Teaching at Buddhist Monasteries

Darjeeling - India

Only 480€ per week!

Experience the Buddhist culture in a monastery while teaching English to novice monks.

Teach English and help improve the language skills and communication skills of monks in a Buddhist monastery. Experience the simple way of life practised by the monks and get a unique opportunity to immerse in their day-to-day lifestyle and learn about Buddhism. This program lets you discover a world beyond the busy cities where you will get close to nature and peace of mind.

Culture
Learning
Leisure
Community Engagement
Physical Demand

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Program Description

This program takes place in Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan city called Darjeeling. Darjeeling is popular for its misty mountain views, tea plantations as well as picturesque monasteries. During this program, you will teach English to the monks in the classroom. You will also get a chance to learn about Buddhism while practising various features of the lifestyle of a Buddhist Monk. You will be teaching to novice monks of various ages.

The project will involve various monasteries wherein the age of the monks are between 8 to 25. The monastery has classes between Nursery to Grade 5. Each class approximately has 10 to 15 students. You will be mainly teaching English but you will also be able to teach other subjects such as Maths, Science and any other subject of your choice.

Aims & Objectives

To help teach monks English and in return, to get our participants immersed into the lifestyle in a monastery and to help them learn about Buddhism.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

You will teach primarily English and various other subjects to the monks, both young and old, for around 2 to 3 hours of various age groups every day.

   Note:   This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

   Note:   January and February are winter vacations in Buddhist Monasteries, thus this project will not function during this part of the year.

Participant Criteria & Requirements

Standard Requirements

Minimum age: 18

Maximum age:

Minimum English level: Basic

CRB required: On Signup

Passport copy required: On Signup

Resume copy required: No

Required qualification: None

Additional Requirements

  • Participants above the age of 65 should have medical clearance.

Additional Equipment

Dress Code

  • Cover up as much as possible in the spirit of the local culture to avoid embarrassment.
  • Your clothes must not be too short, too tight or too revealing. Kindly make sure your shoulders and legs are covered.
  • Dress professionally since you will be working in a professional environment while teaching the children.
  • It is completely fine to wear western clothes as long as they fit the local standards
  • Be thoughtful of the graphics, symbols or text printed on your clothing and avoid wearing clothing styles that might be inappropriate
  • Be thoughtful to poor communities by not displaying expensive items and clothes
  • Wearing local clothes could help you build a good working relationship with the community

Location

Darjeeling is a hill station in the state of West Bengal in India. In the vicinity of steep and snowy mountains, the city of Darjeeling has been popular among local as well as international travellers as a great holiday destination. Darjeeling also has much more to offer. Climate is cold here throughout the year. Tea plantations and picturesque monasteries add a unique value to the atmosphere in Darjeeling.

About the Accommodation

In our center, there is a mini library, a dining room, a lounge area where you can hang out with fellow participants and a beautiful garden to relax.

Furthermore, there is a refrigerator which you are welcome to use to store food and beverages.

Food Arrangements

The meals are a mix of Western and Indian food, consisting mainly of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables.

Facilities

ATMs: There are ATMs in the city of Darjeeling which is about half an hour of walking distance.

Shop: The closest local supermarket is in Darjeeling city.

Activities & Events

No scheduled activities outside the program.

Sights & Surroundings

There are many sights you can explore and trips you can do in Darjeeling. Some of the attractions are as follows,

  • Singalila National Park
  • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
  • Observatory Hill
  • Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
  • Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre
  • Japanese Peace Pagoda
  • Yiga Choeling Gompa
  • Himalayan Tibet Museum
  • Sunrise over mount Kanchenjunga, Tiger Hill
  • Tiger Hill
  • Happy Valley Tea Estate

Transportation

From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.

Quick Facts

Name: Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya)

Population: 1.252 billion

Capital: New Delhi

Language: Hindi, English and 22 other officially recognized languages

Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)

Time zone: UTC +5:30

Country Information

India is known for its pyramid-like temples, its colorful streets and it’s crowded cities. This country represents one of the most vivid and the largest cultures in the world. From the golden triangle of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra to the coast where Ayurveda medicine was born, India offers a 360 degree journey through the most magical of lands. Known for being the second most populated country in the world, India will show you the faces of thousands of Hindu gods in its very vast collection of temples all throughout the country. The land of colors and smiles is ready to take you on your next adventure whether road tripping or helping out in local communities, this sub-continent will amaze your senses. India will shift the way you see the world.

India’s literacy rate is around 60% for women and 80% for men. The principal language is Hindi and English is also commonly used in all major cities. New Delhi, the capital of India, is what many would call the real deal when travelling through the country. It is one of the biggest and most populated cities in the whole world with up to 25 million citizens. New Delhi is known for its amazing cuisine and its new modality of “street food”, which means restaurants with every specialty you can imagine are available to you all throughout the city! Chennai is another of the biggest cities in India, known as the “Detroit of India” for its automobile industry. If you are looking for a quieter spot Kerala is the centre of lifestyle, art, architecture, language and literature in all of the country!

Climate

India is so vast that climatic conditions in the far north have little relation to those of the extreme south. While the heat is building up to breaking point on the plains, the people of Ladakh, in the Himalaya, will still be waiting for the snow to melt on the high passes.

India has a three-season year – the hot, the wet and the cool. Generally, the best time to visit is during winter (November to February) although there are regional variations.

Summer (hot): The heat starts to build up on the northern plains of India from around February, and by April or May it really heats up. In central India temperatures of 45 °C and above are commonplace. Later in May, the first signs of the monsoon are visible in some areas – high humidity, violent electrical storms, short rain-storms and dust storms that turn day into night. The hot season is the time to leave the plains and retreat to the hills, and this is when Himalayan hill stations are at their best (and busiest). By early June, the snow on the passes into Ladakh melts and the roads reopen.

Monsoon (wet): When the monsoon finally arrives, it does not just suddenly appear. After some advance warning, the rain comes in steadily, generally starting around 1 June in the extreme south and sweeping north to cover the whole country by early July. The monsoon doesn’t really cool things down: at first hot dry and dusty weather is simply replaced by hot, humid, muddy conditions. Even so, it’s a welcome relief, not least for farmers who face their busiest time of year as they prepare fields for planting. It doesn’t rain solidly all day during the monsoon, but certainly rains virtually every day and the water tends to come down in buckets for a while followed by the sun. The main monsoon comes from the southwest, but the southeast coast is affected by the short and surprisingly wet northeast monsoon, which brings rain from mid-October to the end of December.

Winter (cool): Finally, around October, the monsoon ends for most of the country, and this is when most tourists visit. Generally, it’s not too hot and not too cool (although in October it can still be surprisingly humid in some regions). Delhi and other northern cities become quite cold at night in December and January. It certainly becomes cold in the far north. In the far south, where it never gets truly cool, the temperatures become comfortably warm.

Culture

Hinduism is a big part of the story and construction of Indian culture. India is known for its distinctive arts such as architecture, literature and performing arts but in the modern era it has shifted towards the film industry. Bollywood is followed by the Middle East, South Asia and even Russia! Their movies are known for its musical intake and beautiful stories and characters, all, native Indian. One of the things that characterize India the most is its caste system; this model includes the old tradition of arranged marriages and very traditional family values throughout castes and the country. Don’t miss a cricket match when you visit! It is the nation’s favourite sport and a beloved pastime in the country.

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism are the major religious communities in the country. According to the 1990 census, Hindus constitute about 83% of the population followed by Muslims with 11% and Christians with 2%. Sikhs constitute about 1.6 %. Buddhists 0.6% Jains 0.3% and Zoroastrians (Parsees) 0.085%, of the 1 billion population. The rest constitute other minor religions. The population of all the 6 major religions has increased but Jainism has increased only marginally. India is a land of bewildering diversity. It is a jigsaw puzzle of people of every faith and religion, living together creating a unique and colorful mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and season. Many festivals celebrate the various harvests, signifying great historical figures and events while much express devotion to the deities of different religions. Every celebration revolves around rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, and decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasts.

Transportation

The Indian railways are one of the largest undertakings in the world. The network covers a distance of over 60,000 Km. Road covers 5.5 million kilometers and over 10,000 km of inland navigable waterways. Using rail and bus services, one can reach almost any point on the Indian map though not always on time. All large cities are also connected with domestic air services.

Buses operate frequently to all smaller towns to/from major cities. There are also inter-state buses that take you from one city to the other (non stop). Before booking your bus tickets, always check the time it would take from one point to the other. For the local buses, you buy the ticket once you get on. For the lines that go between cities you will have to book and pay in advance.

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