Full Immersion into the World of Buddhism Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics in the program were quite challenging. The professors really know how to push you to your limits and make you think. The classes were very engaging, and I always looked forward to them. I have never learned so much in one semester. However, with the intense schedule of daily life in the Burmese Vihar it was often difficult to put in the amount of time and effort needed to complete the work and do well in the classes.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Once you accept that you are living in Bihar with no air conditioning and none of the amenities available in Western countries, you can really come to appreciate the small things you do have access to such as a fan, a desk, and a bed with a mosquito net. The Vihar was a very nice place to live.

The kitchen staff at the Burmese Vihar do an excellent job preparing clean, delicious food for us every day. There are also many good restaurants in town that are fun to explore.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated with the local culture. The classes do a good job incorporating interviews with people in town and other field work assignments into the course work. Getting to eat out in town each night further integrated us with the local culture. I did wish that they had given us more free time to explore the town. While they always encouraged us to get out of the monastery, it was often not feasible with the rigorous daily schedule and amount of class work we had.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While I never got seriously sick, many people did. Health was a number one priority, and the faculty did a great job making sure people stayed as healthy as possible. They were also very helpful in directing us to the proper health precautions needed before starting the program.

Keeping in mind that we were living in Bihar, I always felt relatively safe. People do try to take advantage of Westerners, and it can be uncomfortable for women especially at times, yet as long as you follow the safety guidelines that the program sets out for you there will most likely be no problems. Still, future students should be aware that they are going to rural India where things are very different and can often be scary for first time travelers.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It is incredibly cheap to live in India. The program provided a stipend for dinners out each night.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

They encouraged us to use it in town, but it was not necessary as most people speak English and we were not at a conversational level most of the semester.

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• Other
• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family
• Other

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• Americans

• The conversations with monks, nuns, professors, and other students.
• The meditation.
• Seeing all the amazing Buddhist temples and religious sites.

• There was so much work that I often felt like I was unable to get out and fully experience and explore India.