This lesson asks students to contemplate the meaning of a statement regarding Nepalese religion and spirituality and to look for evidence of religious customs and "spiritual richness" observed during one American's trek through Nepal. The students will conclude by comparing and contrasting these factors in Nepal with their own country.

Geography

Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"

Two to three hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Writing materials

Students will

• discuss why Nepal is primarily a Hindu country;
• discuss the meaning of the statement on Nepalese "spiritual richness";
• explore National Geographic's Trekking Nepal site and take notes on Nepalese religious customs and practices and on evidence of Nepalese "spiritual richness"; and
• compare and contrast the openness and prominence of religious practices and "spiritual richness" in Nepal with those in the students' home country.

Tell students that Hinduism is the primary religion in Nepal, practiced by 90% of Nepalese people. In fact, Nepal is the only official Hindu state in the world. (See the CIA World Factbook entry.) What other country is primarily Hindu? Have them look at Nepal's location on a map and discuss the possible reasons why this small country has such an overwhelmingly Hindu population.

Have students click on the "A City of Contrasts" link from the Kathmandu section of National Geographic's Trekking Nepal site and read the text. What do they think the author means when she writes that "despite extreme poverty and substandard living conditions, these people are spiritually rich beyond measure"? Discuss the students' ideas about this statement. In particular, discuss what it means to be "spiritually rich." Can a person be rich without having much money or many possessions?

Explain that the author is expressing two main ideas in this statement. She is commenting on the relatively prominent role of religious practices in Nepalese daily life, and also on the fact that, based on her observations, the Nepalese seem to lead full lives despite not having a lot of money or possessions. Have students explore all or part of the Trekking Nepal site to find evidence that supports the statement. They should look for:

• signs of religious customs and observances; and
• evidence of the Nepalese leading fulfilling lives, despite being poor by U.S. standards.

Have them take notes on what they see, ideally finding at least two examples for each of the points above. These sections of the trek will be particularly relevant:

• Kathmandu: The Living Goddess
• Kathmandu: A City of Contrasts
• Landruk: Gallery—Local Life Along the Trail

Ask students to describe the extent to which religion is a part of everyday life in their own country. What are the differences between what they have learned about Nepalese culture and what they have experienced at home? What are the reasons for these differences (e.g., diversity of religions in the United States and separation of church and state in contrast to one official religion)?

Discuss students' observations of Nepalese "spiritual richness." Why do they think the author commented on this? Do they think people in their own country have the same level of "spiritual richness"? Do people in their own country tend to be content to lead relatively simple lives with few possessions?

Ask students to write two- to three-paragraph essays comparing and contrasting what they have learned about Nepalese religion and spirituality with their observations of these factors in their own country. Their essays should address the following questions:

• What types of religious practices and customs are noticeable on a trek in Nepal, and how would those practices compare to what a foreigner would see on a tour of the students' own country?
• What evidence would students see on a trek in Nepal to indicate that most Nepalese people lead seemingly fulfilling lives even though they don't have a lot of money or possessions? How do those observations compare to what students have noticed in their own country? Do they think people in their own country, in general, are just as content as the Nepalese to make do with few luxuries?

Have students interview a person from an Asian country to learn about some of their traditional religious and spiritual practices. They should ask about religious ceremonies, holidays, and customs. How does this person compare his or her home culture to North American culture?

CIA World Factbook: Nepal
National Geographic: Trekking Nepal