School and college Visits
Manjushri KMC has been hosting school visits for many years and the opening of our Kadampa Buddhist Temple for World Peace has greatly increased demand. It is a beautiful and peaceful place that contains large Buddhist statues, paintings, shrines with offerings, sacred texts, and many of the symbols mentioned in the RE Syllabus. It has a special atmosphere and teachers are often surprised at how quiet and responsive the children are during their visit.
You can make your visit a complete day out. In addition to the spiritual aspect you could include history, environmental and art studies around the main building, in the woods and on the estuary shoreline of Morecambe Bay. The Priory is an imposing example of 19th century Gothic architecture, completed for the wealthy Braddyll family in 1836, and stands on the site of a 12th century Augustinian Priory. It is has huge reception rooms with decorative ceilings, grand staircase, 48m long cloister corridor, amazing stained glass and vaulted great hall.
Our teachers are familiar with the Key Stages of the Religious Education ‘Agreed Syllabus’ for nearby Education Authorities so please specify exactly what you would like the talk, discussion and guided meditation to cover.
Generally 1½ hours is spent with our teacher. The tour can include some time in the main 'Priory' building looking at Buddhist statues and paintings in the vaulted corridor, and at historic features of the house. This is followed by a talk and meditation in the new Temple, the centrepiece of which is a large statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. It is an inspiring and calming environment. We can include a question and answer session, simple breathing meditation, or more structured meditation to develop a positive mind like love. We can explain some of the symbolism, draw Buddhas, or anything else you would like to cover.
Our teacher can meet you from 9.30am onwards. After your time with our teacher you could re-visit the main building, explore the grounds or browse in the shop. You can sit in the grounds to enjoy your packed lunch. If it is cold or raining you can use our dining room up to 1pm (capacity 90 people). The gift shop is open from 2 - 4pm and we can open it earlier if you let us know. There is no Conservatory Café on weekdays.
Booking
When you have some possible dates please email visits@manjushri.org or phone the Visits Manager on 01229 584029 and check if they are free. We are very busy in the summer so please book early to avoid disappointment, or come at a quieter time of the year.
Click here to download the School Visits information pack, including booking form and risk assessment.
Click here if you would like to download the booking form only.
Charges
Please pay at Reception during your visit and they will give you a receipt. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Manjushri KMC’. Or ask for an Invoice to take back to school / college so a cheque can be sent later.
For 2009 our charges are :
Pre-school & Primary £1.20 each
Secondary / A level £1.45 each
Special schools £1.20 each
Adults with special needs £1.20 each
Further Education / Adults £2.50 each
There is no charge for teachers or parents
Click to visit dharmaforkids.com, a website designed for kids and teachers.