Year 12 Religious Studies and Philosophy pupils enjoyed a morning at the Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat centre on Thursday as part of an experience designed to enhance their understanding of Buddhism. They were given an insight into Buddhist ritual practice in a highly decorative shrine room before spending time immersing themselves in the artistic representations and their symbolism. Then, they had a Q&A session, putting questions to their Buddhist hosts covering topics of ethics, philosophical ideas and the role of Buddhism, both in their lives and in the wider world.

This was an informative and engaging day, which provided an excellent opportunity to see something of Buddhism outside of the classroom setting.