Please read Essential Guidelines.

General Etiquette Within the Monastery
The monastic life is significantly different than daily life outside the monastery. Here are a few guidelines for your visits to the monastery as a volunteer:

• Separation of Men and Women: Since the monastery is home to monks and nuns who have taken vows of celibacy, as guests we try to be respectful and mindful of their lifestyle; hence, men and women are separated. Many people who visit appreciate this environment because it allows people to concentrate and practice with fewer distractions.
• Comfortable and Modest Clothing: Clothing in the monastery should be comfortable and modest. Comfortable clothing is ideal for meditation and cultivation because it allows you to bow and sit cross-legged more easily. Modest clothing is important because it causes fewer distractions for other people. Thus, it is the custom in monasteries to refrain from wearing clothing such as mini-skirts, shorts and sleeveless shirts. (If you already are wearing them, don’t worry about it. We are very happy to have you, but please try to be aware of your clothing next time you visit.)
• Cherishing All Forms of Life: Please refrain from killing all living creatures in the monastery, including even small insects such as spiders, ants, flies, and mosquitoes. Monks and nuns practice non-harming in order to cultivate a heart of compassion and concern for others. In Buddhism, all life forms are interconnected, and all creatures are considered “family.”
• Respecting Buddhist Sutras and Texts: Buddhist Sutras and texts are the words of the Buddhist sages that give instructions on how to become awakened, and for this reason they are treated with utmost care and respect. Furthermore, our attitude toward a sacred text affects our ability to access the teachings contained within it. Hence, people are encouraged not to put Buddhist books on the ground or bring them into the bathroom. Other customs in the monastery are keeping Sutras in good condition and making sure one’s hands are clean before reading them. In general, the intent of all these customs is the same—to show one’s respect for the text.
• Things Not to Bring into the Monastery: Please do not bring alcohol, meat (including fish & poultry), food prepared with onion or garlic, illicit drugs, and cigarettes into the monastery.

Below is the typical volunteer schedule at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

What kind of accomodations are there?

• Towel, sleeping bag, comfortable clothing for meditation, work clothing for community service, thermal underwear (recommended), note book and pen, alarm clock, and personal toiletry (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.).

• The temperature can range between 40 degrees in a course of a day, so please bring warm clothing for the mornings and evenings and some light clothing (no shorts please) for the afternoon.

• Tank top, shorts, short skirts (with respect to monastery rules), meat, video games, pets, illicit drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.

• The cost is by donation. The spirit is that work is done as a selfless contribution to the community, and the community also supports the volunteer's basic living needs while they are here (a room and 3 meals a day).

• Please note the check-in time for the event you are registering for. Otherwise, please plan to arrive before 6pm the day of your arrival so that you can register in the administration office.

• As a volunteer, you will be expected to work around 5 hours/day or 30 hours/week. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas provides a room to stay and three vegetarian meals a day.

• New volunteers are asked to first come to a volunteer week. These are listed on our events calendar. After coming to a volunteer week, volunteers can apply to serve for another three weeks, and then for longer periods of time which will be considered on an individual basis.

• You do not have to be a Buddhist to volunteer. People from all religious backgrounds (or no religious background) come to work in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

• CTTB Volunteer Handbook (PDF, 452kb)
• Essential Guidelines