4 ms·

I've had some kind of "financial independence" for over a year now living on savings from my grad school time. I'm currently staying in an Indian monastery. The

by ced 18y ago

I've had some kind of "financial independence" for over a year now living on savings from my grad school time. I'm currently staying in an Indian monastery. They charge me 120$/month for a room and food. It's the most satisfying lifestyle I've had by far. I wake up every morning and I just do what I feel like doing. Lots of hacking, learning and walks in the mountains. The biggest downside is the absence of a library.

raamdev 18y ago
That sounds like a great way to live cheaply in a peaceful/quiet environment. How did you find and approach the monastery? Did you already know someone there?
- ced 18y ago
  In the plane, I met a woman who'd been there before. The monastery is "not open for business", as one of the monks reminded me. Normally only practitioners can stay. But I also had the goal of teaching science and computers to whoever was interested, and there are 500 children and teenagers here. I'm sure you could find a monastery to stay in. For all the rigidity of the core monastic rules, I have found them to be remarkably flexible and pragmatic about daily life. If you're interested, email me. There are some wonderful places in the Himalayas.
  - ido 18y ago
    How do you get Internet connection? Or do you just post from the local version of an Internet Café?
    - ced 18y ago
      They have a land line at the monastery, though no network. Some people use satellite connections.
- ido 18y ago
  120 usd/month is about 200 Rupees a day - you do not need to look that hard to find accommodation&food in India for that amount. I was in Northern India about 4 years ago for 2 months, and traveling (which is several times more expansive than just staying in one place, especially since I ate at restaurants and did all kinds of touristy things) cost me about 300-400 usd/month.
  - ced 18y ago
    Well, I haven't heard of any other accommodation that cheap, but you're right, there are options in the same ballpark. Don't forget that prices have gone up substantially since the last 4 years.

by ced 18y ago

raamdev 18y ago

That sounds like a great way to live cheaply in a peaceful/quiet environment. How did you find and approach the monastery? Did you already know someone there?

ced 18y ago
In the plane, I met a woman who'd been there before. The monastery is "not open for business", as one of the monks reminded me. Normally only practitioners can stay. But I also had the goal of teaching science and computers to whoever was interested, and there are 500 children and teenagers here. I'm sure you could find a monastery to stay in. For all the rigidity of the core monastic rules, I have found them to be remarkably flexible and pragmatic about daily life. If you're interested, email me. There are some wonderful places in the Himalayas.
- ido 18y ago
  How do you get Internet connection? Or do you just post from the local version of an Internet Café?
  - ced 18y ago
    They have a land line at the monastery, though no network. Some people use satellite connections.
ido 18y ago
120 usd/month is about 200 Rupees a day - you do not need to look that hard to find accommodation&food in India for that amount. I was in Northern India about 4 years ago for 2 months, and traveling (which is several times more expansive than just staying in one place, especially since I ate at restaurants and did all kinds of touristy things) cost me about 300-400 usd/month.
- ced 18y ago
  Well, I haven't heard of any other accommodation that cheap, but you're right, there are options in the same ballpark. Don't forget that prices have gone up substantially since the last 4 years.