Teaching English in Monasteries

Teaching English to Buddhist Monks has been especially designed for volunteers interested to learn from and about Buddhist culture.

Volunteers will work in Ngesdon Osel Ling, a monastery on the outskirts of Kathmandu, for a period of one or two months up to a year - the longer, the better. The duration of the involvement will be decided upon by VIN and the volunteers. These will teach English to both junior and senior monks, as well as teachers, for around two to three hours per day. 

In turn, the monks will share their philosophy and culture with the volunteers as much as their English allows them to. Volunteers have access to a vast library of Dharma books and can join the monks' practices and ceremonies.

Additionally, there are many pilgrimage sites in and out of the Kathmandu valley that can be visited: Namo Buddha, Boudhanath Lumbini and Swoyambhunath are just a few of them.
Swayambhu stupa lies in the East of Kathmandu and, being over 2500 years of age, is one of the most ancient Buddhist sites in the world and one of Kathmandu's main attractions. Osel Ling Monastery is situated nearby on a hill overlooking the stupa and the entire Kathmandu valley.
Volunteers will live in the monastery with the monks which gives them the unique opportunity to become a real part of the close monastic community.

They are more than welcome to pass on any of their knowledge about mathematics, the sciences, medicine, computing, etc. too. Most of the monks have solely been educated in Buddhist subjects and greatly appreciate any skills that will enable them to manage the monastery, its business and everyday life in an increasingly modernized world entirely on their own.

Knowledge about the Western world, but especially the English language which is continues to become more and more important in any domain, will enable the monks to impart their Buddhist expertise to Westerners. The programme's focus is thus on the exchange of spiritual and secular knowledge from which both sides will benefit, monks as well as volunteers.

Before volunteers leave for the site, they will be given intensive Nepali language and cultural classes, as well as daily teacher training. They will also be taken to the holy sites around the Kathmandu Valley. After two weeks, the volunteers will be placed in the monastery with the monks.

Are you interested to learn about a different culture? Are you keen on tasting Tibetan thukpa and chia, seeing the sun rise behind the Buddha Shakyamuni statue and teaching English with a photograph of His Holiness the Dalai Lama overlooking the class? Do you want to know what life in a monastery is like? Find out for yourself and join hands with VIN. for more details visit our official website