Sera Jey Ngari Khangtsen
Monks' Daily Life - how you can help
| We receive monks from Western Tibet and also from the
Himalayan region of Ladakh, Lahoul and Spiti and Nepal. The youngest is 8 years and the oldest
is close to 80. There are currently over 15 monks under the age of 12. Mostly these younger monks belong to less privileged section of the community and the Khangtsen has to provide for their accomodation, clothing and their other physical needs, as well as their education. Some indeed are refugees without any means of sustenance, perhaps not even having parents alive! The cost of the sustenance of a monk is around 8500 Indian Rupies a year. That is less than USD 200 with the exchange rate of Jan. 2010. If you have the means to help a young child to pursue his studies and maintain his health in exile, please feel free to donate any amount. All students from a very young age must follow comprehensive studies, including regular Indian state-approved schooling. |
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| Students living at the Khangtsen receive a Khangtsen guardian who is directly responsible for the
health and education of the novice under this care. Students start regular school at 6 years of age, continue for the 10 mandatory years of schooling following the Indian educational system, and then proceed to pursue the higher Geshe-degrees in Buddhist Philosophy. Some of the less fortunate children arriving as refugees and without parents in their new home country, can start the appropriate level of schooling regardless of age. This means in practice that a 12-year old who cannot read and write will be allowed to study with the younger kids, until he catches up. If they students are lucky enough to have parents or relatives who can visit, they are allowed to do so once or twice a year. |
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If you have the means to help a young child to pursue his studies and maintain his health in exile, please feel free to donate any amount. |
 Above the monks at a pilgrimage to Rajgir after attending lectures of HH Dalai Lama in Janruary, 2010. |
The School DayStudents follow a strict daily routine, starting with
Morning Prayer at 6 am, scripture memorization, breakfast
followed by morning classes ususally starting at 9 am and finishing for
lunch at 12. After lunch, afternoon classes held from 2 pm till 5 pm.
They have supper after school is over. |
Donations
Traditionally monks have been dependent on and supported by the families and the community in which they live.
In Exile, this has proven to be very difficult... |
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Here you will be able to find a short summary of this web in a variety of languages: Chinese, German, Italian, French, Swedish and Spanish. |
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