Teaching in Buddhist Monastery

Teaching in Buddhist monastery volunteering program gives participants a taste of life in a Buddhist monastery. Teaching in Buddhist monastery projects looks forward to the exchange between members of a spiritual community, and overseas volunteers with one thing in common: the eagerness to learn. The overseas volunteers learn about Buddhist culture, Buddhist ways of life, and Buddhist Dharma while the Buddhist monks and nuns learn about the world through the English language.  The volunteers/interns get to experience the fun and authority of being a teacher and the humility of being a student. English would be your field of expertise and Buddhism your field of apprenticeship. This program can also ask questions about your own ideas and what you truly value. Suppose you are curious about the different schools of Buddhism, Mahayana, Hinayana, Vajrayana, Theravada, and so on. In that case, you will be given a chance to learn about them and understand their core beliefs of each.

As a volunteer teaching English or Teaching in Buddhist monastery to Buddhist monks in Nepal, you can enormously benefit their learning and language development. As a result, by working with international volunteers the monks can vastly improve their communication and pronunciation skills on a new level.

Live in a Nepalese Buddhist monastery teaching English to monks and learning about their way of life. It is a very unique, life-affirming opportunity, you should not miss.

Teaching in Buddhist Monastery Highlights:

  • Volunteer and have a very unique and life-affirming time abroad
  • Discover your new passion and propel your CV with an international experience
  • Have the choice between rural and urban locations in this stunning and visually arresting country
  • Enjoy a lot of free time by travelling, relaxing or further learning about the Buddhist way of life
  • Receive insights about the culture that are not granted to tourists

teaching in buddhist monastery retreat meditation and teaching in monastery teaching english to buddhist monks

Key Information

Improve access to quality education
Various locations in Nepal
Homestay accommodation
Based in buddhist monasteries across Nepal
Up to 4 - 5 hours volunteers a day
Fully hosted experience from 300 euro for 1 week
Base Camp treks and other tours available
Durations from 1 - 4 weeks

Read reviews of our optimistic volunteers.

"Me and Anika travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal in January 2017. We spent a week volunteering with the Volunteer World Nepal in Pepsicola Town Planning, Kathmandu. Our stay was highlighted by our hosts Umesh and Sanu Shrestha and their gorgeous baby Bidusha. They welcomed us so warmly and prepared as many meals. Our accommodation was simple but in a happy home, surrounded by flowers and plants,..."

Hannah and Anika, Australia

Volunteer teacher in Nepal

Orientation begins on the morning of the next day of your arrival and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Nepal – an introduction to Nepal, Nepalese customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Nepal, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to visit local temples, sample authentic Nepali food, meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. The program may vary depending on your time of arrival. We will manage to include all the below-mentioned activities in your introduction program.

  • Arrival and introduction host family
  • Survival Nepali lessons and cultural discussion
  • Local amenities and sightseeing and projects start

On arrival in Nepal, volunteers stay in a host family in Kathmandu for their orientation.

Volunteers are then accommodated together in homestays and hosted by local families who have been approved by our program staff. We give your host family a fee for your support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a host family, providing you with a unique opportunity to learn about the Nepalese way of life, meet local people, try traditional food and speak the local language – especially when host families in Nepal tend to have limited English.

Living is basic but comfortable and most homestays have electricity and running water, with the exception of some rural homestays which are without these conveniences during the dry season. Squat toilets are the norm in Nepal and you will not come across many western toilets. Volunteers can also expect low-pressure showers that are generally not heated; however, this is refreshing after a day in the heat.

You can expect to share a room with one to three other volunteers and bedrooms have single beds and bunk beds with bedding provided. It is recommended volunteers bring their own sleeping bags and mosquito nets for any trips away.

WiFi is available in most of the volunteer homestays. If you would like to keep connected during your stay, we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Nepal.

The staple meal for most Nepali families is dal bhat, which consists of lentil soup (dal), rice (bhat) and vegetables in curry (tarkari) and/or meat (masu) with a side of pickle/sauce (achar). Volunteers are served two meals per day at their homestay and can purchase additional food to supplement this if they wish.

Volunteers can have a meaningful impact on Nepalese communities by providing assistance with a wide range of activities that help make life, and the future, better for local people. VWN has a number of volunteer projects in Nepal. Some are located on the outskirts of the capital city of Kathmandu in rural and urban areas, while others are in Pokhara and Salleri. Pokhara is located in mid-western Nepal and is a popular tourist destination, renowned for its amazing mountain views. Salleri is the Everest Mountain region: beautiful landscapes, hillsides dotted with villages, a lively weekend bazaar, a Tibetan camp, and many spectacular Buddhist monasteries. In Salleri you can teach in schools, teach English in a monastery, work in a Health Clinic or work in Construction. Salleri is a small Himalayan Region town that serves as the headquarters of the Solukhumbu District.

Low cost, fully hosted volunteer abroad programs in Nepal.

Your registration fee and your program fee provides access to a fully hosted volunteer experience with Volunteer World Nepal. In order to apply to join Volunteer World Nepal, you are required to make your registration fee payment of 100 Euro.

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What's included:

  • accommodation
  • meals (breakfast & dinner)
  • Survival Nepali language lesson
  • email and telephone support
  • volunteer handbook
  • 24 hour emergency support
  • dedicated VWN project & travel mentor
  • regular program inspection
  • women’s development program
  • scholarships for low income students

What's Excluded:

  • flights to Kathmandu
  • visa cost
  • travel & health insurance
  • domestic flight costs
  • transportation costs for the volunteers who want to work outside the Kathmandu valley
  • sundries such as personal items, extra beverages and entertainment
  • personal travel & sightseeing
  • transportation service during weekends travel