New Books for the Young Monks

This week, a new set of schoolbooks arrived for the younger monks of Dzongkar Choede.

Alongside their monastic studies, the young monks follow a broader education that includes subjects such as languages, mathematics and general knowledge. New books are always welcomed with a certain excitement — even if, as in schools everywhere, some subjects are greeted more enthusiastically than others.

Soon the books will begin to show the signs of daily use: handwritten notes, folded corners and well-thumbed pages.

It is a small moment, but an important one: education at Dzongkar Choede is not only about preserving the great Buddhist traditions of the monastery. It is also about giving a new generation of monks the knowledge and confidence they need to find their place in a changing world.