– Photo by lazy artist gallery (Pexels) –

What is volunteering at a Buddhist site?

Volunteering means helping out for free, wherever it’s needed. At Buddhist sites, volunteers support the monks, practitioners, or visitors in the community.

What to expect?

• A peaceful environment
  • Buddhist sites are often surrounded by nature or located in quiet places.
• Simple rules:
  • You live simply, respecting others and the environment.
• A bit of meditation:
  • Even if you’re a kid, you might get to try short moments of meditation to relax and focus.

Examples of activities

• Cooking or serving food:
  • Helping prepare meals for the monks and people living there.
• Cleaning and tidying:
  • Keeping the temple clean, organizing rooms, or caring for the gardens.
• Learning and teaching:
  • If you like learning, you can listen to stories or lessons about Buddha’s life. Volunteers sometimes help younger kids with reading or drawing!
• Hands-on work:
  • Doing simple tasks like painting, building, or planting trees.

The lifestyle

• Simplicity:
  • You often sleep in shared rooms and eat vegetarian meals.
• A regular routine:
  • The day usually starts early (some monks wake up before sunrise!).
• Respect:
  • Being kind and following the guidance of the people there is very important.

Where can you volunteer?

At famous temples or spiritual centres (like in Thailand, Japan, or India).
Or even at Buddhist centres closer to where you live.

What can you learn?

• How to be patient and calm.
• The value of helping others.
• Lots of interesting things about Buddhist culture and spirituality.

Explore volunteer opportunities at Buddhist sites 🧘🏾🪷☸️