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    Deer Park Monastery

    4.8 (54 reviews)
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    Marcie L.

    Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park Monastery Today, I attended the Day of Mindfulness at Deer Park Monastery. Check-in was between 8 and 10 AM, with an optional 9 AM walking meditation that lasted an hour. It was a slow, silent walk with a beautiful view, but I had to skip it due to a tailbone injury and significant pain. At 10:15 AM, a Vietnamese speaker led a talk, but headphones were available with live English translation. This was followed by a guided meditation on cooking, which lasted an hour. Next, the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings were recited by two monks, taking turns reading them aloud. This portion also lasted an hour. Afterward, around 12pm, we had lunch, which was absolutely delicious. The complimentary vegetarian/vegan meal included a curry dish, chickpeas, white or brown rice, stir-fry, beet broth, and homegrown mandarin oranges. The first 20 minutes of lunch were observed in silence, followed by dishwashing. A monk kindly offered to wash mine, which I appreciated due to my germaphobia--the idea of putting my hands in multiple communal wash trays without gloves was overwhelming. After lunch, people were free to socialize or visit the monastery's bookstore. My Thoughts: Overall, this was a beautiful experience, and I would love to explore Buddhism further. I appreciate the philosophy and values, as they resonate with me more than many aspects of Christianity, which can sometimes feel judgmental. That said, as someone who is naturally energetic and struggles with being still, the overall pace and hours of quietness was difficult for me. It's definitely something I need to work on. Logistics & Sign-Up Info: The Day of Mindfulness happens every Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM, though we finished around 1:15 PM. You can skip the walking meditation and arrive at 10 AM instead. Slots fill up quickly, so it's best to book at least two weeks in advance. Sign up here: https://deerparkmonastery.org/events/ Getting There: Google Maps will lead you to the entrance, but you'll need to drive another 3-5 minutes uphill to reach the parking lot. From there, it's a 5-7 minute walk up a paved hill to meet the group.

    Mindful eating
    Gaby J.

    I've been coming to deer park monastery on & off since 2016 and each visit has been so peaceful and welcoming. I love the fact that they offer a vegetarian meal at the end of their ceremony and their library offer a wide array of Thich Nhat Hanh novels & teachings. I usually donate between $10-$20 or more when I purchase from the bookstore, which I often do. If anyone is interested in deepening their mindfulness practice, I highly recommend the monastery. Although it is a 45 minute drive from central San Diego (the only reason I don't go here as often as I should), I truly appreciate how peaceful & beautiful this monastery is. Although this monastery is solely focused on the teachings of the buddha, it is open to the public, meaning anyone with an open mind is more than welcome. No religion affiliation is required (I've met many people of different religion affiliation in this monastery from christians to hindus to jews) but you must be respectful of the brothers/sisters who live here such as being on time (try to get here early especially for the lectures), dressing modestly and staying silent during meals. Parking: Gravel parking, please drive slowly & carefully Recommendations: Like a yoga class, please come here 10-15 minutes early as well as rsvp online for the day of mindfulness (the only time this monastery is open to the public) so the monks can have enough seats and food.

    Stay a minute. Breath. Feel bored .....breath. Stay a bit.
    Teresa L.

    Amazing. This place was lovely. The message is lovely. All welcome. You can feel the love.

    Thanksgiving vegetarian and vegan foods prepared by monks and nuns and lay practitioners home cooked items.
    Kim K.

    I attended their day of gratitude, Thanksgiving Day 2022. Looking forward to many more years to come. You can being heirlooms and photos to honor your ancestors if you choose. The talk was by Thay Phap Dung- very relatable, almost unconventionally, which helps me appreciate the personality differences of monks while the messages still remain the same. uses such a great mix of humor and realistic frameworks! Sister Dang Nghiem also sat at the table I was seated during the dharma talk. I attended a day of mindfulness on What to do when a loved one dies earlier this year; where Sister D shared profound stories and insights, and the community supported me with the brightest light of wisdom and love. This wonderful place turns tides.

    Agave transformation
    Desmond W.

    This is where I discovered the beauty and power of a mindful Community (satsang sangha). If you're looking for a five star hotel retreat experience, you better look elsewhere, but you'll experience something here that's much better than you'll get at a five star spiritual retreat. At this picturesque and serene monastery, you'll consume delicious vegan/vegetarian meals, enhanced by the mindful energy of the resident monastics and long term guests who frequent this sacred space. You will also receive a skillful orientation about the art of mindful living and have plenty of opportunities to practice alone and with others, several times a day, while sitting and walking, joyfully, and attentively. Places like this are becoming more rare, as more forests get cut down to build new homes or space for new roads which creates more noise pollution and toxic air.Come and cherish this oasis from the madness of the nearby cities.

    Post sunrise hiking
    Joop V.

    It's a new year and it's only appropriate that I write about Deer Park Monastery, a beautiful place affiliated with Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village and nestled in the mountains a lil north of San Diego that brought me so much peace, joy and happiness in a way I never knew was possible. I spent 2 weeks at a retreat at Deer Park and learned first hand how to practice mindfulness and learned valuable things such as how to focus on being in a present moment, how to contemplate about life and being and how to effectively nourish my mind and body. The days spent there had parts of the schedule that were structured (waking up at 5am for morning meditation sitting, exercise walking meditation, working meditation, deep relaxation, evening sitting and in bed by 9pm) but also allowed for free time for own exploration and activities (sunrise and sunset hiking, movies, reading, relaxing and gettogether with friends or even participation in day of mindfulness). It's hard to describe how much peace and joy I feel towards Deer Park unless you experience it yourself. And to be honest, I had not so much idea about Plum Village or Thich Nhat Hanh's style of practice before joining. The monastic and laypeople who form the Sangha communities are probably the most valuable resources/assets of this practice. They are kind, supportive, lighthearted and super peaceful people (also...being a lil superficial but blunt, observant me...I swear the nuns there look 10+ years younger than their actual ages!!..better than results from all the facial creams out there :)). It's amazing how much peace and happiness there is in a community that those people live in. I'm not a super spiritual or religious person and these past days in a retreat were probably the most spiritually intensive time I ever had in my life. What I love and appreciate most about this practice is that it is very practical, easy to understand...and is inclusive. It does not discriminate against other religions/backgrounds (many mindfulness practitioners there are not Buddhists..but from other religions such as Christians and Judaism...and even many of the monks/nuns there are westerners/non-Vietnamese). After the retreat, I felt my mind was much more focused, clearer and simply more peaceful. My body also loved the clean, homemade vegetarian food there (I ate sooo much there that I gained a few pounds...oops :P). It was such a good change to be away from the normal hectic, stressful life that I was so used to. Now that I had experienced a retreat firsthand, I made it part of my resolutions that I wanted to attend plum village retreats some time again in the future, be it back in any retreat centers in the U.S., Thailand...or hopefully one day in France. If you are looking for a retreat to nourish your soul or to help focus on practicing mindfulness, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out activities at Deer Park (or other plum village affiliations). It's by far the best investment in time that I made last year towards self improvement.

    Alison L.

    I came here with my cousin a couple weeks ago for a Day of Mindfulness. My cousin had been reading a lot of Thich Naht Hanh's books and wanted to visit the monastery. We were greeted with beautiful songs that literally brought me to tears. The lyrics were so sincere and it felt comforting to hear people from all walks of life singing together. We then went on a group walk. It found it to be difficult for me because I couldn't figure out how to pace my breathing and steps together. Afterward, we had a Dharma talk led by Sister Brightness. She was great and really explained things in a way that a Millenial (like myself) could understand. Sister Brightness should have a podcast or youtube series! After the Dharma talk, we had a nice vegan lunch in silence. The food was pretty good, not the best temple food I've had but MUCH BETTER than the food at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights. Sorry/ no offense to Hsi Lai.

    Sanaz S.

    I have known about this place for about a year, and have wanted to go. I did some research and found out there were weekend retreats. And all this time I have not yet been able to make it to one, but I was able to make it to the day retreat (which is open to the public on Sundays). You do need to check the calendar because it's not open to the public every Sunday as they have other events going on at the monastery. It was a wonderful experience, all of it! The meditation walk was so peaceful and so nice. Such a wonderful way to start the day. The dharma talk (which was in the ocean of peace meditation hall) was led by a monk that resides at the monastery. He was a very gentle soul and a very eloquent yet down to earth speaker. The lunch, which was all vegan (which is a perk for me since I am vegan), was delicious. I like that they asked for it to be eaten in silence, and I also like that we waited for everybody to get their food before we began eating. The relaxation in the meditation hall afterwards was so nice, I have decided in a perfect world that female monks will sing me monastic chants and lullabies after my lunch every day for the rest of my life. I kid..but one can dream! We stopped into the gift shop and bookstore and got some delicious vegan Popsicles and some souvenirs. I will definitely return, this is a beautiful place, and everybody was so kind and so humble. Truly felt like I got away from all of the chaos of daily life and found my centering again. What a gift. Thank you Deer Park monastery.

    A short hiking trail leads to this statue :)
    Alan T.

    Though I don't label myself a Buddhist, I do accept many of its teachings :) I also generally enjoy being Buddhist establishments more so than I enjoy the other religious house of worships; synagogues, churches, etc. Last time I was here, I was still a fat kid... My friends wanted to do something outdoorsy, and so I suggested basking in the calmness of Buddhist people and the serenity of nature... of course I didn't use those exact words, but whatever I said was enough to convince them to go! We left a little before 6am to avoid the horrible morning traffic; had we left any later, I don't think any amount of meditation or meatless food would've made up for that traffic. The Buddhist establishments around here, (south OC) aren't really Buddhist, in my opinion... they tend to involve more superstition into their beliefs. Deer Park is different; they are extremely nice, for one, they have better food, they're establishment is within a very green and lush environment, and they don't pressure you to donate money. Anyway... check their website for days with events :) I'm not sure what they do on "non-event" days. Food is decent... I wanted to get more but I didn't want to take away any amount of food from these generally small framed Buddhists! I volunteered for washing dishes as a way of repaying them for the food; the dish washing was fun; I had this hose thing that shot water when you squeezed the trigger. :) p.s. Don't bring meat! That's just not cool! OK! No more Yelp! Good night!

    DeerParkMonastery 01-07-11 Schedule Clarify Nuns
    KAY KAY L.

    I just come back from my retreat from Friday 01-07-11 to Sunday 01-09-11. I meet 5 more new friends. Some have been there for 3 weeks plus and some will stay until 2-3 more months. I wish don't have to go back to work so I can stay there longer. One of my roommate Rita is a Judge and she came from CO. This is her 4th retreats and said she will come back more. She know of the place from reading one of Thay Thich Nhat Hanh's book. She is the one who share with me Thomas Merton's "They have not came to the monastry to escape from the realities of life but to find those realities..." so beautifully words. This monastry is so blissful and are sounded by so much trees, birds, plants and etc..... I will load more pictures tomorrow. I will come back for to stay more. I love everything about it. If you can't stay for the retreat, come for one of the Thursday or Sundday mindfulness day. Make sure to plan a whole day so you have time do the walking meditation and free vegan lunch (just make a donation for your food) and plan to walk about after lunch. If you like nature, clean air, and beautiful views, check it out.

    big hall
    Sophie L.

    I attended their college student retreat one weekend last fall and had a truly amazing experience. I thought the idea of waking up at the crack of dawn and maintaining silence for over 12 hours was completely ridiculous but found the entire weekend to be meaningful and enlightening. We practiced sitting, walking, and eating meditation throughout the day and learned the philosophies and educations of Buddhism through Dharma talks and conversing with the friendly monastics. They were careful not to impose too many religious facets but rather allowed room for us to observe and experience a mindful, peaceful, and understanding lifestyle. I understood little about Buddhism and the philosophy of it before attending the retreat and came out learning and appreciating so much. I would love to attend another retreat.

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    11 days ago

    Beautiful and so peaceful!! This place is stunning and so wonderful. The people are so wonderful who are there.

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    9 years ago

    Bulldog rock trail!!! One of my favorite hikes in escondido. Takes about 40 minutes to get to the top and totally worth the view.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Deer Park Monastery

    If I have outdoor lodging , will I have access to a clean restroom ? I saw an old review that stated the bathrooms weren't in good shape

    Yes, we provide clean restrooms in the camping area. There are also others available a short walk by the meditation hall. The facilities are older and we do our very best to keep them clean and usable. Please speak to us when you arrive if there are… Read more

    Is it safe to drive? Are the roads narrow and close to cliffs? I am terrified by heights and want to make sure the road trip is not like big bear mountains.

    The road is clear and open. No danger.

    Will there some additional overnight retreat dates to come in 2021? I'm so sad we've missed the days in July.

    Tonya. Thank you for the question. Yes, we are working on it and should have some information posted soon. Thank you for the patience.

    Are we able to still visit on Sunday's Day of Mindfulness? We don't want to participate, but just want to tour the nature.

    The gate should be open by 8:00 AM but even if you don't want to participate, you should email the office and let them know how many plan to visit with you so they can have a head count of visitors for the day. Therefore, if you decide to eat, they… Read more

    I live in San Diego and want to find out about upcoming or ongoing retreats. I am burned out, off center. Pls let me know as I am hoping to come by months end. Ok? Namaste

    Hello Karen! Thank you for writing and asking the question. We maintain a list of events at the link below. Typically we are open on Sunday. We have a Family Retreat this month, but it has a waiting list. Our next "big" retreat that still has space… Read more

    Has anyone attended a Family Retreat? Thinking of bringing my 2-year-old and wondering if that would be appropriate. And does anyone have a sample schedule for the Family Retreat?

    Hello Elle! I write with a decade of experience attending the Family Retreat. We certainly have children under the age of five at every Family Retreat, and they are more than welcome. The retreat schedule and programming doesn't have anything… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Deer Park Monastery

    The dharma talk (which was in the ocean of peace meditation hall) was led by a monk that resides at the monastery.

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    Tu Vien Tuong Van

    Tu Vien Tuong Van

    5.0(2 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    I took my daughter, dad, and uncle to this temple today for Lunar New Year. It was my first time…read morehere and I was really impressed with the beautiful garden in front of the temple. There's a beautiful koi pond with some fish as big as 2 feet long. They did a great job putting up all the new year decorations, and it was very festive! The temple is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood, and the neighbors were kind enough to offer parking in front of their house. The monk and some of the regulars there were incredibly nice and welcoming. They had free vegetarian food served buffet style, as well as hot tea and coffee. It's nice to know there's a friendly temple that's not too far away. I look forward to visiting again.

    Came here on a Sunday at 11:30am for a 49 day death anniversary. You can just ask the people who…read moreworship here about organizing that. The main room fit about 50 people. It's just like the size of a living room. So if you've got a large family or friends, I would probably go to another temple. They provide little cushions to sit on that look super comfy and the typical tables that look like chairs to put the Buddhist prayer books on top so you can read from while you're sitting on the ground. But they also provide chairs to sit on if you want to sit around the edges. The only downside is that parking here is pretty bad. It's just like a normal home but they configure it so that it's like a temple. Luckily my dad had a friend who lived across the street so we could park in his driveway. Every Sunday they sell vegetarian food. You can get a salad for $5. But the box is pretty small. They also sell a little case of seaweed. If you want a large quantity of food, you need to call ahead so they can make the food. Many people order food from online from this place. On this very day the head monk said that they were making 300 bowls of ramen!! That's a lot!! For lunch, we all got one plate of food with salad, 3 fried chips, and one banana wrapped thing. And a bowl of ramen which included some veggie meat, some veggies, a big mushroom, and half a boiled egg that was made in some way that wasn't directly from a chicken. The ramen brother was made by the head monk himself. He urged everyone to make sure to drink it all because he made it from vegetables and herbs he got. Next month they're going to extend the eating area so that it reaches all the way to the end of the backyard. Also in May, they have an event for Mother's Day at 10:30am so be sure to come by! 5 stars because you can't really judge a small temple like this who's just doing the best they can. The fact that they're even running this temple in a house is amazing itself.

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    Tu Vien Tuong Van
    Tu Vien Tuong Van
    Tu Vien Tuong Van

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    Thai Buddhist Temple

    Thai Buddhist Temple

    4.4(9 reviews)
    5.3 mi

    Lunch served til 3 pm. Impressive watching them grind up the many ingredients to season each papaya…read moresalad order. Doc and hubs ate chicken skewers, and iced Thai coffee with their papaya salad. I opted for boat noodles(soup dish) choosing beef instead of pork. The lady also added these whitish round delicious items into my bowl I'm guessing was perhaps fish cake. Still full from breakfast I ate maybe 1/3 of it. Hoitobo(glutton) you know who alias Pugsley finished the rest of it. Very Unique experience. Doc said next week they are having a special food event. Two of the gentlemen were very welcoming and very friendly.

    First time visiting the Thai Buddhist Temple in Escondido…read more Parking: -Situated in a residential neighborhood, you can easily find street parking. There were also some parking stalls at the temple itself Food: -They serve food and drinks here on Sundays. I came a little after noon. Unlike some other Thai temples I've been to in the past that served food, this one had no lines which I appreciated. -today when I visited they had two different types of noodle soups, papaya salad, bbq chicken, Thai tea and coffee, as well as things like fried fish. -you can pay with items via cash. They have menus around the temple with how much things cost. You order at the various stations and place your money in the wooden donation box. -they have a self serve condiments section with spices and vinegar. There are also utensils that you help yourself to. -when you are done, you discard any leftovers you have by the sink. Pros: -lots of regulars come here so it's nice to see the strong community. Some of the regulars were really friendly and introduced themselves to me and introduced me to others -they have outdoor seating so you can enjoy your food Cons: -none

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    Thai Buddhist Temple
    Thai Buddhist Temple
    Thai Buddhist Temple

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    Deer Park Monastery - buddhist_temples - Updated May 2026

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