Volunteering and Staying in Buddhist Monastery [Is it worth it?]. Based on My Experience.

Last Updated: July 04, 2023

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Hi I am Jaime , I travelled on June 12th all the way from Mexico to Nepal. I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm to stay in a Buddhist Monastery. It was my first time traveling in this side of the Asia and definitely first time of experience to live with the Buddhist monks in the Buddhist monastery.

The day I landed in Nepal temperature of city was a little more than average days here, sky was cloudy however and my host was saying we could expect few rains in the upcoming days. I loved the weather of Kathmandu, the rain mostly happened in the nights and in the days, sky looked partially blue with cumulous clouds.

The first day was my orientation and introduction of city. I walked around the center of Kathmandu valley with my host. We walked across some of the beautiful temples of city. At that moment I realized how culturally rich Kathmandu city is and how spiritually filled the people are here.

The mutuality and harmony between Hindu and Buddhist people in Kathmandu really fascinated me and I found it really beautiful to see that they even shared spaces within same temple areas. I could see statue of Buddha in Hindu temples and Hindu sculptures around Buddhist shrines.

My Stay in Buddhist Monastery

My stay in the Buddhist Monastery started from the next day. Right after our car entered through the gate of Monastery, I saw many monk kids assembled at the ground of the monastery waving ‘hi’ to us. This made me felt welcomed and overwhelmed me with appreciation and admiration.

From next day, my English classes to the monk kids started. It was definitely an experience I would never forget. Communication has been a important part of these monk kids. In the monastery they learned 3 languages, Nepali, Tibetan and English. I was really glad to help them learn the English language.

There were local teachers, other volunteers and senior monks who helped me to make my teaching process smooth. I am really thankful to everyone for making my teaching efforts possible, because it was something that I have never done before. I definitely needed help with this.

My Journey Of Compassion and Empathy

During my stay I found out monastery is accommodating not only those kids who plan to be the monks in the future but also the kids from the mountainous part of Nepal who do not have family or whose family have financial difficulty raising them.

I realized the giving nature of Buddhism and Asian culture. I found out how this institution has been helping people without expecting anything in return. My stay in monastery made me realize more compassionate we become less painful our life will be. While playing with the kids, while teaching them the language they need and while sharing every single moment of kindness, I explored the beauty of compassion and empathy.

Finally! My Favorite Moment, Praying in Buddhist Temple

The monastery facility had a temple in the middle of the facility. Every morning and evening I attended their prayers and worshipping. The humming sound of Buddhist chants blended with the sound of drum and trumpet absolutely had a frequency that would exactly resonate your mind to the level of peace.

The interior of the temple was magnificent, the sculptures, the paintings, the aroma of incense, would definitely take you to another world. I never missed a day of the prayers, I really loved staying the embracing each and every moment of peace and compassion from there.

My Verdict!Is it Worth it Volunteering and Staying in Buddhist Monastery?

Now the moment of truth, as I asked, Volunteering in Buddhist Monastery, is it worth it? Based on my experience, I would definitely say Yes, it is worth it. Till my age of 22, I have travelled different parts of the world, but so far my journey in the Buddhist Monastery of Nepal has been a memorable one.

This journey filled me with the memories I would always want to keep with me and remember the lessons of compassion and empathy I learned during these times.