became a Dharma Teacher in the Plum Village Tradition in 2011. Co-chair of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation and Advisory board member for Harvard University’s Thich Nhat Hanh Centre for Mindfulness in Public Health.
In Gratitude
In 2011, the University of British Columbia had the honor of hosting Thích Nhất Hạnh for a residential meditation retreat and public Dharma Talk. Building on this meaningful experience, we are very grateful that UBC has invited our sangha back for a retreat and public symposium featuring scholars, scientists, and other practitioners. This event will offer a unique opportunity to deepen mindfulness practice and explore the intersection of Buddhist wisdom and scientific discovery. All are warmly invited to join this transformative gathering.
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.
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.
