Gelong Thubten visited Whitchurch High School on Friday 11th June 2010 and attended three classes in years 9 and 10.He spoke about his journey in becoming a monk and explained some Buddhist teachings on a number of contemporary moral issues. Thubten also spoke about the way in which meditation can divert the troubled mind and how stressful periods in life can be alleviated by practising this skill.

The pupils asked many searching questions which Thubten admitted were challenging and thought provoking. These ranged from:

“How can a monk who goes to a retreat for 4 years benefit society?”
“If there is no God then how did the world originate?”
“Would a Buddhist ever agree that Abortion is sometimes acceptable?”
“Would a Buddhist kill someone in order to defend themselves or others?”
“Have you met any famous Buddhists?!!”
(Thubten informed us that he would be having lunch with Tina Turner the following week!)

The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and behaved with respect and consideration. Many of them were eager to have their picture taken with Thubten (as can be seen). It is an extremely valuable exercise to welcome speakers from world faiths into our school to talk about their beliefs. It promotes tolerance and understanding of the diversity of ideas from different cultures. It also draws attention to the fact that the moral teachings of different religions are in fact quite similar.

Thanks are extended to Thubten for his “enlightening” contribution to the R.E  curriculum at Whitchurch High School.