Action Wake Up
Action Wake Up (AWU) is a new 15-month residential training program in Buddhist spiritual practice, applied ethics, community living, mindful service, and leadership development.
Deer Park Monastery will welcome the first Action Wake Up cohort of young people (aged 18-35) to live and train in Escondido, California in October 2025 at the annual Rains Retreat.
“When you produce peace and happiness in yourself, you begin to realize peace for the whole world”.
– Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding
The Action Wake Up Program
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister Chan Khong forged a vision of engaged youth working side-by-side with communities to transform violence and create true peace. This vision became a reality in Vietnam during the 1960s with the School of Youth for Social Service and continues today in Wake Up, a worldwide movement of young people building healthy and compassionate societies.
Our Purpose
To catalyze young people’s engagement in meaningful social change, we present the emerging initiative Action Wake Up: a 15-month residential training program in spiritual practice, mindful service, applied ethics, and community living. Deer Park Monastery will welcome the first Action Wake Up cohort of young people (aged 18-35) to live and train in Escondido, California in October 2025.
Three Phases of the Action Wake Up Program (15 months)
Phase 1: Rains Retreat (October 2025 – January 2026)
For the first three months, participants will attend the 2025-2026 Rains Retreat to deepen their mindfulness practice.
Sample Daily Schedule:
5:00 AM Wake up bell
5:45 AM Sitting med.
6:45 AM Exercise time
7:30 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM Working med.
11:30 AM Walking med.
12:30 PM Lunch
2:00 PM Rest period
3:00 PM Class or meeting
4:30 PM Walking med.
6:00 PM Light dinner
7:30 PM Class/personal time
9:30 PM Noble silence
10:30 PM Lights out/bedtime
Note: med. = meditation
Phase 2: Community Engagement and Ongoing Mindfulness Training (January 2026 – October 2026)
Mindful Service & Applied Ethics: After the initial 90-day Rains Retreat, participants will work on action-oriented projects for 9 months with community-based organizations in San Diego, California
Spiritual Practice & Community Living: Monastics, lay Dharma teachers, and Order of Interbeing core members will provide mentorship throughout the program. Participants will continue taking classes, engage in mindful service at Deer Park Monastery, and live together in community.
Participants will also get an opportunity to connect with existing Plum Village sanghas and learn how to build and facilitate their own.
Phase 3: Rains Retreat 2.0 (October 2026 – January 2027)
Leadership Development: At the end of the 9-month service period, participants will complete the program through the 2026-2027 Rains Retreat. Participants will evaluate the impact of their work, reflect on their personal transformation, and guide the next generation of Action Wake Up participants.
Our Aspiration
“Aware that much suffering is caused by war and conflict, we are determined to cultivate nonviolence, compassion, and the insight of interbeing in our daily lives and promote peace education, mindful meditation, and reconciliation within families, communities, ethnic and religious groups, nations, and in the world…”
– The Twelfth Mindfulness Training of the Order of Interbeing
Join Us!
Program Eligibility:
- 18-35 years old by the first day of the program
- Received and continued to practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings
Cost:
- $1,500-$3,000 per month for the first three months, including room and board.
- Full or partial scholarships may be available for the remainder of program.
Application Process:
- We will publish more information about the application process soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about the Rains Retreat and save the dates on your calendar.
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