Letter to the Students:

Dear……………….,

One week of our being together at Deer Park has passed already! It is such a privilege and joy to host you.

Your genuine warmth, straightforwardness, and sense of humor makes it so pleasant to be in your company. Thank you for offering this gift to us.
Though we were born and raised in so many different places on this beautiful planet Earth; looking deeply we can see that we are all members of one family.
Therefore it is so easy for us to relate to you as our true sister. These two weeks together are a family reunion where we get to know each other again….. for the first time.

During our first week we have shared laughter, joy, friendship, tears, and sometimes confusion. It has been a rich time of settling in. It has been so apparent to us the many ways in which you take care of each other and the ways that we have bonded as a little family among the larger Sangha. We have given each other permission to be fully who we are. Little by little transformation is taking place.

During these two weeks, the brothers and sisters are sharing their life with you in as open a way as possible. Being here in a Buddhist Monastery is a strange experience for many of you, and we are so grateful for the open-hearted way that you have engaged with us. During these two weeks together, we are doing many activities to help us to connect with our own inner-wisdom. By connecting deeply with the wonders of life in the present moment, we are able to access the beauty and wisdom of our own traditions and heritage; be they Christian, Jewish, Islamic or Buddhist. These two weeks are to help us to develop resources for engaging in life in a more positive way- the brothers and sisters are not interested in converting you to Buddhism, but only with helping you to access the riches of your own traditions. In this time when so many of us are dis-connected, this is the greatest gift we can offer to you.
We know that you may be uncomfortable with the ritual aspects of life in a Buddhist Monastery, and are worried about how this might affect your Christian faith. It is our hope and intention that your own faith, or your own path, will be strengthened and enriched by your time here.

Let us simply meet each other as fellow members of one family. Love is exactly this… an understanding of our non-separateness.
Thank you so much for choosing to be here and engaging so fully. It is our joy and delight to be with you as we step into our second week. Let us face the adventure of the coming days with openness… ready for the joys, challenges and surprises that will come our way.
All of the brothers and sisters are always available for you if you have any questions at all.

Lovingly,
Your brothers,
Phap Niem & Phap Hai,
….along with all of the brothers and sisters of Deer Park Monastery.