The Sewala Monastery in Bhutan was built in 1718 on a sacred Buddhist mountain and now really needs your support.
Take the opportunity to help support the 98 young Buddhist monks who live in this magical monastery high in the Himalayas under the guidance of His Eminence Rimpoche Jamgon Truelku. After the devastating Nepal Earthquake, many ancient structures at the monastery need to be demolished and rebuilt. Add to this, the lockdowns due to COVID had shutdown much-needed tourist revenue, so our annual group trips there and your financial donations are required at this time more than ever. Please click here to make a donation
Take the opportunity to help support the 98 young Buddhist monks who live in this magical monastery high in the Himalayas under the guidance of His Eminence Rimpoche Jamgon Truelku. After the devastating Nepal Earthquake, many ancient structures at the monastery need to be demolished and rebuilt. Add to this, the lockdowns due to COVID had shutdown much-needed tourist revenue, so Besides being a place of peace and study, the monastery also has a role of being an orphanage for boys as many youngsters are left here by impoverished families who do not have the means to raise them. Girls carry much more value than boys in Bhutan, and as such, many young boys and young men seek monastic life. Sewala carries the burden of responsibility to care for these youth both as a home and a training school in Buddhist community service.
Besides being a place of peace and study, the monastery also has a role of being an orphanage for boys as many youngsters are left here by impoverished families who do not have the means to raise them. Girls carry much more value than boys in Bhutan, and as such, many young boys and young men seek monastic life. Sewala carries the burden of responsibility to care for these youth both as a home and a training school in Buddhist community service.Click here to learn about our amazing annual journey to Bhutan – September 2025 – to help support the monastery
…or scroll below to make a donation. CommunityAwake is the official, non-profit, fiscal sponsor of Sewala Monastery.
In turn, these monks undergo disciplined Buddhist training with very little funding by the government. From what we discovered, only 25% of the Sewala Monastery budget is provided by the Bhutanese administration, 75% must come from donations. Besides the basics of food and utilities, structural repairs all must be paid for through donations. You can see in this photo the terrible damage done to the monk dormitory/study hall from the famous Nepalese earthquake in 2015.
This ancient building is in jeapardy of collapsing and it is too dangerous for monks to sleep in, creating a a critcal situation for both housing and safety. Professional contractors have estimated repairs to just save this building at US$93,124… and the government has condemned this important, historical structure as it is not long before the structure will collapse.
As of January 2020 you can see in this photo that the Bhutan Government demand that the structure gets demolished has already begun. Your donation is of the utmost importance now more than ever.
As of January 2020 you can see in this photo that the Bhutan Government demand that the structure gets demolished has already begun. Your donation is of the utmost importance now more than ever.Please click here to make a donation
Thank you for your tax-deductible donation to help support Sewala
It is wonderful to see the amazing service that these monks provide to the three local communities in the form of traditional ceremonies for weddings, births, deaths, new home construction, healing, and general emotional and spiritual support for those in need.
The most recent project for Sewala Monastery has been an ongoing series of 7-day prayers for world peace. Day and night all the monks – joined by seniors and dedicated people in the nearby villages – chant and send blessings to all sentient beings around the world for peace.
Rimpoche commissioned a special Thangka (spiritual artwork) for this event.
You can see in this photo that he had to devote enormous resources for the months it took to paint and weave this massive silk hanging designed to last hundreds of years and only shown once each year. This Thangka was shown to a gathering of very high-level Buddhist Abbots and dignitaries – including the King – at the Punakha Dzong on 20 November 2016 and every Spring Festival since.
This is a great honor and a demanding undertaking, but a blessing for us all and a wonderful example of the good work that Rimpoche and the monks at Sewala do.
Francesco Garri Garripoli was selected by the Bhutan Royal Family after visiting the Thimphu capital city many times to care for the young Jamgoen Truelku Rimpoche back in 2008 and after hosting him and several monks at his retreat in Hawaii, sponsored many fundraising efforts.
Your tax-deductible donation below is most appreciated. 100% of what you donate goes directly to the monastery in Bhutan and since all is managed by the non-profit, 501(c)3 CommunityAwake organization, your donations are fully tax-deductible. If you wish to place a larger donation than available below,