Contact
Testimonies
Teaching English to Buddhist Monks
Nepal has many spectacular Buddhist monasteries. Most of them are Tibetan monasteries opened by Tibetan refuges that fled the Chinese occupation. These monasteries house thousand of monks and they’ve enrolled in the life of a monkhood from early in their lives. They study and live in the monastery. They mostly use Tibetan language only during their study and their chances of learning English are very limited..
Recently, the Rinpoche (or the high Lama) of the monasteries have realized that the monks need to learn English if they are to spread the teaching of Buddha and communicate effectively with western people. Knowledge of english is also getting very important because of the growing popularity of english language all over the world. Hence, the monasteries are looking for volunteers to teach english to buddist monks. Teaching english to buddist monk is an excellent opportunity for volunteers who are interested in buddism and culture. In the monasteries, volunteers will also have a wonderful opportunity to learn Vajrayana form of Buddhism. You’ll witness colorful rituals and prayers and you can also indulge in meditation.
Your Activities as a Volunteer:
As a volunteer in teaching English to Buddhist Monks project, you will work in the monastery where you will teach English to the Monks. You will converse with them to improve their speech. Talk about things back home and ask them about their childhood and life as a monk. You’ll also teach them about grammar rules and try to increase their vocabulary. You must however talk respectfully to the monks at all times.
Project skills required:
No specific skills or qualifications are required for this project. However, volunteers are expected to be respectful to monks and monastery's rules. Interest in buddism, flexibility, and self-motivation help volunteers to make their stay rewarding and memorable. .
Project Location
The project sites are located near and around Kathmandu, where Tibetan villages are located. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. It’s also known as the city of temples. You can find more than half a dozen ancient historical places and World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. The orphanages are located in and around Kathmandu. The volunteers also have numerous opportunities to explore the sites under cultural heritage during free time.
Arrangement of room/food/supervision
RCDP-Nepal will manage your entire accommodation, food and supervision during your stay. During this project, you will stay in the monastery (monk hostel). You’ll be provided a simple room and use communal toilets. You’ll be served 3 local meals a day. Staying in the monastery provides you with a wonderful opportunity to experience the culture and tradition of Buddhism. Our staffs will visit you your placement in every two weeks. During the visit, we will check on your progress and make sure you’re satisfied.
(Note: Volunteers attending this project will have to contribute an additional fee of USD $ 100/month as assistance to the monastery. The additional fee will be directly handed over to the monastery’s management.)
