The Tibetan Lama Abhay Rinpoche visited Wilmslow High School on Monday, 28th February, to give a talk to students from Religious Studies, Sociology and Philosophy.
He is currently visiting the UK to offer refuge, give teachings and raise funds for his home monastery in Tibet which he supports financially. He also plans to build a new monastery in India for refugee Buddhist monks from Tibet.
Lama Rinpoche struck an incongruous figure as he arrived at the school in his monk's robes, surrounded by the bustle of students rushing into class. He quickly won the students over with his warmth and charm, chatting to a bunch of drama students who had vacated the drama studio whilst it was decorated with Tibetan prayer flags, paintings, candles and incense for his visit.
His talk to the students focussed on Buddhist ideals of peace, love and compassion and how by increasing our own positive attributes such as patience and tolerance we can make a difference to the world and create happiness and contentment for ourselves. He spoke eloquently about the need to motivate ourselves to focus on positive feelings such as love and patience and by doing so benefit not just our own health and well being but that of our friends and family too.
The students were very attentive to his message of spiritual riches and how material riches can mean nothing if one is unhappy or driven by fear or anger. During a question and answer session he was asked how he felt about the Chinese occupation of Tibet, in true Buddhist fashion he could see both the negative and positive factors as the Tibetan Diaspora has helped spread the Buddhist message to the world. He also explained how karma works and described what it was like to leave home at 7 to become a monk.
Some of the 6th form students and teachers were so taken with his message and his friendly and approachable manner that they stayed on to talk to him well after the end of school.
The visit was organised by Jo Bentley, a parent of two students at the school who is a trustee of Kupanling buddhist centre in Macclesfield, in conjunction with Wilmslow High School Social Studies Department.
Abhay being welcomed by staff and students including Catherine Howard (religious studies teacher) second left and Jo Bentley (second right).
