Nepal and Following A Spiritual Path
Contrary to what many people think, Nepal is much more than just a stop along the way for climbers and trekkers. Hundreds of travelers come to Nepal each year in search of a higher calling. Spiritual retreats at many of monasteries are quite popular with foreigners who seek to understand their inner self. The Kopan Monastery is one of the most popular destinations offering retreats of this nature.
The Kopan Monastery rests in the Solukhumbu region of the Himalayan Mountains, and since its humble beginnings, the aim of Kopan was conceived as a place of study and meditation for Himalayan monks and nuns as well as foreigners. In preserving this tradition, The Kopan Monastery exists today as a meeting place between East and West and two wildly different cultures that have one thing in common: inner peace.
The Kopan Monastery serves as a conduit for the thousands of foreign visitors who are searching for something more in their lives. Some “thing” that needs to fill a void in their existence. To that end, Kopan provides a surrogate homes for periods of days, weeks and months — as students relinquish their material lives and devote their time to a study of meditation and inner well-being.
Regular meditation courses have been held at Kopan since the early 1970’s. What started out as a simple course held for only a dozen or so participants has blossomed into a month-long introduction to Buddhism that is held every year.
Kopan’s meditation course is taken by more than two hundred students every year. Many more are turned away. Seven and ten day courses are offered throughout the rest of the year. These meditation courses provide an opportunity to study the “inner you” as well as facilitate reflection about living a meaningful life.
The course is not free. But potential students should realize that full board and accommodation is available to visitors throughout the year at a very reasonable cost. And the income generated through this provides an important part of the income of the monastery, and helps in providing free facilities to all the monks and nuns in attendance.
Whether you come for a brief visit or for a more in-depth to Nepal, one thing is certain: you will be a different and richer person when you leave. For more information on the Kopan Monastery visit our forums and follow your Spiritual Path to Beautiful Nepal.
