SOTC Blog

Are you planning a religious trip to Bhutan? If yes, you might be eager to meet Bhutanese monks here. Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom located on the eastern edge of breath-taking Himalayas, is world famous for its monasteries, dzongs, dramatic landscapes, and being home to thousands of monks. Majority of the population of Bhutan is Buddhist so you might meet Buddhist monks here. Routine life of Bhutanese monks is quite different from the life of any common man. And, you might be curious to learn about the daily life of Bhutanese monks while heading to your religious tour to this Land of Thunder Dragon, aren’t you? Scroll down to discover all about it.

All About Bhutanese Monks:

Majority of Bhutanese monks come from poor families, who regard that it’s an honour to let their sons receive education free of cost while following the religious and spiritual path under the guidance of elderly religious people. Young boys at about the age of 5 join monastery and learn how to read English and Sanskrit. They live simple, happy, and meditative life to achieve nirvana. The Monk Body of Bhutan is known for taking the responsibility for establishing social harmony and happiness throughout the nation. Monks are some of the happiest citizens here, and they get a great respect from government and other citizens of Bhutan alike.

Daily Life of Bhutanese Monks:

Daily routine of Bhutanese monks is highly influenced by the Buddhist religion. During your Bhutan tourism, you can find that monasteries here not only represent place for worship and reverence but also are known for being the primary place for learning and education for monks. Here is a rough layout of the daily life of monks during weekdays.

• Morning 4 to 11.30 a.m.

Bhutanese monks study daily for about 10 hours on an average starting their routine life at 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. with a wake-up call. After getting up early, monks perform morning prayers and start studying. Young boys who join monastery at the age of 5 to 9 learn to read chhokey, which is well-known as the sacred language of Tibetan Buddhism, Dzongkha, and English in the classroom. They continue to study and revise till 11.30 with a small break of morning tea.

• Afternoon 12.30 to 5.00 p.m.

After having their lunch, they work on their handwriting daily for half an hour. Bhutanese monks also invest time in learning how to play musical instruments, English, performing rituals, and making rituals cakes in noon. Later, they do revision.

• Evening 5 to 10 p.m.

Bhutanese monks dine early at 5 pm and perform evening prayers. From 7-10 pm, they do evening studies and go to bed early at 10 pm daily.

Thus, you see Bhutanese monks lead a healthy and peaceful lifestyle enriched with knowledge, literature, and music.

Besides this, Bhutanese monks are strictly forbidden to challenge their teacher, steal, and leave the premises without permission. Also, smoking, alcohol, and other harmful habits are strictly forbidden for them.

So, aren’t you eager to pay a visit to a monastery in Bhutan? Book one of our Bhutan tour packages and head to Bhutan.