The Deer Park Dharmacast

Dear friends,

This week, we continue to share from the dharma talks given by Thich Nhat Hanh at Deer Park Monastery.  In this segment, our teacher shares the first eight exercises of mindful breathing taught by the Buddha.  These exercises are key to helping us us to learn the art of suffering, enabling us to suffer less and to transform our suffering.  Then, Thay shares the first two of the Four Nutriments taught by the Buddha: edible food and sense impression.  He encourages us to consume edible foods in a way that preserves our compassion and to consume media, conversations and other sense impressions carefully to protect ourselves and our families.

We’ve noticed the Dharmacast’s listenership has jumped quite a bit in recent weeks. If you’re a new listener, welcome. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, please let your friends know. They can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,

This week, we continue to share Thay's first dharma talk at the recent Deer Park Monastery retreat.  Our teacher shares with us his practice, particularly how he walks and breathes, to connect each one of his steps to the here and now. He invites us to practice with him to touch the Pure Land and Kingdom of God with awareness of the miracles of life -- the beautiful flower, the connection of our bodies to Mother Earth, and the presence of our ancestors in and around us.

Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,

For the past week, the Ocean of Peace meditation hall at Deer Park Monastery was filled to the brim with over one thousand members of the sangha: monks, nuns, lay practitioners and our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, who we affectionately call Thay. Over the next several weeks, we will offer his talks divided into our usual thirty minute segments.  If you heard about the Dharmacast at the retreat and are just tuning in: welcome. We hope you enjoy this chance to hear the Dharma from Thay a second time.

In this first segment, Thay looks deeply into the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone.  He shows us that to live alone is to be free of the past and the future and to arrive in the present moment.  He continues on to share that by practicing mindful breathing and walking meditation, we can awaken to the miracle and joy of being alive.

Remember that you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

For reference, the essence of the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone is below.  The complete text can be found here.

Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.

Looking deeply at life as it is
in the very here and now,
the practitioner dwells
in stability and freedom.

Dear friends,

This week, the Dharmacast team is on retreat with Thay at Deer Park Monastery.  We're looking forward to bringing the energy of peace and mindfulness back with us next week.

While we're gone, we wanted to offer you the second half of the dharma talk given by Sister Kingh Nghiem at this year's Wake Up retreat.  With Thay touring this year, many of us may have gone on a retreat or heard him speak at a public talk.  We're often deeply moved by experiences at mindfulness practice centers, but how do we take that energy home with us to sustain our practice?  Sister Kinh Nghiem offers us loving advice and many practical ideas for continuing and deepening our practice at home.

Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,

This week we have the first half of a dharma talk given by Sister Kinh Nghiem at this year's Wake Up Retreat.  She tells a light-hearted story about traveling with Thay and then shares the four mantras we can use in order to be truly present.  She encourages us to use these mantras with the people in our lives, the animals and plants around us and with the earth.

Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes.  Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear friends,

Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  This week we have two wonderful surprises for you.  

First, we're excited to present to you a fresh new logo. Our team is feeling a lot of gratitude to our wonderful Dharmacast sister, Joan Wong, all the way in Singapore, for her graphic design.  It represents all our Dharmacast listeners, hearing the Dharma and opening peacefully as a lotus.  If you look carefully, you'll see the beautiful shape of the meditation hall at Deer Park monastery, which Thay named the Ocean of Peace.  Since almost all our talks are recorded in this hall, we truly feel that the Deer Park Dharmacast is Dharma flowing from the Ocean of Peace.

Secondly, this week's podcast is a special feature from Brother Phap Ho's blog, Earth Protection Here and Now.  This week, he shares about edible foods, the first of the four nutriments.  He shines the light of awareness on his experience with food and shares how it affects his practice, his community, and our Earth.  Where are you in your journey and relationship to edible foods? 

For more insights, visit his blog at earthprotectionhereandnow.wordpress.com. 

Remember you can find the Deer Park Dharmacast at dpcast.net, on Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes. Now, enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.  

Dear Friends,

The end of summer is officially here and seasons are beginning to change.  Let us bring our attention to the Earth, as Sister Mat Nghiem begins her sharing with the story of The Lorax.  She goes on to look deeply into our interconnectedness with Mother Earth, both as children and as adults.  When was the last time you were in touch with nature as your five year-old child? 

Remember you can find the Deer Park Dharmacast online at dpcast.net, on twitter, facebook, and iTunes. Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,

This week we're happy to share the closing talk of the recent Deer Park retreat for couples.  Three dharma teachers, Jerry Braza from Oregon, Tony Sylvester from Pennsylvania and Peggy Rowe from California, led couples in a weekend of developing mindfulness in their relationships.  They share their reflections on their experience at the retreat and reflect on the nurturing effect that the practice has had on their own relationships.

Remember you can find the Deer Park Dharmacast online at dpcast.net, on Twitter, Facebook, and iTunes. Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,

Today's sharing is from a Question and Response session earlier this summer at Deer Park Monastery.  Sister Hang Nghiem responds to a short, yet profound, question, "What is important?"  She shows us that with mindfulness, we can see that this present moment is important, especially if a difficult emotion is arising.  Then, Sister Hang Nghiem and Brother Phap De share on the roots of frustration and resentment and how we can begin to better understand ourselves and others.  

Remember you can find the Deer Park Dharmacast online at dpcast.net, on twitter, facebook, and iTunes. Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.