Teaching English to Buddhist Monks in Buddhist Monastery in Nepal

Teaching Buddhist monks in Nepal is one of the wonderful opportunity. You will have to opportunity to learn their culture and lifestyle. Most of them are Tibetan monasteries opened by Tibetan refugees that fled the Chinese occupation. These monasteries house hundred of monks 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.

The tremendous Buddhist presence has lead to Buddhist monastery being established in all region of Nepal. Many of these historically significant monasteries are open to the public and located within the Kathmandu valley and surrounding area. In this project you will be educating Buddhist monks in the age range of approximately 5-16 years old. In the monastery at any given time there around 30 to 40 monks, of which there will be 2 classes, one for seniors and one for junior students. A unique opportunities of this placement is the volunteer will have a rare opportunities to witness and participate in traditional Buddhist rituals.

Recently, the Rinpoche or the high lama of the monastery have realized that the monks need to learn English if they are to spread the teaching of Buddhist and communicate effectively with outside people. Hence the monasteries are looking for volunteers to teach English to Buddhist monks. Teaching English to Buddhist monks is an excellent opportunity for volunteers who are interested in Buddhism and culture. In the monastery, volunteers will also have  wonderful opportunity to learn vahrayana from of Buddhism and witness colorful rituals and prayers.

Your responsiblities as a Volunteer:- Volunteers will primarily work as English instructors either in the schools of the Tibetan children’s village or children home. The monastery are usually very spacious. A central building will house prayer room and the main altar. There will be other building for accommodation, eating and staying. During the teaching you will be encouraged to converse with monks to improve their speech you can talk about things back home and ask them about their childhood and life as monks

You will have  a wonderful day everyday you will have to join praying at 5:00 am. This is the optional if you join at 5:00 am in the morning but your break fast accord at7:00am with tea and biscuits after that you will have teaching class inside the monastery. Again there is lunch time at 11:30 am. after the lunched you have few hour free time. 3:00pm is the another chanting time everyday you will have to join them for an hour after the praying you will have another teaching class until 6:00 pm and then dinner. And the following day is the same thing you can do at the monastery.

Teaching English is the main way you will help but there may also be the chance to teach Math’s and Science. You can expect to teach around 3 to 4 hours a day – however some days may be busier than others. There will be flexible curriculum syllabus in Nepal when conducting your lessons. There is usually a government course guide book available according to class standards that focuses on Math’s, English and Science.

You will have a lot of free time, which you can spend travelling, relaxing or learning about the Buddhist way of life. You will find the monks to be accepting and genuinely grateful for your help. You will get the chance to eat with the monks and have the opportunity too take part in some meditation rituals if you are up early enough to learn this practice too!

It is very flexible volunteer can start anytime or any date this program in Nepal but volunteer need to  inform us before 4 weeks that we need arrange living arrangement in the monastery. You should arrive into Tribhuvan international airport in Kathmandu. You will be met at the airport by one of our airport representative who will be holding a named sign. They will take you to your accommodation where you will spend the rest of your day at leisure.