Trip to the Buddhist Monastery

Last week, I had the privilege of taking my fifth graders to visit a Buddhist monastery only a short drive away in Bolivia, NC. We've been studying each of the five major religions this school year and with each religion, we travel to a different "learning spot" in our area.

This trip was excellent because students got a chance to see Buddhist monks in their living space and we were even given a lesson on The Eightfold Path and Rebirth. Since we learned that monks do not use money and are not allowed to ask for anything, we offered some gifts as a thank you for having us. These gifts included some canned goods, bread, toothbrush and toothpaste. I believe this experience to be one students will never forget.