Teaching English to Buddhist monks in Buddhist Monastery

Teaching Buddhist monks in Nepal is one of the wonderful opportunities. You will have the chance to learn about their culture and lifestyle. Most of them are Tibetan monasteries opened by Tibetan refugees who fled the Chinese occupation. These monasteries house hundreds of monks who were enrolled in monastic life from an early age. They study and live in the monastery; most of them speak only Tibetan during their studies, so their chances of learning English are very limited. Due to the strong Buddhist influence, many monasteries have been set up throughout Nepal. Several of these historic sites are accessible to visitors and can be found mainly in the Kathmandu Valley and its surroundings. As part of your work on this program, you'll educate or care for young Buddhist monks aged between five and sixteen. There are usually thirty to forty monks living together in each monastery, divided among two groups - senior pupils and juniors. One special feature of working here is that volunteers get a once-in-a-lifetime experience witnessing and participating in authentic Buddhist ceremonies. Lately, the rinpoche (high lamas) of several monasteries recognized that knowledge of English was necessary for spreading Buddhism teachings abroad and communicating more efficiently with outsiders. Therefore, some monasteries seek help from foreign teachers willing to impart basic English skills to local Buddhists. This presents a great volunteering possibility not just for those interested in education but also eager to contribute towards cultural exchange through sharing linguistic abilities with future leaders of religious communities.