The Peace I Could Feel with the Mountains: An Experience of Buddhism Enthusiast

Last Updated: November 8, 2023

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Hi, I am Beatrice, from Lithuania, a very beautiful country in Europe. Last month I traveled Nepal to stay in a Buddhist Monastery and help the monks as a volunteer.

I must say, this has been one of the most memorable moments of my life. From the very first day, I could feel a different experience of positivity on this trip.

The Day of Arrival

I was picked up by Sujan at the airport on my arrival day, a sweet small guy with big heart and beautiful smile. When he said welcome to Nepal, I could feel the hospitality and welcoming nature of the Nepalese culture.

Later same day, I was welcomed by the host family, and I went for a short walk with my local coordinator Narayan.

Introduction to Nepal

On my first day I went for a brief sightseeing in one of the oldest and highly valued Buddhist temples of Kathmandu, Swayambhunath. It was a completely different world for someone like me who have arrived from the western part of this planet.

The stupas, prayer wheels, prayer flags, Buddhism symbols, temples, everything at the top of a hill which is surrounded by a forest full of monkeys. You can imagine what a surreal experience it would be.

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My Stay in the Buddhist Monastery

For 4 weeks I stayed with the monks in a Buddhist monastery. It was an amazing learning experience. I could find the moment of peace and compassion that I was always looking for.

Teaching the monk kids in the classes was another rewarding experience. I was glad to share my English language skills to the kids so that they could be better with communication while spreading their message and peace and compassion to the world.

Exploring Nepal and Kathmandu

I was lucky to be Nepal in the Autumn season. Nepal and Kathmandu looked really delightful in this season. In my weekend break I went for a hike and a trek with my fellow volunteers and our country coordinator. It was a fun memory filled with incredible experiences.

The first weekend we went for a hike over the top of western hill of Kathmandu valley, Nagarjuna. We visited a Buddhist temple at the top of the hill, temple named Jamacho. It was a completely out of the world experience. The day we visited, there was some Buddhist rituals happening. We witnessed the ceremony with prayers and chanting of Buddhist mantras. From the top we could see green hills covered by clouds, the white Himalayan mountains were blanketed by the clouds, but we could feel the breezes coming from them. Walking through the woods reaching this temple covering whole peak with the Buddhist flag was a heavenly experience.

On one of my final weekends, I went for a trek to Chisapani. Me with 3 other volunteers and our local coordinator, it was another memorable trip. We passed through the tropical forest, visited waterfalls and streams, herd sound of different birds and from the top of the trek, we witnessed the majestic beauty of Himalayan mountains.

Photo: Beatrice walking in the trail

The moment I was beholding different peaks of Himalayas, like Manaslu, Ganesh, Langtang, Dorje Lakpa, Gauri Shankar and Jugal. I felt like those mountains were talking with me with silence. Though my body was in Chisapani, my soul and my thoughts were on those Himalayas, wondering what might be happening at the top of those mystic mountains.

My Spiritual Moment of Mindfulness with Peace of Mind

I have never felt such peace before, and I felt like my self-awareness has reached next level of attainment. This trip had become very mindful experience for me and my moments with the mountains turned out to be like some kind of meditation.

I could feel the mountains calling me. Though I had to return to my country after one month of the stay, I have promised these mountains that I will be back again probably next year, for these mountains, for a longer trek.