In depth learning of Buddhist meditation Past Review
By Alexa R (Religion and Economics, Amherst College) for
Carleton Global Engagement: Buddhist Studies in Bodh Gaya, India
This was undeniably a great jumping off point for both my meditation practice as well as fueling my interest in India.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The most amazing part of this program is the meditation class, which is a learning experience that you would never get at home. The other classes not as high in caliber, but the meditation class makes up for it, as well as the independent study, which is another class that you can't get at home. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing, guesthouse in a Buddhist monastery, was conducive to program in that it was very simple and basic, but it was very close to the village, which had very loud pujas all the time. Living in a monastery made us removed from the villagers. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were so many events all the time to be a part of, both Buddhist and Hindu, pujas, festivals, etc. Every weekend there was a different event, whether in Bodh Gaya or a trip nearby. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The program did a very good job with health issues, although sometimes the local support was a bit lacking. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The language class was not not very good, and unfortunately, the interaction with the community was limited and so little Hindi was practiced. Whatever Hindi we knew, they knew more English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you are interested in learning about meditation in Asia, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you. You most have a high tolerance for physically and psychologically difficult experiences, but this is really all part of the learning process, contributing to a deeper understanding of both meditation and life in general. |
