On September 19, 2008, the Wake Up movement for young Buddhists and non-Buddhists for a healthy and compassionate society was announced.  Wake Up is a community of young Dharma practitioners who want to help their society which is overloaded with intolerance, discrimination, craving, anger and despair.  They practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings, ethical guidelines offered by the Buddha; the most concrete practice of true love and compassion, clearly showing the way towards a life in harmony with each other and with the Earth. If you are a young practitioner we encourage you to learn about the Wake Up movement in your country.  You can learn more at http://wkup.org.  Todayâs podcast is dedicated to young people and is taken from our 2008 Teen Retreat- Be True, Be Beautiful.  Let us know if you would like to hear more podcasts for youth.

Today we are happy to share a new kind of offering with you.  We are initiating a series of podcasts called the âElements of Practiceâ.   We are so fortunate to have our first offering in this series from Thay Phap Hai, one of our wonderful and experienced dharma teachers here at Deer Park Monastery.  In Sitting Meditation, Part 1, he shares the basics of how to sit, why we sit, and other elements of this practice.  We learn how to be 'noble' and that every place you sit can be a place of awakening.  You may also enjoy practicing with the guided meditation included in the talk.  One of the goals of our podcast is to support individual and sangha practice wherever it is occurring.  We hope this offering will help strengthen your practice. 

Please also visit our new website at www.deerparkmonastery.org and learn more about our tradition and practice.   Please enjoy your sitting.  

May you and all beings be well.

Here is an excerpt from one of Thayâs talks focusing on some lessons for beginning practitioners.  For example, the practice of leaving behind can bring great happiness.  He also discusses skillful ways to relate to your suffering and shares that whether we suffer a little or a lot, is entirely up to us.   We hope you enjoy this wonderful talk.

Please enjoy your peaceful breath.

Dear Friends

This month we offer a wonderful sharing from Dharma teacher Larry Ward at the UN Vesak conference in Vietnam.  âThe question is not what may I do to be saved, but rather, what must we do to be saved.  And by âweâ I mean the whole planetâ.  It is a wonderful talk and we hope you enjoy it.  To Larryâs many gifts already offered to the world a new one is addedâ Loveâs Garden by Peggy Rowe Ward and Larry Ward explores the spiritual dimension of relationship. Larry and Peggy share stories from their own life and offer clear and useful exercises to illustrate how Buddhist principles can help couples navigate difficulties and misunderstandings and deepen their commitment to each other and to their spiritual practice. Loveâs Garden is a perfect guide to help cultivate love in all of our relationships. You can learn more about it and order it www.parallaxpress.org/lovesgarden.

Please enjoy these offerings and your mindful step- full of life and healing.

The practice of Beginning Anew is the deep teaching offered by Dharma teachers Sr. Dang Nghiem and Br. Phap An.  It is a wonderful practice that can help heal relationships and improve communication and understandingâthe foundations for love. This excerpt from the Stonehill College Retreat in 2007, also offers teaching on the power of our minds and how asking the simple question, âAm I sure?â, can relieve much suffering. 

Please enjoy your breath and the beautiful spring days as the dharma rain of Beginning Anew begins to fall.

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful spring.  Here is Part 2 of the 2007 Question and Answer from our College Retreat at Deer Park Monastery.  Dharma teachers offer their insights on many subjects including the impacts of society on our consciousness and how to stay calm and happy.  Br. Phap Ho moderates.

Our next college retreat offers students the opportunity to have a different kind of âspring breakâ by learning the nourishing practices of mindfulness, meditation, and deep relaxation.  EAT:  Mindful Consumption for the Body and Mind for college students of all ages will be held from April 18-20 at Deer Park Monastery.  You can find more information here.  http://www.deerparkmonastery.org/activities/Retreat%20Schedule/2008_Retreat_Schedule.html

 Until then, please enjoy the spring flowers and your peaceful breath.

This month we offer the first of a two part Question and Answer session held during our most recent College Retreat.  Several monastic Dharma Teachers share their insights in response to questions from our college students.  Sr. Viet Nghiem shares why she was so happy to say goodbye to her camera. Br. Phap Luu discusses life before and after death.  Brother Phap Ho leads the question and answer session.   

If you are able, attending a retreat is a very wonderful way to grow solidity and joy in your practice.  All three of our practice centers offer retreats.  If you are interested, please visit the web sites of Deer Park Monastery in Southern California, Blue Cliff Monastery in New York, or Plum Village in France to see when the retreats are offered.  At Deer Park, our next retreats for young people are our Mindful Consumption for the Body and Mind retreat for College students from April 18-20 and our Be True, Be Beautiful retreat for teens from June 18-22.   

Please be well and enjoy your peaceful step on the Earth.

This week we offer you Thay's first talk in Hong Kong, at the University of Hong Kong on 10 May, 2007. Thay fields a number of questions from the audience, including: What can we do to help the situation of global warming? What is Thay's impression of people in Hong Kong? What is the relationship of light to the practice?

The talk is translated by Sister Dang Nghiem.

The talk is translated by Sister Gioi Nghiem.

Brother Phap Khoi translates, and Brother Stream and Sister Jewel pose questions.