This small monastery is located 45 minutes up in the mountains from the town of Besashar which is approximately 6 hours north of Kathmandu.  Being the first Westerner to stay at this monastery provided me with many interesting opportunities to learn about their culture. These boys are extremely pious and are either studying, cooking, cleaning or chanting at any given moment. On any given day, they partake in puja. Puja is a religious ceremony done in order to commemorate either a festive event, to cure an ailing person or to provide a family with good luck.  My surroundings for these 8 days were amazingly peaceful. Both inside and outside the monastery, I was surrounded by music, prayers and traditional Buddhist instruments. In exchange for food and lodging, I taught two hours of English everyday to these aspiring monks who ranged in age from six to fifteen.

They did not have any English books, so I purchased a class set from a local store and we enjoyed our time in class reading and studying together. I alternated between teaching them basic greetings, the alphabet and children’s songs. Their obedience and extremely respectful manner towards me as their teacher was quite different from my group of difficult 16 and 17 year olds back in New York! The boys were anxious to show off their myriad of Buddhist rituals. They enthusiastically put on various masks and grabbed a multitude of drums and conch shells.  The combination of the rhythmic sound of the drums, the soothing tone of their chanting and the enchanting smell of the incense made for an ethereal experience.

August 9th is World Indigenous Day. I had the great fortune of staying in an area where there was much celebration. These monks were the lead in a parade which allowed the multitude of ethnic groups who reside in Besashar to dress in their traditional clothing and show off their diversity. Upon leaving a monastery, it is traditional for monks to tie a white scarf around that person’s neck in order to wish them a safe journey. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of gratitude I received from the community as I was leaving.I was presented with numerous scarves, as well as flower wreaths, a Sprite and some cookies for the long bus ride ahead. It was an intensely powerful week which left me thirsting for more knowledge of Buddhism. Their hospitality was remarkable and I hope to establish a pen pal exchange with my students in the near future.

http://hhyongumba.com

Sharon Lafer (2007)
USA