The Deer Park Dharmacast

Dear Friends,

This week's dharma talk was given by Brother Phap Hai at the 2012 Mindfulness Retreat at Deer Park Monastery.  

Known for his poetic and engaging dharma talks, he shares the Buddha's teachings about the three roots of our suffering; greed, ill-will, and delusion; and the eight winds or worldly dharmas; gain, loss, status, disgrace, praise, blame, pleasure and pain.  

Brother Phap Hai challenges us to look critically at our lives and ask two questions: what is practice? and are we sure?

You will notice the sound of the wind and a lovely baby during the talk.  Enjoy the imperfectness of the recording.  =)

Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,   

This week's dharma talk was given by Brother Phap Don at the recent People of Color retreat at Deer Park Monastery on the concept: "I have arrived, I am home."  

How can we arrive and find our true home?  Brother Phap Don first offers us the repetition and mindfulness of the daily mundane activities and then describes the Buddha's 12 mindfulness exercises. 

Join the DP Dharmacast team in welcoming (back) Soren Kisiel, who is kindly recording the introductions for the weekly podcasts.

Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Dear Friends,

During the New Year's retreat, Brother Phap De gave a wonderful dharma talk on gratitude.  Although it's the middle of the year, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the message.  Brother Phap De delves deeply into gratitude to our parents.  With Mother's Day having just passed and Father's Day coming up, I thought we might have our parents on our minds.

Enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

"When we're addicted to our own thinking, it is the cause of almost all of our suffering. And that experience kills the possibility of gratitude."

"A quote from the Buddha: I tell you, there are two people that are not easy to repay. Which two?  Your mother and father." 

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Deer Park Dharmacast -- the podcast that puts the Dharma in your pocket.

Deer Park recently hosted a People of Color retreat.  Part of the retreat was a question and answer session where retreatants were invited to ask questions from the heart to a panel of laywomen, laymen, monks and nuns.  Today, we offer you an excerpt of the question and answer session.

Perhaps you have asked yourself these questions at one point in time?

-- How can we share the importance and need for dedicated People of Color or Wake Up (young adult) retreats?

-- How do we practice when the people around us are not practicing?

-- What can we do to stop ourselves from speaking out of anger?

We hope you enjoy this moment to stop and look deeply.

Remember, you can always find the Deer Park Dharmacast online at DPcast.net, on iTunes, Twitter, or Facebook

Dear Friends,

Thank you for listening to the Deer Park Dharmacast.  We hope it has brought you much peace and understanding whether you have been listening for years or for a few days.

It is with great joy that I share that I am joining the DPcast team as the new coordinator for the podcast.  I have much to learn, so please do provide feedback on the podcasts during this transition time either through the individual podcast comment feature on dpcast.net or by email at: dpcastlove@gmail.com.

May you be happy and well,

Cathy

Dear Friends,

When our sangha brother Washuntara visits Deer Park, we often sing this beautiful song together.  Here is a lovely video of Can't Stop Love.  Please enjoy this beautiful musical offering.

If you want to hear more of Washuntara, please visit http://www.washuntara.com.

Thay Phai Hai explains the meaning behind the Chinese characters for mindfulness.

Preview: "A new understanding can emerge..."

Michael provides the listeners with a visual for their reference.  

Kiss the ground with your feet as Thay Phap Hai takes us on a journey to meet a gentleman of the past.

Preview: "Allow your path to be an expression of who you are."

Make sure to download the bonus content "Discourse on Love," contact the Deer Park bookstore if you are interested in the full album in addition to similar works.  

Breathe with me as Sister Kinh Nghiem shares her story mixed in with a Buddhist story.  Self-described as a city girl, she scatters the seeds we need to grasp the true nature of the practice.

Preview: "100%, this is your ticket!"

This time the artwork was submitted by none other than myself, Michael Nguyen.  I'd like to ask for experienced audio editors to join our team.  Please get in touch because we have many dharmacasts which needs tender love and care.

Stay seated as Thay Phap Khoi shares about the good sight meditation, the 8 fold path and a rewritten song that by coincidence shares the same name as the retreat he is speaking at.

Preview: "Be here now, be here now, savor your tea and drink your cloud.  Sit with ease, walk in peace the path will turn to joy you'll see."

Enjoy the artwork submitted by Jeffery Levan, 12 years old of Houston.  He says he will learn how to meditate.  Let's support young Jeffrey by supporting ourselves.