General Guidelines for Your Stay
To create and maintain an environment supportive for spiritual practice and life we need your support.
We respectfully ask our guests and students to follow the below rules to ensure a pleasant and harmonious stay.
Abide by the Five Precepts
- Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.
- Respect others' property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.
- Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others.
- Be celibate: no sexual activity. This also includes no holding hands, hugging, massages and other physical displays of affection.
- Be alert and mindful: no intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes are acceptable. We encourage you to stop smoking while here, but if this is impossible, one can smoke outside the gate.
- Respect the monks and their vows
Monks live in their vows and follow a strict discipline of studies and practice, or work. Please don't distract them from their studies.
Do not invite monks to your room, or visit them in their rooms.
Do not engage in idle gossip with them. If you are in need of advice or would like to talk to a senior monk, please ask the reception to put you in touch with the right person.
- Be mindful of your behavior and your speech
Try to be polite, quiet, and mindful of others needs.
- Observe the dress code
We request that you wear non-revealing clothing at all times while staying at Kopan Monastery.
Long or short sleeve shirts covering the upper body and shoulders, and pants, long shorts, or dresses, that are roughly knee length, are appropriate. Simple, casual clothing, that is easy to wash, is best. Inside the meditation hall, please wear a proper shirt, long pants or a calf-length skirt.
We respectfully ask that you do not wear attire that is see-through, skin tight and/or with obscene language and inappropriate messages. For women, please no spaghetti straps, shoulder free dresses, miniskirts, tights or low cut trousers. For men, please no singlet, tight short shorts, or low cut pants.
- Do not bring any animals with you
Please do not bring your pets, or stray dogs or cats to the monastery. We will not be able to accommodate you if you do. The monastery has its own dogs and is caring for them. Our animal Sanctuary does not accept animals of any kind.
- Do not play music anywhere
If you are listening to teachings, please do so with earphones only. If you bring a musical instrument, it will have to be stored in the reception during your stay.
- Accommodation for male and female visitors is segregated.
Please respect the privacy of our other guests and do not visit each other's rooms.
- Families with children
Families with children are welcome for a private staying between courses. However, children are not accepted during courses, as this will be disturbing to the course participants and also distract you from following the teachings. The recommended minimum age for children to attend the course under parental supervision is 16 years. Unaccompanied young adults are welcome from 18 years onwards with written permission and recommendation from the parents or guardians.
We appreciate your cooperation.