461: Sister Le Nghiem: Put Your Heart into the Practice (Meet the Monastics)
Deer Park Dharmacast
Sister Le Nghiem came to the practice after the death of her brother, and typically does solo retreat at the monastery for a few weeks a year. "So the practice gives me the greatest happiness. And this practice gives me being with others. Being with friends on retreat. Being with my siblings. Spending time each other. So when I practice it gives me happiness. And when my practice is deep, my happiness gets deeper. So it's all to do with the practice, nothing else." 2:17 Death of Brother and Discovering Thay's Teachings 9:25 Meeting the Monastic Sangha, Deciding to Become a Nun 17:00 Spending...
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460: Sister Trung Chinh: The Whole Universe Embraces Us
Deer Park Dharmacast
Sister Sr. Trung Chinh left Vietnam as a refugee and has been a nun for over fifty years. "The aspiration of a monk or a nun is that we have to arrive to the most peaceful place, the happiest place in ourselves. And there's only the daily practice. The daily practice only helps us to arrive to that place, that aspiration. It's the daily practice of each person. If each one of us do our best and lessen our hate, our love, our attachment, our anger, we let go of them day by day, then we can see we can love everybody." 2:44 Discovering Spirituality and Ordination 7:35 Dreaming of the Buddha and...
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459: Brother Minh Nhan: See For Yourself
Deer Park Dharmacast
Brother Minh Nhan, one of the only monastics in the Plum Village tradition of Mexican descent, is a monk of many interests: music, mushrooms, math, and more. "To join a community that maybe looks different, maybe don't see others like myself in it, let's say. Yeah, I mean, that's one way to look at it, but look at it as also, you're the one entering that. And you needn't be the last one either." 1:54 Introduction to Spirituality 14:38 Dropping Out of College 20:33 Arriving at Deer Park 22:11 Depression 31:09 Practice, Study, Play, and Rest 36:32 Being a Mexican Buddhist Monk 40:14 Advice...
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458: Sister Boi Nghiem: The Hard Work Has Been Done
Deer Park Dharmacast
Sister Boi Nghiem studied nursing before being ordained, and works regularly as a nun with the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and teen communities. "I think I have a very healthy relationship with myself. Very healthy mental dialogue with myself. There were times I comforted myself. There were times I'm very firm with myself, tell myself to stop thinking that way. And they help. This is why I kept on sharing the importance of self-love. Because by the end of the day, it is the self-love that helped me, that saved me, that keeps me going. Because if I continue to criticize myself or have excessive negative...
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457: Brother Phap Dung: Now You Get to Choose
Deer Park Dharmacast
It's Meet the Monastics! Brother Phap Dung is a Vietnamese refugee who worked as an architect in Los Angeles before finding the practice, healing his relationship with his father, and changing the course of his life. "Now you get to choose, and it's deliberate. That is a monk. I choose to be in this intimate way with the community, with this path. I choose not to be in a romantic relationship. I choose to have real relationships with people I come across with. It's always a constant choice." 2:35 Meeting Thay and the Sangha 9:51 Joining the Buddhist "Enterprise" 14:40 Signs 19:28...
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456: Brother Minh Luong: Building a Practice Space Within
Deer Park Dharmacast
Brother Minh Luong was raised in Laguna Beach, California, and went to NYU, where he read a book that changed his life. "I realized recently that there really is no separation between the practice and everything we do in our daily life. Either we're creating conditions for a practice space, like an internal practice space, or we're taking conditions away. And so if I can live in a calm and peaceful and serene way and do things that contribute to mindfulness and peace in my daily life, then I'll have a lot of success in my spiritual practice." 2:03 Introduction to Buddhism 5:58 Moving...
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457: Sister Kinh Nghiem: Run Away Now
Deer Park Dharmacast
Sister Kinh Nghiem, one of the funniest and most stylish nuns in the world, was ordained when she was only 14. "Get rid of all of your ideas of what monastic practice is. You know, you come here, I mean, the practice is wonderful. And it's for you to come and see for yourself. But if you start getting ideas of what you expect monastic life to be like, you'll have a hard time. Because there's two sides to the coin, if you want to say it, you know? Sometimes the sisters have some expectation, and then you and yourself have some expectation. "Oh, I thought this was a Buddhist community. I think...
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455: Introducing a New Podcast: Meet the Monastics
Deer Park Dharmacast
Weekly Episodes Starting October 15 From Deer Park Monastery, it's Meet the Monastics, a new podcast featuring interviews with fully ordained monks and nuns, hosted by Brother Minh An and produced by Kenley Neufeld. As monastics, the most common question asked of us is, you guessed it, why did you become a monastic? This podcast is for anyone who's ever wanted to ask that question. Each week, we'll bring you conversations with fully ordained monks and nuns about their journey to monastic life and what inspires them now. We hope they inspire you to live a happier, kinder, and more...
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454: How to Stop, Rest, and Heal
Deer Park Dharmacast
A Dharma talk with Br. Man Tue from the Ocean of Peace Meditation Hall at Deer Park Monastery during our Day of Mindfulness, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Our theme is how to stop, rest, and heal.
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453: Understanding Our Impulses
Deer Park Dharmacast
Sister Áo Nghiêm offered this beautiful and personal Dharma talk for our Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, July 16, 2023.
info_outlineSister Boi Nghiem studied nursing before being ordained, and works regularly as a nun with the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and teen communities.
"I think I have a very healthy relationship with myself. Very healthy mental dialogue with myself. There were times I comforted myself. There were times I'm very firm with myself, tell myself to stop thinking that way. And they help. This is why I kept on sharing the importance of self-love. Because by the end of the day, it is the self-love that helped me, that saved me, that keeps me going. Because if I continue to criticize myself or have excessive negative thoughts, I cannot do much. It's very tiring. So I think that is the reason why that helped me not to fall into burnout.""
3:07 Heartbreak, Visiting Green Mountain, Deer Park, and Plum Village
6:37 Novicehood at Plum Village
11:40 Magnolia Grove Monastery
25:00 Interest in Social Injustice
28:34 Teens
34:42 LGBTQIA+
40:55 BIPOC
53:26 Burnout
1:07:07 Basic Practice
1:17:25 Advice for Potential Monastics
You can support this podcast by leaving a comment or review in your podcast application and by sharing it with friends. Financial support can be offered through the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.
This episode of “Meet the Monastics,” hosted by Brother Minh An from Deer Park Monastery, shares insights into the lives and practices of monastics in the Plum Village tradition.
In this episode, he interviews Sister Boi Nghiem (Sister True Pearl), who joined monastic life in 2005 at age 21. Sister Boi Nghiem emphasizes the significance of self-love and healthy inner dialogue as key practices to maintain well-being and prevent burnout. She shares her journey from a childhood in central Vietnam to immigrating to the U.S. and eventually finding spiritual direction after a difficult breakup. Initially drawn to Plum Village for personal healing, she gradually committed to monastic life.
Sister Boi Nghiem has devoted herself to supporting diverse groups, including the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and teen communities. Her advocacy grew from personal experiences and a deep awareness of societal suffering, leading her to foster inclusivity in the Sangha. Her practice of mindfulness, compassion, and gratitude is nurtured by regular breathing exercises, walking meditation, and the support of her monastic community.
The episode also highlights the foundational role of the Plum Village Sangha and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh in fostering a mindful, compassionate, and engaged monastic community.