Comments on Arriving to Deer Park

"In January, 2006, I came to Deer Park Monastery for a personal two-week retreat. This was my first visit. An important element in my decision to come was a long-time appreciation of Thich Nhat Hanh's "engaged Buddhism" and his emphasis on being fully alive by seeing things as they are and living fully in the present. A second, and equally important, reason for coming was that I was feeling "out of balance"--over-stimulated, over-extended, over-tired. I needed some quiet, for nourishment and rejuvenation.

At Deer Park I found exactly what I was looking for. My great joy was to experience "being present"--just walking, just sitting, just eating--and experiencing this in a supportive community of practice. I felt the power of moving in the rhythm of the monastic community. My stay has inspired me to find a sangha back home, in which I may deepen my own practice.

This is a beautiful, peaceful, and special place. Thank you for generously inviting friends to come and stay and for your openness and understanding as we who are visitors learn to be part of the community, if only temporarily. I'll be back."

Regards,
Elena L. Rigg
Cedarburg, Wisconsin