On Thursday 21 March, the Oberstufe visited the Letzehof Buddhist Monastery near Feldkirch, Austria, to learn about Buddhism and its teachings. A friendly monk called Mark was our guide, and after he had introduced himself, he told us about the various building on the grounds, he led us up to the stupa (a monument containing Buddhist relics that is a focal point for meditation and positivity) and also explained the symbolism and significance of the nearby prayer drums.
We were then taken into the temple (above) and were invited to put questions to Mark about the monastery, Buddhism and his own journey towards enlightenment. He answered all questions very thoroughly in a session that lasted two hours. We were all left with a good grasp of issues and the philosophy of reincarnation, karma, applying positive approaches and cleaning negative ones, prayer, meditation, happiness and suffering. Students were very inquisitive and were keen to understand these concepts for themselves. Mark spoke with conviction and great humility and we all agreed that both he and the monastery itself was a place of great peace – a peace that we all felt just by being there.
The grounds of the monastery (Photo: Tobias Keel)
At lunchtime, we were taken to the refectory, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal of rice, vegetables and dhal (a sort of spicy soup made with lentils). We thanked the cook and Mark for their hospitality, before slowly making our way back to school to discuss what we had learned.
We all enjoyed learning about Buddhism and its teachings, we learned a lot of new vocabulary and gained an insight into a different, peaceful way of life.