Buddhist Monastery Stay and Internship in Nepal

Religious work, Anthropology, and Philosophy are very appealing to me. I got to study Buddhist principles and practice the dharma. I lived with the monks and my co-interns in a very safe space as prepared by IGS. The calming atmosphere was very refreshing for me, since my hometown was a very crowded and loud city. I gained more confidence and faith in practicing Buddhism.

My dad encouraged me to see for myself the beauty of Buddhism. I was very nervous at first. I did not know what to expect from this Monastery Stay. I realized that the lamas and monks are very welcoming to the foreign visitors. They counselled us, cooked for us, and even learned world geography from us. The monks and nuns are also available for private advising. It was an experience I will never forget. Thanks, Dad. This time you are right.

The monastery has an extensive book, audio, and video libraries. They have varied collections of periodicals, films, and music, for people to experience. The books that made sense to me are “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching” by Hanh, and “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” by Suzuki. It was so cool because I only saw libraries of that kind from movies. Now I get to appreciate them in real life!

I am an atheist who is still confused about my stand on gods and religious practices. That’s why I took the time to participate in this trip – because I wanted to see the Buddhist practices myself. The internship placement took place at a monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal. We apprenticed under a world-renowned Tibetan monk and leader. He was very supportive and accommodating to us. Now, I am on to still exploring the other religions, but I sure learned how important it is to seek to reach a state of “Nirvana”, following the path of the Buddha.

We did weekly dharma talks that enriched my knowledge about Buddhism. We were encouraged to volunteer on projects, such as temple restoration and education of the monks in residence. As a native English speaker, I enjoyed teaching the English language to the locals. I personally became attached to them. I can’t wait to go back!

IGS helped me land my dream internship with the International Buddhist Association in Kathmandu. It was simply incredible. I keep in touch with some of my friends there and talk to a few of the monks regularly. They help guide me in my understanding of Buddhist philosophy. I’m back to my studies at the University of Arizona now, and I can really feel the difference. Now that I have some basic understanding of Buddhism, I relate to my class material very differently. At times I feel like I have joined some exclusive club. I connect with everything differently now and it feels pretty awesome.

The program was fantastic. I learned a lot! I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in Buddhism and helping children. It’s great opportunity to get comfortable here while making new friends from all over the world. I even got to know a couple of the monks pretty well. I am now working with the kids after their school. It’s been a little challenging at times, but really fun.