Entrance to Deer Park

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Deer Park Monastery, a 400-acre Buddhist Monastery, in Escondido, California was developed in 2001. The founder of this Vietnamese Buddhist community is the reknowned Thich Nhat Hanh .

Make the journey to the Monastery on any given Sunday, and you'll find a quiet retreat, walking trails, a beautiful contemporary Buddhist temple and a free and simple vegetarian Vietnamese lunch served buffet-style.

You'll find Buddhist followers, monks and nuns, visitors, children and a sense of community. You'll find a committment to the environment with the whole spectrum of energy efficiency, conservation, and recycling being practiced.

After seeing Al Gore's, "An Inconvenient Truth", the nuns and monks committed to do their part to reduce global warming and save the planet. In order to be consistent with their principles, they concluded that they didn't want to take from the earth unnecessarily. They became determined to minimize their global footprint.

In fact, in February 2008, they installed 66-kilowatts of solar panels making

Solar Celebration

them 100% solar powered. This community is energy self-sufficient and off the grid. It was a large financial investment, but a worthy investment.

They have purchased old cars and retrofitted them to run on vegetable oil. They compost all their food scraps to be used to fertilize the gardens. And on Tuesday's, they have made a pledge to not use any vehicles.

Why do they do it? In the Buddhist practice, they believe we are all part of each other and the land. In keeping with their practice, they hope to serve as an example of "mindful" living by honoring the environment and being good stewards of the Deer Park's 400 acres.

You'll notice that this is a special place even if it isn't right up your alley or of your religious, cultural or spiritual belief.

Stained Glass in Temple

Walk up the long meditational steps to the large, contemporary centerpiece of the property, the copper-roof temple.With the property in a fairly steady state of being upgraded, the temple is a beacon for enlightenment.

The Temple

The tiny temple on the hillside takes some effort to get up to. Take the dirt path that looks more like a road. Follow it to the grassy plateau. Just to the edge of the hill, you'll see the top of the temple. Walk down the step steps to enter this private meditational spot. There are just two seats in the temple, but three people can squeeze in. The doorway opens to a view of the Escondido valley.

The Monastery is open to the public for weekend retreats, Sunday visits and other planned activities. They have the belief that is called "engaged Buddhism", which means that they want to be a part of the community around them and welcoming to those who visit. If you plan to visit on a Sunday, plan to have lunch with the community. They serve a free and simple vegetarian lunch. TIP: If you wish to talk while you eat, go ahead and sit outside. Dining is a "mindful" experience that is done mostly in silence.

Just being on the property makes one "mindful"-- mindful of the tranquility, the silence, and the practice of taking the time to pay attention to everything we do, everything we have, and everything we hold dear. There are signs all around the property as gentle reminders to take notice and to be present. It seems that everyone walks away from the Monastery a little more aware than when they first arrived.

As the sign says when you enter the property, "you have arrived". Click here for more information

DIRECTIONS: (and you'll need them!)

From Interstate 15-- North or South
(36 miles from SD Airport)
CA-78 East exit towards Ramona/Escondido
Turn left at Broadway (traffic light) in Escondido (which is the end of CA-78)
Go through five traffic lights and turn right on North Avenue
Please drive slowly (15 mph).
Turn left on Cindy Jo Lane
Turn at next right on Melru Lane
Turn at next left into entrance of Deer Park Monastery, 2499 Melru Lane
Drive up mountain road through the oak grove (Clarity Hamlet) to the dirt parking lot.