Deer Park is the name of a park in Varanasi, India, the site of present-day Sarnath. The Deer Park was also called Rishi-patana or ‘the place where hermits gather’. This is the place where Shakyamuni delivered his first sermon. After his Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Shakyamuni, now called the Buddha, the Awakened or Enlightened One, went to the Deer Park where he expounded the Four Noble Truths and converted five ascetics including Kaundinya.

Varanasi today

Hsuang-tsang’s Records of the Western Religion explains the origin of the name Deer Park: The lord of Varanasi once hunted and killed many deer on this land. The deer king implored him to stop the unnecessary killing and promised that each day he himself would give the lord the number of deer which he required. On day, he was faced with the necessity of sending a pregnant deer. Rather than sacrifice her with her unborn child, the deer king went to the lord to offer his own flesh instead. The lord was so moved by the deer king’s compassion that he stopped the daily killing and gave it the land. Hence it was named the Deer Park. Varanasi prospered until the Muslim invasion in the thirteenth century. Many stupas and monasteries were built in this area. 

2,500 years have passed since the Buddha gave his first sermon. Since then his teachings have been repeated and expounded, through time and space, reaching audiences in the east as in the west. ‘Deer Park’ is opened now via the internet to continue the mission of spreading the dharma, and in the example of our great teacher the Buddha, share his findings in the spiritual path with seekers still on the search.

Although the five ascetics were converted as soon as they heard the Buddha’s teachings at ‘Deer Park’, take your time to examine his teachings, for the Buddha expounded no dogmas which one must blindly believe, no creed or faith which one must accept without reasoning, no superstitious rites and ceremonies to be observed, and no meaningless sacrifices and penances for one’s purification. The Buddha presented simple truths to the masses and profound philosophical teachings to the intellectuals. He advised seekers of truth : “Be not led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea that ‘this is our teacher’ (Ahguttara-nikaya, ed. Devamitta Thera (Colombo, 1929). It is crucial for seekers of the truth to exercise their own reasoning and to judge for themselves whether it is right or wrong.

When you yourself know:
These things are good; these things are not blameable;
These things are praised by the wise;
Undertaken and observed,
These things lead to your welfare and happiness’,
Then enter upon and abide in them.