I am staying a Varanasi Monastery. It is a monastery that follows the rules closely. There are many adorable little monks here, about 25. There are about 15 adult monks too. This place is a Nepalese monastery with Nepalese immigrants. Some are several generations, but they have still retained their language. Teaching is done in Myanmar language. There are approximately 300,000 Nepalese people living in Myanmar today.

The first photo is the planned monastery.
The second photo is the sima hall designed by ven. Pannyagavesaka.
The third photo is the new three story dormitory hall. They hope to house 200 monks after it is completed in six months.

Today I went to chanting even though I was discouraged not to go. I knew most of the chanting, but it is in a little different pronunciation. Pa-Auk is in the same Myanmar pronunciation, and I usually chant on my own.

It was very fun to chant with the group of monks. In the front were the senior monks chanting calmly and peacefully while the little monks in the back were shouting as loud as they could. The contrast in chanting styles was amusing and beautiful. Just what I needed after a really-really rough day in the city trying to get some correctly done diagnostic tests.


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