WE ARE LIFE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES: A Mindfulness Retreat for People of Color

We are Life without Boundaries:
Creating Compassionate Community
A Retreat for People of Color and their families*

http://deerparkmonastery.org/us_tour/POC%202007.html

September 6—9, 2007
Deer Park Monastery, Escondido, CA
Offered by Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh and the nuns, monks,
and dedicated friends of the international Plum Village community

This is our fourth annual retreat offered to People of Color at Deer Park. This four-day retreat, offered to people of Native American, African, Latina/o, Asian/Pacific Islander, Caribbean and Middle Eastern ancestry, and a small number of their Caucasian family members, will be an opportunity to learn and enjoy the art of mindful and peaceful living. This retreat will help us learn to recognize and embrace our pain, find peace within ourselves, and foster stronger sisterhood and brotherhood in our communities. It will give us an opportunity to stop, rest, and touch the source of wisdom, compassion and healing in ourselves, so that we can renew our relationships and bring peace and understanding to our world. Through the practice of mindfulness we will learn how to nourish happiness, gratitude, good communication and serenity in our daily life.

In this retreat Thich Nhat Hanh (known as Thay) will give daily Dharma Talks, and every day we will practice sitting meditation and outdoor walking meditation in order to develop our calm, stability, peace and joy. We will have time to enjoy our meals in silence, taking time to contemplate the food and the presence of other practitioners around us. We will meet together in small groups to share our experience of the teachings and practice of mindfulness. We will learn how to rest and relax our bodies and our minds in the practice of Total Relaxation. In retreats at Deer Park we all share in daily working meditation periods, learning to work together in harmony and with ease to help the retreat run smoothly. This could include helping with food preparation or clean up and keeping common areas clean. There will be a period of Noble Silence each day to help us cultivate our inner wisdom, and we will enjoy periods of personal time to reflect, absorb the beauty of the mountains and connect with other retreatants. On Saturday evening, we will share songs, stories and skits to remember and honor our blood ancestors.

All these practices, experienced in the presence of a supportive community of monastic and lay participants, will help us go forward on the path of transforming our pain and anger and cultivating the seeds of compassion and peace in our everyday lives, as individuals, families, communities and as a society. Being firmly grounded in the practices of mindfulness is the foundation for compassionate action.

This is a family retreat and children and teens are welcome. The first part of the morning Dharma talks are offered to the children. A mindfulness practice program will be offered for children six and older, with the help of parents. A teen’s program will also be offered for ages 13-17. Below is a list of the usual daily activities at a retreat. Actual times will be set just before the retreat. We usually start the day at around 6 a.m. and end the day at around 10 p.m.
Sample Schedule:

Morning Activities

Afternoon & Evening Activities

Walking Meditation


Lunch and Rest

Sitting Meditation


Dharma Discussion/Tea Meditation in small groups

Breakfast


Dinner

Working Meditation


Five Mindfulness Trainings Presentation, Q&A, Total Relaxation, or Touching the Earth.

Dharma Talk


Sitting meditation

The retreat begins with check-in from 1 to 5p.m. on Thursday, September 6th, with dinner served at 5:30 p.m., and an orientation talk at 7:30 p.m. The retreat will end after lunch on Sunday, Sept. 9th. Please plan to attend the entire retreat.

*Please be aware that this is not a general retreat, it is a special emphasis retreat. We regularly offer such retreats whether it is for Vietnamese or French speakers, businesspeople, veterans, entertainers, etc. People of Color will have priority in terms of lodging, practice activities, and group sharing. Because it is important for multiracial families to practice together, limited attendance will be offered to Caucasian family members of People of Color, depending on space vacancy. This retreat is open only to Caucasians attending with their family members of Color. We ask that the Caucasian family members who may come play a supportive, background role in the retreat; for example, in a Question and Answer session with Thay, People of Color will be given priority in asking questions. In the small group discussions, People of Color and Caucasian retreatants will meet separately unless retreatants of color choose otherwise. Thay and the monastic Sangha ask for your support and understanding.

Our monastic Sangha that will be hosting the retreat is a diverse mixture of many ethnicities, including Caucasian (from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe), and they will participate in the small group discussions. We know that some retreatants prefer to be in a group discussion with People of Color only—including the monks and nuns—and this will also be provided (see registration form). There will also be a small number of Caucasian lay staff helping to cook and clean for the retreat.

Dorms are limited, but there is plenty of outdoor space for tents and RVs. Please register early to reserve a room. Our dorm rooms are simple, for four to six people, with a toilet and shower. Dorms are assigned by gender. Couples will be housed by gender unless camping. We have both gender-specific and gender-neutral public bathrooms. There are steep hills at Deer Park, please contact us for more information, or if you have special needs. If there is enough interest, we will do our best to provide Spanish translation. Deferred payment plans and scholarships are available for those with financial need. Please contact us for an application form.

All meals are vegetarian. We are unable to cater to individual dietary needs. Retreatants are requested to refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol during the entire retreat and to practice The Five Mindfulness Trainings which are the foundation of the international Plum Village communities, bringing happiness and meaning to all that we do. A full text of the Five Mindfulness Trainings will be sent along with the retreat confirmation package after you have registered. There will be an opportunity to formally receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings during the retreat. If you cannot attend the retreat but would like to receive the Mindfulness Trainings, please contact us.

DEER PARK MONASTERY is in Escondido, 45 minutes northeast of San Diego, CA. On 400 acres of rocky mountain, sage brush and ancient oak groves, there are quiet hiking trails and spacious valleys. We offer year-round retreats in the art of mindful living, healing and transformation.

Transportation to Deer Park Monastery:

* Nearest Airport: San Diego International Airport (SAN), 36.7 miles from Deer Park. You can link to a rideshare bulletin board on our website to coordinate shuttle rides from the airport to Deer Par, or you can directly visit: http://s7.invisionfree.com/Deer_Park_Monastery/index.php
* Nearest bus station: Escondido Transit Center, 700 W. Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92025, 4.9 miles from Deer Park. Greyhound Bus, www.greyhound.com.
* Nearest train station: Oceanside Amtrak Station, 235 S. Tremont Ave., Oceanside, CA 92054 USA., 17.39 miles from Deer Park.



Registration is now available ONLINE or download form in WORD or PDF

For More Information and to Register please contact:
We are Life without Boundaries Retreat, Deer Park Monastery, 2499 Melru Lane, Escondido, CA 92026-8447.
Tel: (760) 291-1003 (x100) or 1-800-331-2621
Fax: (760) 291-1010 Email: ustour@plumvill.net
For registration forms or to register online visit our website: www.deerparkmonastery.org