Now and again they met other practicing Buddhists from their own or other countries and benefitted a great deal from the experiences. Looking around The United Kingdom once more today, one can immediately see that things have changed dramatically. People get used to seeing Buddhist monks of every school in all areas as more and more immigrants and students arrive from the East. Naturally monks and nuns are invited to come to teach and perform ceremonies. Temples can be found in both urban and rural areas.
More people here go to the East on holidays and start to know more about the faith.
On top of this a large number of Westerners and local Indians converted to Buddhism. So the present overseas students are very fortunate to have help and support from the monks and communities which belong to the same race and culture. If their English is good, they can join societies or groups at some colleges and universities where discussions, lectures by visiting monks or laymen and meditation classes take place. As there are different schools of Buddhism in this country, it can be confusing, not only for people of other faiths, but also for Buddhists themselves to know and to relate to the different coloured robes worn by monks, nuns and lay ministers who belong to different countries, schools, speak different languages, have different cultures and possess different sets of rules. Some students who have not travelled anywhere before and were brought up in Theravada countries where monks are celibate may feel uncomfortable in the presence of married clergy from Mahayana countries.