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Vajrakilaya Puja 2026

Rejoicing in the merit of generosity and devotion 🙏. We offer our sincere thanks to all the kind sponsors, donors, and devotees whose generous offerings supported the Grand Vajrakilaya Puja. May this act of dana become the cause for: * purification of obstacles * accumulation of merit and wisdom * protection from negativities * peace, prosperity, and harmony * and the swift fulfillment of all noble wishes May the blessings of Vajrakilaya always remain with you and your family. Thank you from the depths of our hearts. 🙏✨

First Term Examination 2082

"With bright smiles and calm hearts, our little monks have completed their First Term Exams 2082 on July 25th! 🌸🧘‍♂️📚 We’re so proud of their dedication, growth, and gentle spirit. May their path of learning continue to shine with joy and wisdom!"

🙏 Grand Vajrakilaya Puja 2025 – Heartfelt Gratitude 🙏 With deep joy and reverence, we extend our heartfelt *thank you* to all the devoted sponsors, generous offering devotees, and sincere participants who made the Grand Vajrakilaya Puja 2025 a profound success. Through your offerings, prayers, and presence, this sacred practice radiated powerful blessings of protection, purification, and wisdom far and wide. May the blessings of Vajrakilaya remove all obstacles, pacify negativities, and swiftly clear the path toward enlightenment for all sentient beings. May peace, harmony, and spiritual strength flourish in your lives. – May all be auspicious.

Volunteer Reviews

Shelley Mao
Shelley Mao China
Feb 22, 2018 Hello to everyone who is reading this review. I am Shelley from China. It was my first time to Nepal and I stayed with Palden and kids for ten days in total. The experience is the best I can ever imagine in Nepal. All the children treated you, a foreign volunteer, as a part of their family. You can teach English, math, or any other classes, and they will try their best to follow you. The classes I gave were always under control and they always finish their homework on time. They are a bit shy, but if you started a conversation with them, they will still share their ideas with you. This is the part where they need encourage I found. Palden is the best principal. He is 22. I am surprised because he decided to devote into the great job in his 20s, when I am still seeking for my life. He takes care about everyone, including you. I am sure you when you meet him, you will feel the same warmth and friendly from him. The living standard is basic but enough. You will get a separate room and vegetarian meals, and they have Wifi. This school is a lovely place, I strongly recommend you to visit them if you are looking for a great volunteer experience in Nepal.
Chase Cobb
Chase CobbUnited States
United States Feb 25, 2018 This was an amazing experience! As soon as I arrived I felt the warmth of love from the students and support from the teachers and I felt right at home. The students showed a great interest in me and l quickly had 25 new friends. It's fascinating how quickly you become attached to the group. I felt all of my contributions (mostly teaching) were much appreciated. Days fly by at this relaxing forest school. Although you are in a secluded setting there's always something to do and the kids are very creative in how they entertain themselves. I greatly enjoyed so much about this place including Morning Prayer sessions, eating meals with the kids in the field and their bedrooms, playing hacky sack, learning basic Nepali, joining the workout class, and hiking in the woods. The volunteer I was with stayed much longer than expected and I wish I could do the same. It really is a lovely place that is deserving of more than 5 stars and they really do need your help. The kids will steal your heart and the simple life is a refreshing retreat for the soul! Go here and you will love it!
Christopher Moreton
Christopher Moreton United Kingdom
Sep 8, 2019 I stayed for two weeks and really enjoyed my time at the school. For the first week there were no lessons, as the boys were on vacation, but Palden made sure we were kept occupied. He even invited us to a village wedding several hours away, which was a memorable experience. During the second week I gave English lessons each day, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hadn't taught before but I was able to use the provided text books to create structured lesson plans. The boys were great - friendly, funny and keen to learn. The accommodation was comfortable and there was a hot shower. Palden's a remarkable guy running a really special place.
Anton Samoylov
Anton Samoylov Russia
Dec 29, 2019 I stayed at this magical place for almost two weeks, and it has been a very rewarding experience. The kids can teach you as much (and probably more!) as you teach them. They're really a big, loving, and very friendly family. Living conditions are very nice, the rooms are clean and cozy, you can get as many blankets as you need (it gets pretty chilly at night in winter), there's a hot shower, and the food is great. A small tip: be creative with your teaching style! Launch rockets, show videos, play educational games, challenge the kids with puzzles, and most of all - be present!
Bénédicte
Bénédicte France
Oct 25, 2021 It is difficult to describe this such exceptional experience in the monastery but I will try to be concise! Staying a little more than a month, I have lived as many unique experiences as wonderful encounters! First of all, the children were so attentive and wise compared to the French that the classes with them quickly became the best moment of the day. Then, the youth and the good relationship between the teachers made that they were at the same time our friends, our guides to visit Kathmandu, our partners of workout, of dance, of preparation of the meals, of coffee and weekend outings! Moreover, we have the chance to attend special days of prayer and discuss a lot about Buddhism with the principle, Palden. He is very flexible on the missions of the volunteers so don't hesitate to discuss with him the possibilities according to your capacities! In short, a stay that I will never forget!
Steff
SteffGermany
Feb 20, 2022 My experience here. The last two years were difficult for everyone, that’s for sure. We distanced ourselves from people we love and care about. For me that felt like starving - starving from smiles, kindness, compassion and love. Little did I know that I would find all that (and much more) in such a tiny space so far from home soon enough. I found Nyingma Palyul Buddhist monastery school on helpX and knew instantly that this is the place I want to start my sabbatical and the search for something more profound and meaningful in my life. I travelled to Kathmandu and met Palden in the city. He is such a kind and fun person and made talking to him very easy. We took a taxi together to the school and well what can I say… The monastery is a place of peace, fun and kindness filled with all the beautiful smiles of the little monks and teachers. There is no way you cannot enjoy yourself and find peace and quiet in this place. The kids are so attentive in class and always try to please the teacher, which makes teaching incredibly easy. In their free time they are such good fun, invite the volunteers to play games or just hang around chatting. I never felt alone or lost while I was there. I wanted to give something back to the monks, so I started a little fundraising campaign. With the money we collected we bought new praying tables and seat cushions. I want to say thank you Palden, Xewang, Jigme, Paroj and most of all THANK YOU little monks. All that’s left to say: Please, come and see yourself and you might learn much more than you teach. With lots of love, Didi Steff
Gayle Kirby
Gayle Kirby United Kingdom
Jan 16, 2023 WOW totally amazing 6 weeks supporting Nyningma Palyul Buddhist School Palden & Milan have created a loving, fun, stimulating and unique home and environment for 25 little monks. Supported by Jigme, Nobo and Dede. Volunteers are welcomed and supported throughout their stay. Milan kindly arranged taxi and was always available to assist during my stay. I taught all 4 classes English for 3 hours total and supported them in evenings with homework club. Having teaching experience the lessons were partly course book work supplied by the school and reinforced with songs, activities, plays and games to reinforce their phonics, confidence and grammar. The little monks were a total delight to work and play with. It definitely was very hard to leave them and I would highly recommend others to join this amazing community for a lifetime experience. Highlights during my stay - bonfire, music and toasted marshmallows nights. Sitting with monks during daily pray sessions. Local walks to village and beautiful local surroundings. Lunches outdoors. Dancing. The list goes on. A massive thanks for hosting me. A massive thanks for giving me a memorable and amazing birthday celebration, Christmas Day together and leaving ceremony. Highly recommend bring your love, knowledge and fun to Nepal
Katarzyna
Katarzyna Poland
Sep 3, 2024 Milan told me on my first day "we are a family and now you're a part of it". And I really felt like it during my two weeks stay at school. It was an unforgettable experience and the school is a magical place. I was teaching English, up to four classes per day. The boys are eager to learn, attentive and enjoy the lessons. I was teaching kids 7-16 years old. They have a school book but you are also welcome to come up with your own ideas, play games, do listening with them, teach them grammar in creative ways, etc. Besides the classes, there are many ways to contribute and spend time with the boys, you can teach them games, help them in their homework, or just chat and sing with them after classes. I was able to take part in prayers and celebrations, which was a very unique and valuable experience. Regarding food and accomodation: there is plenty of delicious food and tea and accomodation is comfortable, so overally very good living conditions. My time with teachers and staff was also a memory I'll cherish. Everyone is very kind, helpful, ready to share their knowledge and opinions and I felt from the beginning very trusted and appreciated. I highly recommend staying at the school! Thank you to the boys, Milan, Jigme and Norbu for making my stay unforgettable, for teaching me so much and accepting me as a part of a family! Two tips for volunteers: 1) remember that it may get cold in the evenings, bring some warm layers 2) try to think of what you're going to teach beforehand and bring some teaching materials and ideas. Flashcards, listening and grammar worksheets, phonetics for the smaller boys, etc. would be very useful!
Miss Soong
Miss SoongMalaysia
April 2024, Overall, I had the unique and deeply rewarding opportunity to teach the little monks at Nyingma Palyul Buddhist Monastery. This experience added an entirely new dimension to my time at the monastery and left me with memories and lessons that I will cherish forever. The little monks, which I missed the most throughout the whole volunteering journey, with their bright eyes and curious minds, were a joy to teach. They were eager to learn and participated enthusiastically in every lesson. Their curiosity and engagement made each teaching session both fun and fulfilling which somehow make me felt like despite I was teaching but also learning at the same time. Teaching the little monks allowed me to build strong bonds with them. Our interactions went beyond the classroom as we shared meals, participated in rituals, and played games together. These moments of connection were some of the most heart-warming aspects of my time at the monastery. The experience of teaching at the monastery has had a lasting impact on me. It reinforced my belief in the power of education to bridge cultures and generations. It also deepened my appreciation for the monastic way of life and the values of discipline, respect, and kindness that are instilled in the little monks.