Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless by Nepal's devastating earthquake on Saturday, but a fraction of these have found temporary shelter at a Buddhist monastery in the hardest-hit region.
The Shechen Monastery, just outside Kathmandu, is housing roughly 2,000 people, including the monastery monks and staff, according to a press release from the center. The monks are trained in disaster relief and are providing tents, food and drinking water to those camping on the monastery grounds. Several monastery buildings sustained severe damage in the quake, according to the press release, including the main temple.
Doctors and staff at a nearby health clinic, run by affiliated humanitarian organization Karuna-Shechen co-founded by prominent French monk Matthieu Ricard, are helping to assess injuries and provide medical aid to the displaced, according to the center's website.
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The monastery's efforts are in line with the ethos of compassion that Ricard wrote about in a blog on The Huffington Post just days before the earthquake.
"To protect the practice of mindfulness from any deviations, a clear component of altruism needs to be embedded from the start," Ricard wrote. "Doing so offers a very potent, secular way to cultivate benevolence and promote a more altruistic society, while cultivating mindfulness at all times. To be fully transformative, the mindfulness revolution has to go hand and hand with the altruism revolution."
Other Buddhist monasteries and organizations were quick to respond to the disaster as well, offering updates to the world through social media. They also are sheltering and providing medical attention to those in need and raising funds for relief efforts.
On Sunday, the Dalai Lama wrote to the Nepalese Prime Minister, Sushil Koirala, saying: “The people of Nepal and Tibetans have been neighbors throughout history and many Tibetan refugees live in Nepal. I offer my condolences to you and to those who have lost members of their families, friends and their homes in this tragedy.”
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He added that he has asked the Dalai Lama Trust to make a donation toward rescue and relief efforts in the country.
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GORKHA, NEPAL - APRIL 29: A Nepalese child carries a baby in Deragaun village of Nepal's Gorkha district on April 29, 2015 after devastating eartquake struck Nepal. The death toll in Nepal following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake which struck on April 25, 2015, has climbed to 4,455 while around 8,300 people have also been found injured since the quake. (Photo by Bulent Doruk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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To go with story 'Nepal-quake-medical-aid' by Beatrice Le BohecA Nepalese staff member of Handicap International (L) speaks to Salina Dhakal, 8, as she lies on her bed at the National Trauma Centre hospital in the capital Kathmandu on April 30, 2015, following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck the Himalayan nation on April 25. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images)
n this Sunday, April 26, 2015, photo taken by Amul Thapa and provided by KathmanduToday.com, four-month-old baby boy Sonit Awal is held up by Nepalese Army soldiers after being rescued from the rubble of his house in Bhaktapur, Nepal, after Saturday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook the densely populated Kathmandu valley. Thapa says that when he saw the baby alive after 20 hours of rescue efforts all my sorrow went. Everyone was clapping. It gave me energy and made me smile in spite of lots of pain hidden inside me." (Amul Thapa/KathmanduToday.com via AP)
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KATHMANDU, NEPAL - APRIL 30: A member of Los Angeles County Fire Department guides his sniffing dog through a collapsed building in Gangabu on April 30, 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal. A major 7.8 earthquake hit Kathmandu mid-day on Saturday, and was followed by multiple aftershocks that triggered avalanches on Mt. Everest that buried mountain climbers in their base camps. Many houses, buildings and temples in the capital were destroyed during the earthquake, leaving over 5500 dead and many more trapped under the debris as emergency rescue workers attempt to clear debris and find survivors. Regular aftershocks have hampered recovery missions as locals, officials and aid workers attempt to recover bodies from the rubble. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)
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To go with story 'Nepal-quake-medical-aid' by Beatrice Le BohecA volunteer nurse manually squeezes an air pump while maintaining a steady flow of oxygen for a survivor of the April 25 earthquake at the National Trauma Centre hospital in the capital Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images)
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 30: British nationals arrive at London Stansted Airport after being evacuated from Nepal following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 that struck the Himalayan nation, April 30, 2015 in London, England. The death toll stands at more than 5,000 people. About 120 Brits were evacuated from Nepal on the return journey of a UK aid flight. (Photo by Nilas Halle'n-Pool/Getty Images)
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An Israeli army doctor holds the newborn baby of Nepalese woman, Quqila Pondari who was born during the night at the Israeli field hospital in Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. Quqila Pondari gave birth to the first baby of the Israeli field hospital during their mission in Kathmandu following the earthquake. AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Rescue team carries 42-year-old woman, Krishna Khadka, who was pulled out alive from a collapsed building by Nepal's Army Police Force personnel in Kathmandu on April 30 2015. Rescue workers pulled a second survivor from the rubble of a collapsed building in Nepal's capital, five days after a massive earthquake. Emergency worker Roman Schulze said rescuers took 10 hours to pull the woman to safety, the second such rescue in a day after that of a 15-year-old boy. AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Pemba Tamang is carried on a stretcher after being rescued by Nepalese policemen and U.S. rescue workers from a building that collapsed five days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as a Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shresta)
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US rescuer workers, wearing yellow helmets, plan as they and Nepal policemen prepare to pull out Pemba Tamang, a teenage boy from the rubble of a building five days after the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo / Manish Swarup)
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Nepalese policemen lift their commander and celebrate after they along with U.S. rescuers pulled out Pemba Tamang, a teenage boy from a building that collapsed five days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo / Manish Swarup)
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German trekker Simone Schiller grimaces as she lies on a stretcher after being rescued from Lukla by an Indian Air Force helicopter, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Schiller was with her husband at Everest Base Camp. An avalanche triggered by Saturday's 7.8-magnitude quake killed more than a dozen and injured many more when it swept through base camp, knocking over tents and people. All climbers have now left Everest, ending the climbing season early for the second year. (AP Photo/Bernat Amangue)
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Indian trekker Rabbi Sangbi and other trekkers fly back to Kathmandu on an Indian Air Force helicopter after being rescued in Lukla, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook Nepalâs capital and the densely populated Kathmandu valley on Saturday devastating the region and leaving tens of thousands shell-shocked and sleeping in streets. (AP Photo/Bernat Amangue)
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A U.S. doctor attends to Pemba Tamang inside an ambulance after being rescued by Nepalese policemen and U.S. rescue workers from a building that collapsed five days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo / Manish Swarup)
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Pemba Tamang is carried on a stretcher after being rescued by Nepalese policemen and U.S. rescue workers from a building that collapsed five days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as a Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shresta)
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A Nepalese girl is treated by Israeli Army medic soldiers at the Israeli field hospital in Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Indians light candles and offer prayers for victims of Nepalâs Saturday earthquake, in Gauhati, India, Thursday, April 30, 2015. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook Nepalâs capital and the densely populated Kathmandu valley on Saturday devastating the region and leaving tens of thousands shell-shocked and sleeping in streets. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
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Nepalese policemen cheer after they along with U.S. rescuers pulled out Pemba Tamang, a teenage boy from a building that collapsed five days ago in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 30, 2015. Crowds cheered Thursday as Tamang was pulled, dazed and dusty, from the wreckage of a seven-story Kathmandu building that collapsed around him five days ago when an enormous earthquake shook Nepal. (AP Photo / Manish Swarup)
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An Indian volunteer from the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) (S.U.C.I.(C)) (R) collects funds from citizens for the earthquake victims of Nepal and North India, in Ahmedabad on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / Sam PANTHAKY (Photo credit should read SAM PANTHAKY/AFP/Getty Images)
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Norwegian search and rescue team carry an earthquake survivor from a damaged building site in Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. Rescue workers pulled a second survivor from the rubble of a collapsed building in Nepal's capital, five days after a massive earthquake. Emergency worker Roman Schulze said rescuers took 10 hours to pull the woman to safety, the second such rescue in a day after that of a 15-year-old boy. AFP PHOTO/PRAKASH SINGH (Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 30: British nationals arrive at London Stansted Airport after being evacuated from Nepal following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 that struck the Himalayan nation, April 30, 2015 in London, England. The death toll stands at more than 5,000 people. About 120 Brits were evacuated from Nepal on the return journey of a UK aid flight. (Photo by Nilas Halle'n-Pool/Getty Images)
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Nepalese Army personnel unload relief aid at the airport in Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH MATHEMA (Photo credit should read PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Nepalese Army personnel carry a rescued child at the airport in Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH MATHEMA (Photo credit should read PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images)
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A couple embrace as British nationals arrive at London Stansted Airport on April 30, 2015 after they were evacuated from Nepal following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Himalayan nation on April 25 killing over 5,000 people. Around 120 British people were evacuated from quake-hit Nepal on the return journey of a UK aid flight. AFP PHOTO / POOL / NIKLAS HALLE'N (Photo credit should read NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP/Getty Images)
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Volunteers carry bags of food supply from a cargo truck to an aid helicopter in Majuwa village, near the epicenter of Saturday's massive earthquake, in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. In Gorkha, five cargo trucks filled with rice, cooking oil and sugar stood on a grassy field in Majuwa village waiting for a helicopter from Kathmandu to take the supplies to the hardest-hit areas of that district. Unlike in Nepal's capital, where most buildings were spared complete collapse, the tiny hamlets clinging to the remote mountainsides of Gorkha District have been ravaged. Entire clusters of homes were reduced to piles of stone and splintered wood.
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Volunteers load an aid helicopter with relief supplies in Majuwa village, near the epicenter of Saturday's massive earthquake, in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. In Gorkha, five cargo trucks filled with rice, cooking oil and sugar stood on a grassy field in Majuwa village waiting for a helicopter from Kathmandu to take the supplies to the hardest-hit areas of that district. Unlike in Nepal's capital, where most buildings were spared complete collapse, the tiny hamlets clinging to the remote mountainsides of Gorkha District have been ravaged. Entire clusters of homes were reduced to piles of stone and splintered wood. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)
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To go with story 'Nepal-quake-medical-aid' by Beatrice Le BohecA survivor of the April 25 earthquake receives medical attention at the National Trauma Centre hospital in the capital Kathmandu on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images)
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Nepal Armed Force personnel load relief aid at Charikot, in Dholka district on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / PRAKASH SINGH (Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)
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Nepal army soldiers unload relief material from an Indian Air Force helicopter at earthquake affected Dhadingbesti, in Nepal, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. The first aid shipments reached a hilly district near the epicenter of Nepal's earthquake, a U.N. food agency official said, and distribution of food and medicine would start Wednesday, five days after the quake struck. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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Nepalese police force personnel unload relief aid at a warehouse, prior to distribution to earthquake-affected villages, in Birtamod of Jhapa district on April 30, 2015. The UN launched an appeal for Nepalese quake survivors in dire need of shelter, food and medical care April 30 as anger boiled at the government's inability to cope with a disaster that has killed more than 5,000 people. AFP PHOTO / Diptendu DUTTA (Photo credit should read DIPTENDU DUTTA/AFP/Getty Images)
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KATHMANDU, NEPAL - APRIL 30: US rescue team and Nepal military prepare to pull out fifteen old Pemba Lama from rubble of destroyed building days after a major earthquake hit the region on April 30, 2015 in Kathmandu, NepalA major 7.8 earthquake hit Kathmandu mid-day on Saturday, and was followed by multiple aftershocks that triggered avalanches on Mt. Everest that buried mountain climbers in their base camps. Many houses, buildings and temples in the capital were destroyed during the earthquake, leaving over 4600 dead and many more trapped under the debris as emergency rescue workers attempt to clear debris and find survivors. Regular aftershocks have hampered recovery missions as locals, officials and aid workers attempt to recover bodies from the rubble. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)